Learn how to stop the Snipping Tool from opening when you press the Print Screen (PrtScn) key on your keyboard.
On Windows 11, Snipping Tool is the default screenshot and screen recording tool. The best thing about it is that it lets you edit screenshots, create GIFs, extract text from images, and more with just a few clicks. To make it easy to use, on Windows 11, pressing the Print Screen (PrtScn) button automatically opens the Snipping Tool. In general, using the Snipping Tool for taking screenshots is a better alternative than the older method, where you press the Print Screen key, open the Paint app, paste the screenshot from the clipboard, and save it manually.
However, if you don’t use it, want to use a third-party screenshotting app, or prefer the older method, you can configure Windows 11 to prevent the Snipping Tool from opening when you press the Print Screen key. For example, I use Greenshot as my primary screenshot tool. So, I prefer it to launch when I press the Print Screen key.
In this quick and easy guide, I’ll show you the steps to stop the Print Screen key from opening the Snipping Tool in Windows 11. Let’s get started.
Good to know: Best screenshot tool for Windows
Stop the Print Screen Key From Opening the Snipping Tool
To prevent the Print Screen key from opening the Snipping Tool, you must disable it in the Settings app. Here’s how.
- Open the Settings window by pressing “Windows key + I”.
- Go to the “Accessibility” tab on the sidebar.
- Click the “Keyboard” option on the right page.
- Turn OFF the “Use the Print screen key to open screen capture” toggle.
- With that, the Snipping Tool app will not open when pressing the Print Screen key.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
First, we must open the Settings app. To do that, press the “Windows key + I” keyboard shortcut. Alternatively, open the Start menu, search for Settings, and click the top result. Or, click the Network icon on the taskbar and then click the Settings icon at the bottom of the Quick Settings flyout panel.
Once the Settings app opens, click the “Accessibility” option on the sidebar. This takes you to the Windows 11 Accessibility settings page. This is where you will find most of the accessibility settings, such as text size, visual effects, contrast themes, cursor size & color, sticky key settings, and more.
Scroll down the right page to the “Interaction” section and click the “Keyboard” option. This action takes you to the keyboard accessibility options page in the Settings app.
On the Keyboard Accessibility Options page, turn OFF the “Use the Print Screen button to open screen snipping” toggle, as shown in the image below.
That is it. With the above change, the Snipping Tool will not open when you press the Print Screen key on your keyboard. Since the Print Screen key is no longer blocked, you can use third-party applications like ShareX or Greenshot to take screenshots, or follow the older method of using the Paint app to save screenshots.
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If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
