How to enable (or disable) Snipping Tool Print Screen key on Windows 11

You can change the Print Screen key action to open the Snipping Tool or another screenshot-taking app, and here's how.

Snipping Tool print key setting
Snipping Tool print key setting / Image: Mauro Huculak

On Windows 11, the system remaps the Print Screen (Prt Scr) key to the Snipping Tool by default to make it easier to take screenshots. However, if you want to use another app, you will notice that it won’t be able to register the print key on the keyboard, but you can always change this behavior for any reason, including if you’re comfortable using the previous default “Windows key + Shift + S” keyboard shortcut.

In the same way, if pressing the Print Screen key doesn’t open the Snipping Tool interface, you can change the “Accessibility” settings to open the screen capture tools more easily by pressing one key instead of using a shortcut. 

In this guide, I will teach you how to change the Windows 11 settings to enable or disable the Print Screen key to bring up the Snipping Tool interface to take screenshots on Windows 11.

Disable Snipping Tool shortcut on Windows 11

To disable the Snipping Tool Print Screen key shortcut on Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Click on Accessibility.

  3. Click the Keyboard page.

  4. Turn off the “Use the Print screen key to open screen capture” toggle switch. 

    Snipping Tool disable print shortcut

Once you complete the steps, the Snipping Tool will default to the “Windows key + Shift + S” keyboard shortcut to bring up the screen capture tools, and you can now assign the “Print Screen” key to another screenshot application.

If you’re assigning the Print Screen key to another app (such as Lightshot, Greeshot, etc.), you may need to restart the app or the computer to apply the changes.

Enable Snipping Tool shortcut on Windows 11

To use the keyboard’s Print key instead of the “Windows key + Shift + S” shortcut to bring up the menu, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Click on Accessibility.

  3. Click the Keyboard page.

  4. Turn on the “Use the Print screen key to open screen capture” toggle switch. 

    Snipping Tool enable print shortcut

Once you complete the steps, press the Print Screen button instead of the “Windows key + Shift + S” keyboard shortcut to quickly take a screenshot on Windows 11.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert and founder of (est. 2010). With over 21 years as a technology writer and IT Specialist, Mauro specializes in Windows, software, and cross-platform systems such as Linux, Android, and macOS.

Certifications: Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), VMware Certified Professional (VCP), and CompTIA A+ and Network+.

Mauro is a recognized Microsoft MVP and has also been a long-time contributor to Windows Central.

You can follow him on YouTube, Threads, BlueSky, X (Twitter), LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].