WindowsShiftS

WindowsShiftS is a keyboard shortcut within Microsoft Windows operating systems that activates the Snipping Tool's screen capture functionality. Pressing these keys simultaneously brings up a minimalist toolbar at the top of the screen, allowing users to select a specific area of their display for a screenshot.

Upon activation, the screen dims slightly, and the user can choose from several capture modes: Rectangular Snip, Freeform Snip, Window Snip, or Fullscreen Snip. Rectangular Snip allows for a drag-and-select rectangular region. Freeform Snip enables drawing an irregular shape around the desired content. Window Snip captures a single application window. Fullscreen Snip captures the entire screen.

Once a snip is taken, the image is automatically copied to the Windows clipboard. A notification also appears, which, when clicked, opens the selected snip in the Snipping Tool application. From there, users can annotate the image with a pen, highlighter, or eraser, crop it, save it in various formats (such as PNG, JPG, or GIF), or share it. This shortcut provides a quick and efficient method for capturing and editing portions of the screen without needing to open the full Snipping Tool application separately. It has been a feature in Windows for several versions, evolving from the older Snipping Tool to the more integrated Snip & Sketch experience in later releases.