Latest Windows 11 update will change what your Print Screen key does

A new update has arrived for Windows 11 in the Beta channel — an insider program. That update will bring a divisive change that some may welcome, and others will likely hate.

When you want to take a screenshot of your screen, you can press the dedicated Print Screen (Prt Sc) button on your keyboard. That screenshot will be automatically saved to the clipboard where you can paste it into an app and do whatever you want with it. However, this won’t be the default function going forward.

The latest Windows 11 update — KB5025310 — is changing the function of the Prt Sc key to open the new Snipping Tool. Windows had a Snipping Tool previously, but this new tool combines the best features of the old tool and the Snip & Sketch app. As a result, screenshots won’t be automatically saved to the clipboard.

Now when you use the Prt Sc key, the Snipping Tool will open and allow you to change the screenshot, which you can save later. This change will eventually come to all Windows users, unless you previously modified the option, then it will retain the setting you picked. Fortunately, Microsoft will allow you to switch the default behavior back to the original function if you want. All you have to do is go into Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard.

The problem with the current default function of the Prt Sc key is that when you tap on it, Windows doesn’t tell you what happened. This can be confusing, especially to people who are new to the Windows operating system. So while this decision may anger some, it may make the OS a little more user-friendly for others.