6 Easiest Ways to Take a Screenshot in Microsoft Teams

Let me be honest — the first time I needed to screenshot something in a Teams meeting, I fumbled around for a good minute. There’s no dedicated “screenshot” button in Teams, which throws a lot of people off. But once you know the right methods, it takes less than two seconds.

In this article, I’ll walk you through every way to take a screenshot in Microsoft Teams — whether you’re on Windows, Mac, or mobile. I’ll also show you how to paste that screenshot directly into a Teams chat, which is honestly the most useful part.

Why There’s No Built-In Screenshot Button in Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams doesn’t have a native screenshot button built into the app. This is by design — Teams relies on your operating system’s built-in screen capture tools. So instead of looking inside the Teams interface, you use your keyboard shortcuts or built-in OS tools, and then paste the result wherever you need it.

The good news? The methods are simple and work beautifully once you get used to them.

Take a Screenshot in Microsoft Teams

Let’s discuss 6 easiest ways to take a screenshot in Microsoft Teams with examples.

Method 1: Take a Screenshot in Microsoft Teams with Snipping Tool (Windows)

This is the method I use the most. It’s clean, precise, and gives you a notification you can act on immediately.

Steps:

1. Open Microsoft Teams and navigate to the screen, chat, meeting, or content you want to capture.
2. Press Windows + Shift + S on your keyboard.
3. Your screen will dim slightly, and a small toolbar will appear at the top.

3. You’ll see four capture options:
   • Rectangular Snip – drag to select a custom area
   • Freeform Snip – draw any shape around the area
   • Window Snip – click to capture a specific open window
   • Full-screen Snip – captures the entire screen
4. Select your preferred mode, make your selection, and release the mouse.

5. The screenshot is automatically copied to your clipboard.
6. Go to the Teams chat box, click inside it, and press Ctrl + V to paste it directly.
7. Hit Send.

Pro tip: After you press Windows + Shift + S and take the snip, a notification pops up in the bottom-right corner. Click on it to open the Snipping Tool editor, where you can annotate, crop, or save the image as a file before sharing.

Method 2: Take Screenshot in Microsoft Teams Using Print Screen Key

If you just need a fast full-screen capture with zero fuss, the Print Screen key is your friend.

Here’s how it works:

• PrtScn – Captures the entire screen and copies it to the clipboard. Nothing saves automatically, but you can paste it anywhere.
• Alt + PrtScn – Captures only the active window (so if Teams is your active window, it’ll capture just that).
• Windows + PrtScn – Captures the full screen AND automatically saves it as a file in your Screenshots folder inside Pictures.

Steps to use this in Teams:

1. Open Teams to the screen you want to capture.
2. Press PrtScn (or Alt + PrtScn for just the Teams window).
3. Click inside the Teams chat message box.
4. Press Ctrl + V to paste the screenshot.
5. Hit Send.

This one is fast but gives you less control over what you capture. If your screen is cluttered with other open windows, use Method 1 instead.

Method 3: Take a Screenshot in Microsoft Teams Using Snipping Tool App

The Snipping Tool is a standalone Windows app that gives you extra control — especially if you want to annotate the screenshot before sharing it.

Steps:

1. Press the Windows key and type Snipping Tool in the search bar, then open it.
2. Click New to start a new capture.
3. Select your snip type (Rectangular, Freeform, Window, or Fullscreen).