Taking screenshots on Mac is intuitive and powerful, with built-in tools for capturing the entire screen, selected areas, windows, or menus. This guide covers all methods, from quick keyboard shortcuts to advanced editing options.
Keyboard Shortcuts for Screenshots
- Command + Shift + 3 — Captures the entire screen and saves it to the desktop as a PNG file.
- Command + Shift + 4 — Turns the cursor into a crosshair. Drag to select a rectangular area, then release to capture and save to desktop.
- Command + Shift + 4 + Space — After pressing Command + Shift + 4, press Space to capture a specific window or menu. Click on the window/menu to capture.
- Command + Shift + 5 — Opens the Screenshot app (macOS Mojave and later) for more options, including screen recording.
- Command + Shift + 6 — Captures the Touch Bar (on MacBook Pro models with Touch Bar).
Using the Screenshot App (macOS Mojave+)
The Screenshot app provides a user-friendly interface for screenshots and recordings. Press Command + Shift + 5 to open it. Options include:
- Capture Entire Screen — Full desktop capture.
- Capture Selected Window — Click a window to capture it.
- Capture Selected Portion — Drag to select an area.
- Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion — For video capture.
After capturing, a thumbnail appears in the corner — click it to edit, annotate, or save. You can also set a timer for delayed captures.
Using Grab (Older macOS Versions)
On macOS High Sierra and earlier, use the Grab app (found in Applications → Utilities). It offers similar options: Selection, Window, Screen, and Timed Screen. Captures are saved within the app and can be exported.
Using Preview for Screenshots
Open Preview (Applications → Preview), then go to File → Take Screenshot and choose From Selection, From Window, or From Entire Screen. This integrates screenshots directly into Preview for immediate editing.
Where Screenshots Are Saved
- Keyboard shortcuts: Desktop (as PNG files named "Screen Shot [date] at [time].png")
- Screenshot app: Desktop by default, but you can change the save location in the app's options.
- Grab: Saved within the app; export manually.
Editing and Annotating Screenshots
Mac provides built-in tools:
- Preview app: Open the screenshot in Preview for cropping, resizing, adding text, shapes, arrows, and signatures.
- Screenshot app thumbnail: Click the thumbnail after capture to markup with text, shapes, and highlights.
- Third-party apps: For advanced editing, use apps like Skitch or Adobe Photoshop.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- Change save location: In Screenshot app, click Options to choose where files are saved.
- Disable shadows: Hold Option while capturing windows to remove drop shadows.
- Include cursor: In Screenshot app, enable "Show mouse pointer" in Options.
- Keyboard not working? Check System Preferences → Keyboard → Shortcuts for conflicts.
- Cloud backup: Enable iCloud Drive to automatically sync screenshots across devices.
Screen Recording on Mac
Use Command + Shift + 5 to access recording options in the Screenshot app. Record the entire screen or a selected portion, with options for microphone audio.
Quick Reference
- Command + Shift + 3: Full screen
- Command + Shift + 4: Selected area
- Command + Shift + 4 + Space: Window/menu
- Command + Shift + 5: Screenshot app