How to take a screenshot on a Mac

2 min read · 5 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

macOS has screenshots built in. Three shortcuts cover everything, and you do not need any extra app.

The pictures below are diagrams of the keys to press.

Step by step

1. Capture the whole screen

   Press Shift + Command + 3. You hear a camera sound and a small preview appears in the corner.

   Done

2. Capture part of the screen

   Press Shift + Command + 4. The pointer becomes a crosshair. Drag over the area you want and let go.

   Done

3. Capture one window

   Press Shift + Command + 4, then press the Space bar. The pointer becomes a camera. Click the window you want. You get a clean picture of just that window.

   Done

4. Open the screenshot toolbar

   Press Shift + Command + 5. A bar at the bottom offers every capture type, plus two buttons for recording the screen as video. Options lets you change where screenshots are saved and set a timer.

   Done

5. Find and edit the screenshot

   Click the preview in the corner to crop it, draw on it or share it. If you do nothing, it is saved to the desktop with a name that starts with "Screenshot" and the date.

   Done

Good to know

To copy a screenshot instead of saving it, add the Control key to any of the shortcuts, then paste with Command + V.

To change the save location, press Shift + Command + 5, click Options and choose another folder.

Need to send several screenshots as one file? Our free tool turns images into a single PDF: JPG to PDF.

In short: Shift + Command + 3 for everything, 4 for an area, 5 for the toolbar.