How to Capture Screenshots on Mac: Keyboard Shortcuts & Guide

Being able to capture a screenshot on your laptop is essential, whether you need clicks for a work deck or wish to share a new Thanksgiving recipe with a friend. Mac allows you to screenshot the entire screen or get only a specific image, window, menu, etc.

How to Capture Screenshots on Mac

On your MacBook, you can use simple keyboard shortcuts to get screenshots.

Screenshot the Whole Screen

Press this keyboard combination: Shift + Command + 3

This shortcut will capture the entire screen and save it to your desktop. You can edit it by clicking on the thumbnail that should appear in the corner of the display.

Do you wish to copy the screenshot to your Clipboard? Press and hold the Control key while clicking. A Universal Clipboard lets you share across Apple devices.

Screenshot a Portion of the Screen

Press this keyboard combination: Shift + Command + 4

You can drag the crosshair to choose the part of the screen to capture. The selection moves as desired when you hit the Space bar. You can edit the partial capture (from the thumbnail) or let it save to your desktop.

At any time, if you wish to start over or screenshot a different area instead, you can press the Escape key (esc).

Screenshot a Window or Menu

Press this keyboard combination: Shift + Command + 4+ Space bar

This shortcut changes your pointer to a camera and lets you photograph a window or an onscreen menu. You can edit it from the thumbnail that shows up after the capture.

Sometimes, you may want to erase the shadow of the window that also gets clicked in the screenshot. You can do this by hitting the Option key while clicking.

The Screenshot App: Capture Delayed Screenshots & Recordings

Newer versions of Mac OS (after Mojave) offer the Screenshot App for advanced options like screen recordings. You may also take timed pictures to get shots of click-triggered events.

Launch the Screenshot app by pressing Shift + Command + 5. You can reach the Touch Bar by pressing Shift + Command + 6.
Choose the type of screenshot you want: the whole screen, a portion, or a window. You can also choose recording options (full or partial screen).
Select any required options, like a timer or the file location. You can also pick the “Show Floating Thumbnail” option to easily manipulate the shot, editing it when it floats in the bottom-right corner of your screen.
Capture your screenshot/recording by clicking Capture/Record.
You can save your capture as is or edit it by clicking the thumbnail. For instance, you can mark up the file or resize the recording.

FAQs

Where are screenshots and recordings saved on Mac? Can you save them at an alternate location?

By default, your pictures will get saved on the desktop with the file name “Screen Shot [date] at [time].” The captures are in the PNG format. Recordings are MOV files with the file name starting with “Screen Recording.”

You can change this location from the Options menu available in the Screenshot app. This setting is available for MacOS Mojave and later (released in 2018). The newest version is macOS 14, or Sonoma, launched in June 2023.

Of course, you can transfer the saved screenshots to the chosen location by dragging the thumbnail.

Can I change the screenshot keyboard shortcuts on Mac?

You may change the shortcuts to something you find more convenient from the Apple menu. The option is available under System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Screenshots.

Why is my screenshot not getting captured on Mac?

Some applications do not allow you to capture a picture or a video. For example, you cannot do so in Apple TV or DVD Player as the content is DRM-protected (Digital rights management) to safeguard copyrighted material.

You might find the screenshot process on Mac a tad longer if you have recently moved from a Windows operating system. However, it can be straightforward once you get the hang of it. MacOS has persevered to deliver user-friendliness with abundant customization.