The fastest way to screenshot on a Mac
On a Mac, the quickest screenshot method depends on what you want to capture. For a full screen, press Shift + Command + 3. For a selected portion of the screen, press Shift + Command + 4, then click and drag to choose the area. For a specific window, press Shift + Command + 4, then press the spacebar, and click the window you want.
By default, screenshots save to your Desktop as PNG files with a timestamp in the filename — for example, "Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 2.30.45 PM.png". The file appears on your Desktop within seconds of taking it.
If you want to copy a screenshot to your clipboard instead of saving it to your Desktop, add the Control key to any of the shortcuts above. For instance, Shift + Command + Control + 3 captures the full screen and copies it, so you can paste it directly into an email, document, or messaging app.
Key Takeaways
- Shift + Command + 3 captures your entire screen; Shift + Command + 4 lets you select a portion; Shift + Command + 4 then spacebar captures a single window.
- Screenshots save to your Desktop as PNG files by default, but you can add Control to any shortcut to copy to your clipboard instead.
- The Screenshot app (in Applications > Utilities) offers more options, including timed screenshots and the ability to record video of your screen.
- You can change where screenshots save and what format they use through the Screenshot app's Options menu.
Using the Screenshot app for more control
If the keyboard shortcuts feel limiting, the Screenshot app gives you more choices. Open it by pressing Shift + Command + 5, or find it in Applications > Utilities > Screenshot.
The Screenshot app shows a toolbar at the bottom of your screen with five capture modes: capture entire screen, capture selected window, capture selected portion, record entire screen, and record selected portion. Click the mode you want, then click Capture or Record. A thumbnail appears in the corner of your screen — click it to edit, mark up, or save the screenshot to a different location.
The Options menu in the Screenshot app lets you choose where to save screenshots (Desktop, Documents, Clipboard, Mail, Messages, or Notes), set a timer delay before capture, and show or hide the floating thumbnail. These settings stick between uses, so if you always want screenshots to go to your Documents folder instead of your Desktop, you only have to change it once.
Editing and annotating screenshots
After you take a screenshot, a thumbnail appears in the bottom right corner of your screen (unless you changed this in Screenshot app settings). Click the thumbnail to open the markup tools.
The markup window lets you draw, add text, add shapes, magnify part of the image, or sign with your trackpad or mouse. You can also rotate, flip, or crop the image. When you are done, click Done, and the edited version replaces the original on your Desktop or in your clipboard.
If you did not click the thumbnail in time and it disappeared, you can still edit the screenshot file. Right-click the file on your Desktop, select Open With > Preview, then click the markup toolbar icon (it looks like a pen in a circle) to access the same drawing and annotation tools.
Recording your screen instead of taking a static screenshot
Sometimes you need to show what happens over time — a bug that appears when you click a button, or steps in a process. The Screenshot app can record video of your screen. Press Shift + Command + 5, then click either "Record Entire Screen" or "Record Selected Portion".
Click the Record button (or the screen area if you chose a selected portion), and a red recording indicator appears at the top of your screen. To stop recording, click the red stop button in the menu bar or press Control + Command + Esc. The video saves as an MP4 file to your Desktop by default, or to wherever you set the Screenshot app to save files.
Screen recordings are useful for sending to someone who needs to see exactly what you are doing, or for creating a record of a conversation or error message. The file size can be large — a few minutes of recording may be 50 to 100 MB — so consider compressing it before sending over email or messaging.
Changing where screenshots save and what format they use
By default, screenshots save as PNG files to your Desktop. You can change both the location and the file format. Open the Screenshot app (Shift + Command + 5), click Options, and you will see a "Save to" menu with choices: Desktop, Documents, Clipboard, Mail, Messages, or Notes. Select the location you prefer.
To change the file format from PNG to JPG, TIFF, GIF, or PDF, open System Settings > General > Screenshots and choose a different format from the dropdown. PNG is the default because it preserves image quality without making the file huge, but JPG creates smaller files if storage is tight, and PDF is useful if you want to combine multiple screenshots into one document later.
If you choose Clipboard as your save location, screenshots do not save to disk at all — they go straight to your clipboard so you can paste them into another app. This is handy if you take a lot of screenshots and do not want your Desktop cluttered, but remember that the clipboard only holds one item at a time, so taking a new screenshot will overwrite the previous one.
Keyboard shortcuts at a glance
Here are the most common screenshot shortcuts for quick reference:
| What you want | Keyboard shortcut |
|---|---|
| Full screen screenshot | Shift + Command + 3 |
| Selected area screenshot | Shift + Command + 4 |
| Single window screenshot | Shift + Command + 4, then spacebar, then click |
| Full screen to clipboard | Shift + Command + Control + 3 |
| Selected area to clipboard | Shift + Command + Control + 4 |
| Open Screenshot app | Shift + Command + 5 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take a screenshot of just one window without capturing the background?
Yes. Press Shift + Command + 4, then press the spacebar. Your cursor changes to a camera icon. Click the window you want to capture, and only that window appears in the screenshot, with a transparent background. This works for any open window — a browser tab, a document, a settings panel, anything.
Where do screenshots go if I do not see them on my Desktop?
Check your Documents folder or wherever you set the Screenshot app to save files (open Screenshot app and click Options to see the current location). If you used Control in the shortcut, the screenshot went to your clipboard instead of saving to disk — paste it into an email, document, or messaging app to see it. You can also search for the filename in Spotlight (Command + spacebar) if you remember part of the name.
How do I take a screenshot on a Mac with Touch Bar?
The shortcuts are the same whether your Mac has a Touch Bar or not. Shift + Command + 3, Shift + Command + 4, and Shift + Command + 5 work on all Macs. The Touch Bar does not change how screenshots work.
Can I screenshot something that is not currently visible on my screen?
Not directly with the built-in tools. However, if you need to capture a webpage that is longer than your screen, you can use your browser's built-in screenshot tool (most browsers have one in the menu or right-click options) or a third-party tool like CleanMyMac or Snagit. For other content, you may need to scroll and take multiple screenshots, then combine them.
What is the difference between PNG and JPG for screenshots?
PNG preserves every pixel exactly and is lossless, so text and sharp edges stay crisp — this is why it is the default. JPG compresses the image, making the file smaller but slightly blurrier, especially on text. Use PNG for screenshots you need to read or share with others; use JPG if you are archiving many screenshots and storage space matters.