The fastest way: keyboard shortcuts built into macOS

Your MacBook Pro has screenshot tools built in, and you don't need to download anything. The quickest method uses keyboard shortcuts that work the same way on every Mac running recent versions of macOS.

To capture your entire screen, press Shift + Command + 3. Your Mac will make a camera shutter sound, and the screenshot saves to your desktop as a file named "Screenshot [date] at [time].png". You can then move it, rename it, or delete it like any other file.

If you want to capture only part of your screen, press Shift + Command + 4. Your cursor changes to a crosshair. Click and drag to draw a rectangle around the area you want to capture, then release. The screenshot saves to your desktop the same way.

Key Takeaways

  • Shift + Command + 3 captures your entire screen; Shift + Command + 4 lets you select a specific area with your cursor.
  • Screenshots save automatically to your desktop as PNG files with the date and time in the filename.
  • The Screenshot app (built into macOS) opens when you press Shift + Command + 5, giving you options to capture, record, or set a timer before capturing.
  • You can change where screenshots save by opening Screenshot, clicking Options, and choosing a different location instead of Desktop.
  • Pressing Space after starting a selection with Shift + Command + 4 lets you capture an entire window instead of a custom rectangle.

Capturing a single window instead of the whole screen

Sometimes you only want to capture one window — a browser tab, a document, or an app — without the background or other windows showing. After you press Shift + Command + 4 and your cursor becomes a crosshair, press the Space bar. Your cursor changes to a camera icon.

Now move your cursor over the window you want to capture. The window highlights in blue. Click once, and that window alone saves as a screenshot. This works for any open window on your Mac.

Using the Screenshot app for more control

Press Shift + Command + 5 to open the Screenshot app. A toolbar appears at the bottom of your screen with five buttons: capture entire screen, capture selected window, capture selected portion, record entire screen, and record selected portion.

The Screenshot app also shows you options on the right side of the toolbar. You can set a timer (so you have time to set up what you're capturing), choose where to save the screenshot, or show a floating thumbnail after you capture (which lets you edit or delete the screenshot before it saves). Click the button for what you want to do, then follow the on-screen prompts.

Where your screenshots go and how to find them

By default, screenshots save to your desktop with a filename like "Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 2.47.32 PM.png". You can see them immediately on your desktop, or open Finder and look in the Desktop folder.

If you want screenshots to save somewhere else — like your Documents folder or a specific project folder — open the Screenshot app (Shift + Command + 5), click Options, and choose a different location from the "Save to" menu. From that point on, new screenshots go to that location instead of your desktop.

You can also change where one screenshot saves right after you take it. A floating thumbnail appears in the corner of your screen for a few seconds. Click it to open a menu where you can choose to save it to a specific folder, delete it, or edit it before saving.

Editing a screenshot before you save it

When the floating thumbnail appears after you take a screenshot, click it to open the editing window. You can draw on the screenshot with a pen, add text, add a shape, or magnify part of it. A toolbar at the top of the window has buttons for each tool.

After you edit, click Done. The edited version saves to your chosen location. If you decide not to save it, close the editing window and choose Delete from the menu that appears.

Copying a screenshot to your clipboard instead of saving it

If you want to paste a screenshot directly into an email, document, or message without saving it as a file first, hold Control while you take the screenshot. Press Shift + Command + Control + 3 to copy your entire screen, or Shift + Command + Control + 4 to copy a selected area.

The screenshot goes to your clipboard instead of your desktop. Open the app where you want to paste it — Mail, Messages, a document, or anything else — and press Command + V to paste. The screenshot appears in the document or message, ready to send or edit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I take a screenshot of my entire screen if I have multiple monitors?

Yes. Shift + Command + 3 captures all connected monitors at once and saves them as separate files. If you want to capture only one monitor, use Shift + Command + 4 to select just the area you need.

Why is my screenshot blurry or low quality?

Screenshots on Mac capture at your screen's native resolution, so they should be sharp. If a screenshot looks blurry, the content itself (like a photo or video) may be low quality, or you may have zoomed in on your screen before capturing. Zoom back to 100% and try again.

How do I take a screenshot of a menu that disappears when I click?

Open the Screenshot app (Shift + Command + 5) and set a timer for 3 or 5 seconds. Click OK, then quickly open the menu you want to capture. When the timer runs out, the screenshot captures automatically, even if the menu is open.

Can I undo a screenshot I just took?

You can't undo the screenshot itself, but if a thumbnail appears in the corner, click it and choose Delete to remove the file. If the thumbnail is gone, open Finder, go to your Desktop or the folder where you saved it, and drag the screenshot file to the Trash.

What's the difference between PNG and other file formats for screenshots?

macOS saves screenshots as PNG files by default, which preserves quality without making the file huge. You can't change the format using the built-in tools, but you can convert a PNG to JPG or another format using Preview or other image apps if you need to.