To take a screenshot on a Mac, press Shift-Command-3 to capture the whole screen, or Shift-Command-4 to drag a box around just the part you want. A third shortcut, Shift-Command-5, opens a full toolbar with even more options. Here is exactly what each one does and how to control where your screenshots go.
Shift-Command-3: capture the entire screen
This is the simplest capture. Press and release Shift, Command (⌘), and 3 together. Your Mac instantly grabs everything on the display. If you use more than one monitor, it saves a separate image for each screen. A small thumbnail appears in the bottom-right corner for a few seconds; click it to edit, or leave it and the file saves on its own.
Full-screen shots are best when you want to show the whole workspace — a desktop layout, several windows at once, or a menu bar detail. If you only need one window or a small region, the more precise shortcuts below will save you cropping later.
Shift-Command-4: capture a selected area
When you only want part of the screen:
- Press Shift-Command-4. The pointer turns into a crosshair.
- Click and hold, then drag to draw a box around the area you want.
- Release the mouse or trackpad button to take the shot.
A couple of handy tricks while dragging: press Space to move the whole selection box, hold Shift to lock one edge, or hold Option to resize from the center. Press Esc to cancel before you release.
Shift-Command-4 then Space: capture one window
To grab a single window or menu cleanly:
- Press Shift-Command-4.
- Press the Space bar. The crosshair becomes a camera icon.
- Move the camera over the window you want — it highlights blue — and click.
The result is a tidy screenshot of just that window, complete with a subtle drop shadow. (Hold Option as you click if you would rather skip the shadow.) This is the neatest way to show one app without the clutter around it.
Shift-Command-5: the full Screenshot toolbar
For the most control, press Shift-Command-5. A control bar appears along the bottom of the screen with buttons to:
- Capture the entire screen, a selected window, or a selected portion.
- Record the entire screen or just a selected portion as a video.
- Open Options to set a timer, choose where files save, and decide whether to show the thumbnail.
This toolbar is also the easiest place to change your default save location — more on that next.
Where screenshots save (and how to change it)
By default, your Mac saves screenshots to the desktop as PNG files, named “Screen Shot” (or “Screenshot”) followed by the date and time. If your desktop is getting crowded, press Shift-Command-5, click Options, and under Save to pick a different folder such as Documents, Clipboard, or a custom location. Choosing Clipboard copies the image so you can paste it straight into an email or document without creating a file.
Copy instead of save
If you would rather send a screenshot straight to the clipboard for a one-time paste, add Control to any shortcut. For example, Control-Shift-Command-4 lets you drag a selection and copies it, ready to paste with Command-V. Nothing is left cluttering your desktop.
Editing right after capture
Whenever you see the thumbnail in the corner, click it to open Markup. There you can crop, draw arrows, add text, highlight, or rotate before saving or sharing. It is a quick way to point out exactly what matters in an error message or a receipt. If you prefer the file to save straight away without the preview, open the Shift-Command-5 toolbar, click Options, and turn off Show Floating Thumbnail.
A few shortcuts worth memorizing
Once the basics feel natural, these extras make you faster:
- Timer captures. In the Shift-Command-5 toolbar, Options lets you set a 5- or 10-second delay — perfect for capturing a menu that only appears while you hold the mouse.
- Touch Bar shots. On Macs with a Touch Bar, Shift-Command-6 saves an image of the Touch Bar itself.
- Cancel anytime. Press Esc to back out of any capture before you click.
- Remember the last settings. The Shift-Command-5 toolbar keeps your chosen save location and options, so set them once and forget them.
These small habits add up. Most people who take a lot of screenshots settle on two shortcuts — Shift-Command-4 for quick clips and Shift-Command-5 for anything that needs a timer or a video — and rarely touch the rest.
The mobile equivalent
Grabbing screens on a Mac and on a phone are close cousins. If you also want the steps for Apple’s handset, our guide on how to screenshot on iPhone covers the button combinations there. And once your Mac fills up with captures, the same tidy-up mindset behind freeing up space on iPhone applies — old screenshots add up fast, so clear the ones you no longer need.
