How to screenshot on Mac?

Taking a screenshot on a Mac is one of those handy skills every user should know. Whether you’re a student capturing an important lecture slide, a professional saving receipts, or just someone who spotted a funny meme—you’ll likely need to take a screenshot at some point. Fortunately, macOS offers several simple and flexible ways to do this.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to screenshot on Mac using easy methods, shortcuts, and tips that even beginners can follow. No complicated tech terms—just a straightforward, human-friendly guide.

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Why Take a Screenshot on Mac?

Before diving into the “how,” let’s look at the “why.” People use screenshots for many reasons, such as:

• Saving important information from a website

• Sharing part of your screen with friends or colleagues

• Keeping a digital copy of a receipt or confirmation

• Creating tutorials or guides

• Reporting software bugs or errors

Knowing how to take a screenshot can save time and help you communicate more clearly.

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1. How to Take a Full-Screen Screenshot on Mac

Shortcut: Command (⌘) + Shift + 3

This is the simplest way to capture your entire screen in just one click. When you press Command + Shift + 3, your Mac will instantly take a screenshot of everything visible on your screen. You’ll hear a camera shutter sound (unless you’ve muted it), and the screenshot will appear as a thumbnail in the bottom-right corner of your screen.

Where does it go?
By default, the screenshot is saved to your Desktop with a file name like:
Screen Shot [date] at [time].png

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2. How to Capture a Selected Portion of the Screen

Shortcut: Command (⌘) + Shift + 4

This method gives you control over what part of your screen to capture. When you press this shortcut:

1. Your cursor will turn into a crosshair.

2. Click and drag to select the area you want to capture.

3. Release the mouse to take the screenshot.

Tip: If you mess up while dragging, just hit the Escape (Esc) key to cancel and try again.

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3. How to Screenshot a Specific Window

Shortcut: Command (⌘) + Shift + 4, then press the Spacebar

Want to screenshot just one window—like a browser or an open app? Here’s how:

1. Press Command + Shift + 4.

2. Then hit the Spacebar—your cursor turns into a camera icon.

3. Hover the camera over the window you want to capture.

4. Click once to take the screenshot.

This method automatically adds a nice drop shadow around the window, making it look polished and professional.

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4. How to Use the Screenshot Tool (macOS Mojave and later)

Shortcut: Command (⌘) + Shift + 5

If you’re using macOS Mojave (10.14) or a newer version, this shortcut opens the screenshot toolbar, which offers multiple options:

• Capture the entire screen

• Capture a selected window

• Capture a selected portion

• Record the entire screen (for video)

• Record a selected portion of the screen

A floating menu will appear at the bottom of your screen. You can choose where to save screenshots, set a timer, or even turn off the floating thumbnail preview.

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5. How to Take a Screenshot on MacBook with Touch Bar

Shortcut: Command (⌘) + Shift + 6

If you have a MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar, you can screenshot what’s on it too! This can be useful if you’re trying to capture Touch Bar options for development, documentation, or just for fun.

The image will be saved to your Desktop like other screenshots.

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6. How to Change Where Screenshots Are Saved

By default, Mac saves screenshots to the Desktop, but this can get cluttered quickly. You can change the save location using the Screenshot Tool:

1. Press Command + Shift + 5.

2. Click on Options in the toolbar.

3. Under “Save to,” choose:

   • Desktop

   • Documents

   • Clipboard

   • Mail

   • Messages

   • Preview

   • Or choose a custom folder

Pick a spot that keeps your files organized.

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7. How to Copy a Screenshot to Clipboard

If you don’t want to save the screenshot as a file but want to paste it somewhere (like in a message, email, or document), just add Control to your shortcut.

Here’s how:

• Full screen to clipboard: Command + Control + Shift + 3

• Selected area to clipboard: Command + Control + Shift + 4

Then just paste (Command + V) wherever you want!

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8. How to Edit or Annotate Screenshots

After taking a screenshot, a small thumbnail shows up in the bottom-right of your screen. If you click on it quickly, it opens in Markup View, where you can:

• Draw

• Add shapes

• Highlight

• Add text

• Sign documents

When you’re done editing, click Done to save the changes.

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9. How to Record Your Screen (Bonus Tip!)

Need to show someone a process step-by-step? Try recording your screen:

1. Press Command + Shift + 5.

2. Choose either:

   • Record Entire Screen

   • Record Selected Portion

3. Hit Record, then stop from the top menu bar when finished.

Your recording will be saved as a video file.

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10. Troubleshooting Screenshot Issues

Sometimes, screenshots might not work as expected. Here are a few quick fixes:

• Check keyboard shortcuts: Make sure you didn’t change them in System Settings.

• Restart your Mac: It can resolve random glitches.

• Check storage space: If your disk is full, it might not save new screenshots.

• Permissions: Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen Recording to make sure screenshot tools have access.

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Final Thoughts

Taking a screenshot on a Mac is easy once you get the hang of the keyboard shortcuts. Whether you’re capturing a quick snippet, a full-screen image, or recording your screen, macOS offers powerful tools that are built right in—no need to download any third-party apps.

Remember:

• Use Command + Shift + 3 for full-screen.

• Use Command + Shift + 4 for partial selection.

• Use Command + Shift + 5 for all the options in one place.

Once you try these out a few times, they’ll become second nature.

Happy screenshotting!