The fastest way to take a screenshot on Mac
Press Shift + Command + 3 to capture your entire screen. The image saves to your desktop as a PNG file with a timestamp in the filename. If you want to copy it to your clipboard instead of saving it, add the Control key: Shift + Command + Control + 3.
For a portion of the screen, press Shift + Command + 4. Your cursor becomes a crosshair — click and drag to select the area you want, then release to capture. You can adjust the selection before taking the shot by holding the spacebar while dragging, which lets you move the entire selection without resizing it.
If you need to capture a specific window, press Shift + Command + 4, then press the spacebar. The cursor changes to a camera icon. Click the window you want to photograph, and it captures just that window with its shadow.
Key Takeaways
- Shift + Command + 3 captures your full screen and saves it to the desktop as a PNG file.
- Shift + Command + 4 lets you select a portion of the screen by dragging a crosshair.
- Add Control to any screenshot shortcut to copy the image to your clipboard instead of saving it to disk.
- The Screenshot app in your Applications > Utilities folder offers a timer, markup tools, and options to save to different locations.
Using the Screenshot app for more control
Open the Screenshot app by pressing Shift + Command + 5. A toolbar appears at the bottom of your screen with five capture options: capture entire screen, capture selected window, capture selected portion, capture video of entire screen, or capture video of selected portion.
The Screenshot app also shows a timer button (the clock icon) that lets you set a 5 or 10-second delay before the capture happens. This is useful if you need time to open a menu or move your cursor out of the way. Click Options to choose where screenshots save — your desktop, Documents folder, clipboard, Mail, Messages, Notes, or Trash.
After you take a screenshot, a thumbnail appears in the corner of your screen for a few seconds. Click it to open the markup tools, where you can draw, add text, magnify portions, or make other edits before saving.
Saving screenshots to different locations
By default, screenshots save to your desktop. To change this, open the Screenshot app and click the Options menu. You can choose to save to Documents, Downloads, Clipboard, or send directly to Mail, Messages, Notes, or Reminders.
If you want screenshots to go to a specific folder every time, you can set that as your default in Screenshot's Options menu. Alternatively, you can take a screenshot to your clipboard (using Control + Shift + Command + 3 or 4) and then paste it into any app — Finder, Preview, a document, or an email.
Taking photos with your Mac's camera
If you want to photograph something with your Mac's built-in camera rather than capture your screen, open the Photo Booth app (in Applications > Utilities). Click the camera icon at the bottom left, then click the red shutter button to take a photo. The image saves to your Photo Booth library.
You can also use the FaceTime app to take a photo with your camera. Open FaceTime, start a video preview, and press Command + T to take a still image. The photo saves to your Downloads folder.
For more advanced camera work, the Finder has an Image Capture utility. Open Finder, go to Applications > Utilities, and open Image Capture. Connect a camera or phone via USB, and you can import photos directly to your Mac and choose where to save them.
Keyboard shortcuts for common screenshot tasks
| What you want to do | Keyboard shortcut |
|---|---|
| Capture entire screen and save to desktop | Shift + Command + 3 |
| Capture entire screen and copy to clipboard | Shift + Command + Control + 3 |
| Capture selected area and save to desktop | Shift + Command + 4 |
| Capture selected area and copy to clipboard | Shift + Command + Control + 4 |
| Capture a specific window | Shift + Command + 4, then spacebar, then click window |
| Open Screenshot app for more options | Shift + Command + 5 |
| Take a photo with FaceTime camera | Command + T (during FaceTime video preview) |
Editing and sharing screenshots
After you take a screenshot, a thumbnail appears briefly in the corner of your screen. Click it to open the markup tools in Preview. You can draw with a pen, add text, magnify sections, add a signature, or draw shapes. Use the toolbar at the top to change colors and line thickness.
Once you finish editing, click Done to save your changes. You can then drag the screenshot into an email, message, document, or folder. If you took the screenshot to your clipboard, you can paste it directly into any app that accepts images.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do my screenshots go when I take them?
By default, screenshots save to your desktop as PNG files with names like "Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 2.30.45 PM". You can change the default location in the Screenshot app's Options menu, or take screenshots to your clipboard instead by adding Control to the keyboard shortcut.
Can I take a screenshot of just one window?
Yes. Press Shift + Command + 4, then press the spacebar. Your cursor becomes a camera icon. Click the window you want to capture, and it takes a photo of just that window with its drop shadow included.
How do I edit a screenshot after I take it?
A thumbnail appears in the corner of your screen for a few seconds after you take a screenshot. Click it to open the markup tools in Preview, where you can draw, add text, magnify areas, or make other edits before saving.
What's the difference between taking a screenshot and using Photo Booth?
A screenshot captures what's on your screen — windows, menus, text, images. Photo Booth uses your Mac's camera to take photos of you or things in front of your camera, like a webcam would. Use screenshots for sharing what's on your display; use Photo Booth or FaceTime for photos taken with your camera.
Can I set a timer before taking a screenshot?
Yes. Open the Screenshot app (Shift + Command + 5), click the Options menu, and select a 5 or 10-second delay. The timer starts when you click the capture button, giving you time to set up your screen before the photo is taken.