If you’re using a Windows PC, you can simply use the Print Screen key on your keyboard to take a screenshot. However, if you’re on a Mac, you don’t get a dedicated screenshot button to take screenshots directly. Instead, Apple requires you to press a combination of different keys on your keyboard to take a screenshot in macOS. We’ll go over all the macOS screenshot shortcuts in this guide and also check out the other ways to take a screenshot on a Mac.
Method 1. Take a Screenshot on a Mac Using Keyboard Shortcuts
Using keyboard shortcuts is one of the easiest ways to take screenshots on a Mac. Depending on what part of the screen you want to capture, Apple offers different screenshot shortcuts in macOS. Here are all these macOS screenshot shortcuts and the purpose they solve.
1. Shift + Command + 3: To Take a Full-Screen Screenshot on a Mac
If you just want to capture the entire screen and all its content, then the Shift + Command + 3 keyboard shortcut does exactly that. To take such a screenshot: As soon as you do this, macOS will capture the screenshot, and you’ll see its thumbnail in the bottom corner of your screen. If you want to edit it, tap on it. Else, wait, and you’ll have the screenshot saved to the Desktop.
2. Shift + Command + 4: To Capture a Portion of the Screen
Sometimes, a full-screen screenshot may not be desirable, perhaps because there’s confidential information on the screen that you don’t want others to see, or you only want to grab the content that’s actually useful. For such situations, macOS has the Shift + Command + 4 screenshot shortcut, which lets you take a screenshot of a particular area on your screen. Follow these steps to capture a particular portion of your screen: macOS will take a screenshot of your selected area, and you’ll see its thumbnail on your screen. Click on it to edit or wait for it to save to your Desktop.
3. Shift + Command + 4 + Space: To Take a Screenshot of a Window or a Menu on a Mac
One way to capture screenshots of windows or menus on your Mac is to take a screenshot of either the entire screen or a selected area and crop off the part you don’t need. However, as you can see, this isn’t very efficient. Alternatively, macOS offers a key combination—Shift + Command + 4 + Space bar—that lets you do this efficiently. Here’s how to use it: A thumbnail of the captured window or menu will appear in the bottom right corner of the screen. If you wish to edit this screenshot, click on it. Else, wait for a few seconds, and the screenshot image will appear on your Desktop.
Method 2. Take a Screenshot on a Mac Using the Screenshot App
On macOS Mojave and later, Apple bundles a dedicated app, Screenshot, to help you take screenshots on Mac. Screenshot essentially gives you a panel with different options to take pictures or screen recordings of your screen. Here’s how to use Screenshot to take screenshots and capture screen recordings on Mac: Additionally, the Screenshot app also has an Options button. Clicking on it reveals a bunch of options. From here, you can specify the location to save your screenshots, set a timer delay for screenshots, include mouse pointers/clicks, and choose an audio source for screen recordings. In addition, you can also choose to show/hide the floating thumbnail based on your preference.
Where Are Screenshots Saved on Mac?
When you take screenshots on your Mac using either the Screenshot app or screenshot shortcuts, all your captured screenshots are saved to the Desktop as PNG (.png) files. Similarly, screen recordings are also saved to the Desktop as MOV (.mov) files. Of course, as we mentioned above, you can change the location to save your screenshots and screen recordings inside the Screenshot app. Follow these steps to do this:
Method 3. Take a Screenshot on a Mac Using Third-Party Screenshot Apps
Apple’s native screenshot utility includes all the necessary features you need for basic screenshotting or screen recording. However, there will be times when you’d want more control over your screenshots and recordings, perhaps when you’re helping someone troubleshoot their PC via screenshots or when you want to share marked-up screenshots with better backgrounds. For such situations, you need third-party screenshot apps, which come with multiple capture modes, a built-in editor, and several other advanced features. If you’re unsatisfied with the native screenshot utility on Mac, here are some of the best Mac screenshot app you can use:
Shottr Skitch CleanShot X Snagit
Capturing Your Screen on a Mac Is Easier Than You Think
Taking screenshots on a Mac is much easier than you think, thanks to the native macOS Screenshot tool and the multiple screenshot shortcuts you get in macOS. So depending on what you want to capture—and how you wish to capture it—you can pick either of the methods listed above to take its screenshot and save it to your Mac.
