The fastest way: keyboard shortcuts built into macOS

macOS comes with four keyboard shortcuts for screenshots, and they work on every Mac without installing anything. The shortcut you use depends on what you want to capture — your whole screen, a window, a selected area, or a touch bar.

Command + Shift + 3 captures your entire screen. When you press it, your Mac takes a photo of everything you see and saves it to your desktop as a file named "Screenshot [date] at [time].png". You hear a camera shutter sound when the screenshot is taken.

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

Command + Shift + 5 opens a toolbar at the bottom of your screen with five options: capture entire screen, capture selected window, capture selected portion, record entire screen, or record selected portion. This is the most flexible shortcut because it shows you what you are about to capture before you take it.

Command + Shift + 6 captures only your touch bar (the thin strip of buttons at the top of your keyboard on newer MacBook Pro models). This is rarely needed unless you are documenting something that appears only on the touch bar.

Key Takeaways

  • Command + Shift + 3 captures your entire screen and saves it to your desktop as a PNG file automatically.
  • Command + Shift + 4 lets you drag to select only the part of your screen you want to capture.
  • Command + Shift + 5 shows you a toolbar with options to preview your screenshot before saving it.
  • All three main shortcuts save files to your desktop by default, but you can hold the spacebar to copy to your clipboard instead.
  • The Screenshot app in your Applications folder offers more control, including the ability to set a timer or choose where files save.

Copying to your clipboard instead of saving to your desktop

By default, screenshots save as files on your desktop. If you want to paste the screenshot directly into an email, document, or message instead, hold down the Control key while you press your screenshot shortcut. The screenshot goes to your clipboard instead of your desktop, and you can paste it with Command + V.

This is useful when you are working in an process and do not want to save a file first. You take the screenshot, paste it where you need it, and move on. The screenshot does not appear on your desktop at all.

Using the Screenshot app for more options

The Screenshot app is built into macOS and gives you more control than keyboard shortcuts alone. Open it by pressing Command + Shift + 5, then click "Options" at the bottom of the toolbar. You can set a delay (useful if you need time to position something on screen), choose where screenshots save, or show the floating thumbnail that appears after you capture.

The floating thumbnail appears in the corner of your screen for a few seconds after you take a screenshot. Click it to edit the screenshot right away — you can crop, add text, draw shapes, or magnify part of the image. If you do not click it, the screenshot saves and the thumbnail disappears.

You can also change where screenshots save by default. In the Screenshot app toolbar, click "Options" and select a folder from the "Save to" menu. Instead of your desktop filling with screenshot files, they go directly to a folder you choose — like a Screenshots folder in your Documents.

Editing screenshots after you capture them

After you take a screenshot with any keyboard shortcut, a thumbnail appears in the corner of your screen for a few seconds. Click it to open the screenshot in the Markup tools, where you can crop, rotate, add text, draw arrows or shapes, magnify a section, or sign with your trackpad.

If the thumbnail disappears before you click it, open the screenshot file from your desktop (or wherever you saved it) and double-click it. This opens it in Preview, macOS's built-in image viewer. In Preview, click the Markup toolbar button (it looks like a toolbox) to access the same drawing and text tools.

You can also right-click any screenshot file on your desktop and select "Open With" to choose a different app — like Photoshop, Pixelmator, or any other image editor you have installed.

Finding and organizing your screenshots

By default, screenshots save to your desktop with names like "Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 2.30.45 PM.png". If you take many screenshots, your desktop gets crowded quickly. Create a folder called "Screenshots" in your Documents folder, then change where your screenshots save using the Screenshot app.

Open the Screenshot app (Command + Shift + 5), click "Options", and select your new Screenshots folder from the "Save to" menu. From that point on, all screenshots go directly into that folder instead of your desktop. You can still access them quickly by opening the folder, and your desktop stays clean.

If you have old screenshots scattered on your desktop, you can select them all at once. Click one screenshot, then hold Command and click the others to select multiple files. Drag them all into your Screenshots folder together.

Troubleshooting when screenshots do not work

If your keyboard shortcuts do not work, check whether an app is blocking them. Some full-screen games or specialized software override macOS shortcuts. Try taking a screenshot in a different app — like Safari or Notes — to see if the shortcut works there. If it does, the problem is with the app you were using, not your Mac.

If screenshots do not work anywhere, restart your Mac. This resets the system processes that handle screenshots and usually fixes the problem. If restarting does not help, check your keyboard. Make sure Shift, Command, and the number keys are all responding. Try the shortcut slowly, pressing each key in order rather than all at once.

On some older Macs or if you have accessibility settings enabled, you may need to give the Screenshot app permission to record your screen. Go to System Settings, click Privacy & Security, select Screen Recording, and make sure the Screenshot app is listed and enabled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do my screenshots save by default?

Screenshots save to your desktop as PNG files with the date and time in the filename. You can change this in the Screenshot app by pressing Command + Shift + 5, clicking Options, and selecting a different folder from the "Save to" menu.

Can I take a screenshot of just one window?

Yes. Press Command + Shift + 5 to open the Screenshot toolbar, then click the "Capture selected window" button (the second icon). Move your cursor over the window you want and click it. The entire window, including its shadow, is captured.

How do I paste a screenshot directly into an email without saving a file?

Hold Control while you press your screenshot shortcut (for example, Control + Command + Shift + 4). The screenshot goes to your clipboard. Open your email, click in the message body, and press Command + V to paste it.

Can I add text or arrows to a screenshot after I take it?

Yes. Click the thumbnail that appears in the corner after you take a screenshot, or double-click the screenshot file on your desktop. In the Markup tools, use the text tool to add words, the line tool to draw arrows, or the shape tool to highlight areas.

What is the difference between Command + Shift + 4 and Command + Shift + 5?

Command + Shift + 4 when ready turns your cursor into a crosshair so you can select an area. Command + Shift + 5 opens a toolbar first, showing you options to capture your screen, a window, or a selected area, and also lets you record video. Use Command + Shift + 5 if you want to see your options before capturing.