The fastest way to capture your screen on a Mac

On a Mac, you take a screenshot using Shift + Command + 3 to capture your entire screen, or Shift + Command + 4 to select just the part you want. The image saves to your desktop as a PNG file with a timestamp in the filename — you'll see it appear in the corner of your screen a moment after you take it. You can click that thumbnail to edit the screenshot before it saves permanently.

If you need to capture a single window instead of hunting for the right area, press Shift + Command + 4, then press the spacebar. Your cursor will change to a camera icon, and you can click any open window to capture just that window with its shadow.

These keyboard shortcuts work on any Mac running macOS 10.14 or later. Older Macs use the same shortcuts but the editing options may differ slightly.

Key Takeaways

  • Shift + Command + 3 captures your entire screen; Shift + Command + 4 lets you select the area you want.
  • Screenshots save to your desktop as PNG files and show a thumbnail in the corner where you can edit or delete them before they save.
  • Press spacebar after Shift + Command + 4 to switch to window-capture mode and click any open window.
  • You can change where screenshots save and what format they use by opening the Screenshot app from Spotlight search.

Using the Screenshot app for more control

If the keyboard shortcuts feel too quick or you want to set a timer before capturing, open the Screenshot app. Press Command + Spacebar to open Spotlight search, type "screenshot," and press Enter. The app opens as a small window with four buttons: one for capturing the entire screen, one for a selected window, one for a selected portion, and one for recording video.

The Screenshot app also shows a timer option — click the Options button and choose a delay of 5 or 10 seconds if you need time to set up what you're capturing. This is useful when you want to capture a menu that closes as soon as you click, or when you need to arrange windows before the capture happens.

After you take a screenshot in the app, the same thumbnail appears in the corner. Click it to open the editing window, where you can draw, add text, magnify part of the image, or add a shape before saving.

Editing your screenshot before it saves

When a screenshot thumbnail appears in the corner of your screen, you have about five seconds to click it before it saves to your desktop without any changes. Click the thumbnail to open the editing toolbar.

The toolbar shows a pen for drawing, a highlighter, a shape tool, a magnifier, and a text tool. You can draw freehand lines, highlight areas, add rectangles or arrows, zoom into a specific part of the image, or type text directly onto the screenshot. Each tool has a color picker so you can choose the color you want.

When you're done editing, click the Done button or press Return. The edited version saves to your desktop. If you decide not to save it at all, click the X button instead, and the screenshot is deleted.

Changing where screenshots save and what format they use

By default, all screenshots save to your desktop as PNG files. If you want them to go to a different folder or save as a different file type, open the Screenshot app and click Options. You'll see a dropdown menu labeled "Save to" — choose Desktop, Documents, Clipboard, or Mail. If you choose Clipboard, the screenshot copies to your clipboard instead of saving a file, which is useful when you want to paste it directly into an email or document.

In the same Options menu, you can change the file format from PNG to JPG, TIFF, or PDF. PNG is the default because it preserves quality without making the file huge, but JPG makes smaller files if you're sending screenshots over email or uploading them somewhere with a file size limit.

These settings stay in place until you change them again, so you only need to adjust them once.

Capturing video of your screen instead of a still image

If you need to record what's happening on your screen rather than take a single screenshot, use the Screenshot app's video option. Open the Screenshot app, click the video-camera button (the fourth button), and choose where you want to save the recording. Then click Start Recording.

A red recording indicator appears at the top of your screen. Do whatever you need to show on video — open an app, navigate a website, type something — and when you're done, click the red recording indicator to stop. The video saves to your desktop as an MOV file.

Video recordings are much larger files than screenshots, so they take longer to save and use more storage space. If you only need to show a single moment or a small area, a screenshot is usually the better choice.

What to do if your screenshot doesn't appear

If you press the keyboard shortcut and nothing happens, check whether you have a third-party app running that uses the same shortcut. Some apps like video games or design software override the Mac shortcuts. Try using the Screenshot app instead, which uses buttons rather than keyboard shortcuts.

If the thumbnail appears but the file doesn't save to your desktop, check your Desktop folder to make sure it's actually there — sometimes the file saves but the thumbnail doesn't show. You can also check your Documents folder or wherever you set the "Save to" option in the Screenshot app.

If you chose Clipboard as your save location, the screenshot won't appear on your desktop at all — it only copies to your clipboard. Open a document or email and press Command + V to paste it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I take a screenshot of just my menu bar or just part of a window?

Yes. Use Shift + Command + 4 and drag to select exactly the area you want, including just the menu bar or just one corner of a window. You can also use the Screenshot app's "Selection" option and drag to select any rectangular area on your screen.

Where do I find my screenshots after I take them?

By default, they save to your Desktop folder. You can see them as files with names like "Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 2.30.45 PM.png". If you changed the save location in the Screenshot app's Options menu, check Documents, Mail, or wherever you set it to save.

Can I take a screenshot without it saving a file?

Yes. Open the Screenshot app, click Options, and change "Save to" to Clipboard. Then take your screenshot — it copies to your clipboard instead of creating a file. You can paste it into an email, document, or message using Command + V.

What's the difference between PNG and JPG for screenshots?

PNG keeps the image quality high and is better for screenshots of text or windows because it doesn't blur sharp edges. JPG makes smaller files, which is useful if you're emailing many screenshots or uploading them somewhere with size limits, but text may look slightly blurry.

Can I record my screen with audio from my Mac speakers?

The Screenshot app's video recording captures only what's on your screen, not audio. If you need to record audio along with your screen, you'll need a third-party app like QuickTime Player (which comes with your Mac) or ScreenFlow. Open QuickTime Player, click File, then "New Screen Recording" to record video with audio options.