10 Ways to Take a Screenshot on a Mac (Full Screen, Window or Selection inc. PC Keyboards)

To take a screenshot on a Mac, press Command (⌘) + Shift + 3 for full screen or Command (⌘) + Shift + 4 to capture part of the screen.

If you’ve just switched from Windows to Mac, here are the fastest and easiest ways to screenshot on a Mac in 2026 which work on all the latest versions of macOS including macOS Golden Gate.

How To Take A Screenshot on a Mac Keyboard

If you just need the fastest way to screenshot on a Mac, use keyboard shortcuts:

• Full screen: Press Command (⌘) + Shift + 3
• Selected area: Press Command (⌘) + Shift + 4, then drag to select
• Specific window: Press Command (⌘) + Shift + 4, then tap Space and click the window

By default, screenshots are saved to your desktop with a timestamped filename such as “Screenshot 2026-06-19 at 15.02.07”.

You can also easily change where screenshots are saved on your Mac to prevent your desktop getting cluttered.

In this extensive guide, we’ll show you all the ways to take a screenshot on a Mac, including built-in tools, advanced options, using a PC keyboard and how to fix common problems.

Mac Screenshot Shortcuts Cheat Sheet

Action	Shortcut
Capture the entire screen	⌘ + Shift + 3
Capture part of the screen	⌘ + Shift + 4
Capture a window or menu	⌘ + Shift + 4, then Spacebar
Open the Screenshot toolbar	⌘ + Shift + 5
Copy the entire screen to the clipboard	⌘ + Control + Shift + 3
Copy a selected area to the clipboard	⌘ + Control + Shift + 4

* For taking a screenshot on a Mac with a PC keyboard, simply replace the ⌘ key with the Windows key.

For more handy shortcuts on macOS, check out our ultimate guide to Mac keyboard shortcuts.

How to Take a Screenshot on a Mac with a PC Keyboard

If you use a Windows or other PC keyboard with a Mac—particularly useful with a Mac mini—the shortcuts are almost the same. On most keyboards, the Windows/Logo key acts as Command (⌘) and Alt acts as Option (⌥).

If you use a Windows or other PC keyboard with a Mac—particularly useful with a Mac mini—the shortcuts are almost the same. On most keyboards, the Windows/Logo key acts as Command (⌘) and Alt acts as Option (⌥).

Mac key	Typical PC-keyboard equivalent
Command (⌘)	Windows/Logo key
Option (⌥)	Alt
Control (⌃)	Ctrl

That means you would normally use:

• Windows + Shift + 3 for the whole screen.
• Windows + Shift + 4 for a selected area.
• Windows + Shift + 4, then Spacebar, for a window.
• Windows + Shift + 5 to open the Screenshot toolbar.

If a shortcut does not work, your modifier keys may be mapped differently. Go to Apple menu → System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Modifier Keys and check that the Windows/Logo key is assigned to Command. The physical labels vary between keyboard brands, so it is better to verify this than assume that every PC keyboard uses the same mapping.

10 Ways To Screenshot on a Mac

Here then is a closer look at all the ways to screenshot on a Mac including the equivalent of the “Windows Key + PrtScn” on macOS.

1. Take a Screenshot of the Entire Screen

This is the fastest way to capture everything on your display.

How to do it:

1. Press ⌘ + Shift + 3
2. Your Mac will instantly save the screenshot

Use this when you want the equivalent of a full-screen Print Screen capture on Windows. To copy the image instead of saving a file, hold Control as well: ⌘ + Control + Shift + 3.

By default, screenshots are saved to your desktop with a timestamped filename.

If Show Floating Thumbnail is enabled, click the thumbnail to open Markup, drag it straight into a document or email, or simply leave it alone and the screenshot will save to the location you chose. To turn this option on or off, press ⌘ + Shift + 5, choose Options, then select or deselect Show Floating Thumbnail.

If you don’t want all of your screenshots saved on the desktop, you can change where macOS saves screenshots by choosing “Other Location…” from the Options menu.

⚠️ Note: After making major updates to macOS, some users may find that they may be experiencing a bug where screenshots are not being saved (as happened initially when macOS Tahoe was released). You can fix this following the instructions here.

2. Screenshot a Selected Area

This is ideal for capturing part of a webpage, image, document or error message.

1. Press ⌘ + Shift + 4. Your pointer changes to a crosshair.
2. Click and drag over the area you want to capture.
3. Release the trackpad or mouse button to take the screenshot.

While you are choosing an area:

• Press Escape to cancel.
• Hold Spacebar while dragging to move the selected area without changing its size.
• Hold Shift while dragging to constrain one dimension of the selection.

To copy a selected area straight to the clipboard, press ⌘ + Control + Shift + 4 instead. You can then paste it into Mail, Messages, Slack, Word, Pages or an image editor with ⌘ + V.

3. Screenshot a Specific Window

To capture one app window, a Finder window or an open menu:

1. Open the window or menu.
2. Press ⌘ + Shift + 4.
3. Press Spacebar. The crosshair changes into a camera.
4. Click the item you want to capture.

macOS adds a subtle drop shadow around window screenshots by default. Hold Option while clicking if you want to capture the window without that shadow.

4. Use the Mac Screenshot Toolbar (Best All-in-One Tool)

The Screenshot toolbar is the best all-in-one built-in tool. It is available in macOS Mojave and later.

Click Capture. When capturing a window, click the window instead.

• Press ⌘ + Shift + 5.
• Choose whether to capture the whole screen, a selected window or a selected portion.
• Click Capture.

Click Options before capturing to:

• Choose where the file is saved.
• Set a five- or ten-second timer.
• Show or hide the floating thumbnail.
• Show the mouse pointer in a screenshot.
• Remember the last selected area.

The toolbar is the closest built-in equivalent to the Windows Snipping Tool. It can also record your screen.

HDR screenshots in macOS Tahoe and Golden Gate

On supported Macs running macOS Tahoe 26 or later, open ⌘ + Shift + 5, click Options, then choose Capture Format:

• SDR (Most Compatible) creates a standard PNG screenshot. Choose this for websites, email, chat apps, documents and anywhere maximum compatibility matters.
• HDR captures greater brightness and colour information and saves the screenshot in the HEIF format. It is useful when the image will be viewed on HDR-capable hardware, but it is less convenient to share widely.

For most screenshots, I would leave this set to SDR (Most Compatible). It avoids HEIF compatibility issues and is usually the right format for publishing online.

Ask Siri about what is on screen in Golden Gate

macOS 27 Golden Gate adds a related but separate feature for Macs with Siri AI (Beta) enabled:

• ⌘ + Shift + Spacebar asks Siri about the active window.
• ⌘ + Shift + 6 asks Siri about a selected part of the screen.

These are Visual Intelligence shortcuts, not ordinary screenshot commands: they let Siri interpret what is on screen rather than create an image file. Use the usual screenshot shortcuts when you want a file to save, edit or send.

5. Take a Timed Screenshot

A timer is helpful when you need to open a menu, display a hover state or arrange something on screen before the capture is taken.

1. Press ⌘ + Shift + 5.
2. Click Options.
3. Under Timer, choose 5 Seconds or 10 Seconds.
4. Select a capture mode and click Capture.

6. Copy Screenshots to Clipboard (Instead of Saving)

If you want to paste a screenshot straight into another app without creating a file:

• Whole screen: ⌘ + Control + Shift + 3
• Selected area: ⌘ + Control + Shift + 4
• Window: Press ⌘ + Control + Shift + 4, then Spacebar, then click the window.

Paste the image with ⌘ + V. For a fuller walkthrough, see how to copy a screenshot to the clipboard on a Mac.

7. Take Screenshots Using Preview (No Shortcuts Needed)

Preview is useful if you prefer menus to keyboard shortcuts or want to open the image ready to edit.

1. Open Preview from the Applications folder.
2. Choose File → Take Screenshot.
3. Select From Selection, From Window or From Entire Screen.

The image opens immediately in Preview. You can crop it, highlight an area, add arrows or text, and export it in another format.

If you can’t see the Markup Toolbar then you can make it appear by going to View > Show Markup Toolbar.

8. Record Your Screen on a Mac

The Screenshot toolbar can record your whole screen, a selected window or a selected portion:

1. Press ⌘ + Shift + 5.
2. Choose Record Entire Screen, Record Selected Window or Record Selected Portion.
3. Click Options if you want to select a microphone, include mouse clicks, choose a timer or change the save location.
4. Click Record.

In macOS 27 Golden Gate or later, choose Include System Audio from the Options menu if you need your Mac’s own audio in the recording. On earlier versions of macOS, the built-in tool can record a chosen microphone but normally needs an additional audio driver or recording tool for internal system sound. For detailed instructions, see how to record your screen on a Mac.

9. Use Terminal (Advanced Users)

Advanced users can use the built-in <code>screencapture</code> command. Open Terminal on your Mac and enter one of these commands:

• Capture the whole screen to the Desktop: <code>screencapture ~/Desktop/screenshot.png</code>
• Wait ten seconds before capturing: <code>screencapture -T 10 ~/Desktop/screenshot.png</code>

This is most useful for scripts, repeatable workflows and remote administration—not as the everyday method for most people.

10. Use Third-Party Screenshot Apps

macOS handles normal screenshots very well, but it still does not include a built-in scrolling screenshot tool. If you regularly capture long webpages, add callouts or need a more polished workflow, third-party apps can be worthwhile.

If you need more advanced features (scrolling capture, annotations, workflows), third-party tools offer more flexibility.

Popular options include:

• Shottr
• Snagit
• CleanShot X
• Capto

These tools are particularly useful for content creators. For example, you can see in our video below how Shottr makes it easy to take scrolling screenshots on a Mac—something the built-in Screenshot tool cannot do.

Where Are Screenshots Saved on Mac?

By default, screenshots are saved to your Desktop. To choose another location:

1. Press ⌘ + Shift + 5.
2. Click Options.
3. Under Save to, choose Desktop, Documents, Clipboard, Mail, Messages, Preview or Other Location.

Choosing Other Location is the best way to create a dedicated Screenshots folder. It keeps the Desktop tidy and makes screenshots easier to find later.

How To Change Screenshot Shortcuts

ou can change the built-in screenshot shortcuts if they clash with another app:

1. Open Apple menu → System Settings → Keyboard.
2. Click Keyboard Shortcuts.
3. Select Screenshots in the sidebar.
4. Select a shortcut and enter your preferred key combination.

For more on screenshot keyboard shortcuts, check out our ultimate guide to Mac keyboard shortcuts.

How To Copy & Paste Screenshots On A Mac

The quickest method is to hold Control while using a screenshot shortcut, then paste the image with ⌘ + V. You can also:

• Select an existing screenshot in Finder, press ⌘ + C, then press ⌘ + V in the app where you want to use it.
• Right-click the screenshot in Finder and choose Copy, then paste it elsewhere.
• Click the floating thumbnail and use the Share button or drag the thumbnail directly into a compatible app.

For more help, see our guide to copying and pasting on a Mac.

Taking A Screenshot Of The Touch Bar On MacBooks

On compatible older MacBook Pro models with a Touch Bar, ⌘ + Shift + 6 traditionally captures what is displayed on the Touch Bar. Touch Bar Macs were discontinued in 2021, but the shortcut can still be useful if you use one.

Be aware that in macOS 27 Golden Gate, ⌘ + Shift + 6 is also used for the optional Siri AI screen-query feature when Siri AI (Beta) is enabled. If you are trying to make a normal screenshot, use ⌘ + Shift + 3, ⌘ + Shift + 4 or ⌘ + Shift + 5 instead.

You can also add the Screenshot button to a compatible Touch Bar from Apple menu → System Preferences → Keyboard → Customize Control Strip.

Mac Screenshot Not Working? (Fixes)

If your Mac does not take or save screenshots, work through these quick checks:

1. Try the Screenshot toolbar. Press ⌘ + Shift + 5. If this works while another shortcut does not, the problem is likely a keyboard shortcut setting rather than the Screenshot app itself.
2. Check the screenshot shortcuts. Go to System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Screenshots and make sure the relevant shortcut is enabled.
3. Check the save location. In ⌘ + Shift + 5 → Options, temporarily set Save to back to Desktop. A disconnected drive or unavailable custom folder can stop you finding the result where you expect it.
4. Make sure your Mac has free storage. Screenshots are small, but a full drive can prevent new files being created.
5. Restart your Mac and test again. This clears temporary system glitches and is often enough after a macOS update.

If the screenshot thumbnail appears but the image does not save properly, follow our separate guide to fixing screenshots that are not saving on a Mac.

FAQ

What is the Mac equivalent of Print Screen?

Press ⌘ + Shift + 3 to capture the whole screen. Press ⌘ + Shift + 4 to capture part of it.

How do I take a screenshot on a Mac without using a keyboard shortcut?

Open Preview, then choose File → Take Screenshot and select whether to capture a selection, window or the entire screen. You can also open the Screenshot app from Applications → Utilities → Screenshot.

How do I paste a screenshot on a Mac?

Hold Control while taking the screenshot—for example, press ⌘ + Control + Shift + 3—then press ⌘ + V in the destination app.

Why are my screenshots not saving?

First check the save location in ⌘ + Shift + 5 → Options, make sure you have free storage, then try saving to Desktop. If that does not solve it, use the troubleshooting steps above.

How do I take a screenshot on a Mac with a Windows keyboard?

On most PC keyboards, the Windows/Logo key acts as Command. Use Windows + Shift + 3 for the whole screen or Windows + Shift + 4 for a selected area. If it does not work, check your modifier-key mapping in System Settings.