The Three Ways to Capture Your Screen
On an Apple computer, you can take a screenshot using the keyboard shortcut Command + Shift + 3 to capture your entire screen, Command + Shift + 4 to select a portion of the screen, or Command + Shift + 5 to open the screenshot tool with more options. The method you choose depends on what you want to capture and where you want to save it.
All three shortcuts save your screenshot as a PNG file to your desktop by default. If you hold down the Space bar after pressing Command + Shift + 4, you can switch to window-capture mode and click a single window to capture just that window instead of drawing a selection box.
Key Takeaways
- Command + Shift + 3 captures your entire screen in one keystroke and saves it to your desktop as a PNG file.
- Command + Shift + 4 lets you drag to select the exact area you want to capture, then saves that selection to your desktop.
- Command + Shift + 5 opens a toolbar where you can choose to capture a window, the entire screen, or a selected area, and change where the file saves.
- Hold Space bar after pressing Command + Shift + 4 to switch to window-capture mode and click a single window instead of drawing a box.
- Screenshots save as PNG files to your desktop unless you change the save location in the Command + Shift + 5 toolbar.
Capturing Your Entire Screen with Command + Shift + 3
Press Command + Shift + 3 to take a screenshot of everything on your screen. Your Mac will make a camera shutter sound (if your volume is on), and a thumbnail will appear in the corner of your screen for a few seconds. The screenshot saves to your desktop as a file named "Screenshot [date] at [time].png".
This method is the fastest when you need to capture everything visible. You do not need to select anything or open any menus — just press the three keys and the screenshot is done. If you do not hear the shutter sound, check that your Mac is not in silent mode by looking at the speaker icon in the menu bar.
Selecting a Portion of Your Screen with Command + Shift + 4
Press Command + Shift + 4 and your cursor will change to a crosshair. Click and drag to draw a box around the area you want to capture. As you drag, you will see the dimensions of your selection in pixels appear near your cursor. Release the mouse button to take the screenshot.
If you make a mistake while dragging, press the Escape key before releasing the mouse to cancel the screenshot. You can also hold the Space bar after you start dragging to move your entire selection without resizing it — this is useful if you drew the box in the wrong location. After you release the mouse, the screenshot saves to your desktop the same way as Command + Shift + 3.
Using the Screenshot Tool with Command + Shift + 5
Press Command + Shift + 5 to open the screenshot toolbar at the bottom of your screen. This toolbar gives you five capture options: capture the entire screen, capture a selected window, capture a selected portion, record the entire screen, or record a selected portion. Click the button for what you want to do.
The toolbar also includes an Options menu where you can change where your screenshot saves. By default, screenshots go to your desktop, but you can choose to save to Documents, Downloads, the Clipboard, Mail, Messages, Notes, or Reminders instead. You can also set a timer so the screenshot captures after a delay — useful if you need time to open a menu or navigate to the right place before the capture happens.
After you take a screenshot using this tool, a thumbnail appears in the corner of your screen. Click the thumbnail to open the screenshot in the markup editor, where you can draw on it, add text, or make other changes before saving.
Copying a Screenshot to Your Clipboard Instead of Saving It
If you want to paste a screenshot directly into an email, document, or message without saving a file to your desktop first, hold down the Control key while you press your screenshot shortcut. For example, Control + Command + Shift + 3 copies the full-screen screenshot to your clipboard instead of saving it as a file.
Once the screenshot is in your clipboard, you can paste it anywhere by pressing Command + V. This method is faster when you only need the screenshot temporarily and do not want desktop clutter. The thumbnail still appears in the corner, and you can click it to edit the screenshot before pasting if you want to make changes.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
The most common mistake is forgetting that screenshots save to your desktop by default, then wondering where the file went. Check your desktop first — if you do not see it there, open Finder and look in the Desktop folder. If you want screenshots to save somewhere else, use Command + Shift + 5 and change the save location in the Options menu.
Another mistake is pressing the wrong key combination. Command + Shift + 4 and Command + Shift + 5 are straightforward to mix up. Remember: Command + Shift + 4 is for selecting a portion with your mouse, and Command + Shift + 5 is for the full toolbar with more options. If you press Command + Shift + 4 and want to switch to window-capture mode, just hold Space bar — you do not need to start over.
If your screenshot shortcut does not work, check that you are not using an app that has overridden the keyboard shortcut. Some games and specialized software can disable standard Mac shortcuts. Try taking a screenshot in a different app like Safari or Notes to see if the shortcut works there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do screenshots save on my Mac?
By default, screenshots save to your desktop as PNG files with the name "Screenshot [date] at [time].png". You can change the save location using Command + Shift + 5 and clicking the Options menu to choose Documents, Downloads, Clipboard, or send the screenshot directly to Mail, Messages, Notes, or Reminders.
Can I take a screenshot of just one window?
Yes. Press Command + Shift + 4, then hold the Space bar and click the window you want to capture. The entire window will be captured with its shadow. Alternatively, use Command + Shift + 5 and click the "Capture selected window" button in the toolbar, then click the window you want.
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 the thumbnail to open the markup editor, where you can draw, add text, add shapes, or magnify parts of the image. Click Done to save your changes, or click the X to close without saving edits.
What is the difference between Command + Shift + 4 and Command + Shift + 5?
Command + Shift + 4 lets you drag to select an area and saves the screenshot when ready. Command + Shift + 5 opens a toolbar with more options, including the ability to record video, change the save location, set a timer, and capture a window by clicking instead of dragging.
Why is my screenshot not saving to my desktop?
Check that you are not in an app that has overridden the screenshot shortcut. Try taking a screenshot in Safari or Notes. If it works there, the problem is with the app you were using. If the shortcut does not work anywhere, restart your Mac and try again. You can also use Command + Shift + 5 to open the toolbar and manually choose where to save the screenshot.