How to Take a Screenshot on a Mac (Every Shortcut, Plus Fixes)

To take a screenshot on a Mac, press Shift + Command + 3. That grabs the whole screen and saves it to your desktop. Change the 3 to a 4 and you can drag a box around just the part you want. Change it to a 5 and you get the Screenshot app, with a timer and screen recording.

That covers most people. The rest of this guide is for the moment you need one window, a copy you can paste, a different save folder, or the keys suddenly do nothing.

Screenshot Facts to Know First

• Whole screen. Press Shift + Command + 3.
• Part of the screen. Press Shift + Command + 4, then drag over the area.
• One window. Press Shift + Command + 4, then the Space bar, then click the window.
• Copy, do not save. Add Control to any of the shortcuts above.
• More options. Press Shift + Command + 5 for the Screenshot app.

Apple lists all of these on its screenshot help page, which it published on September 14, 2026. The steps below follow it, with the extra tricks Apple keeps on separate pages.

Every Mac Screenshot Shortcut

Press the keys together, then let go. A small thumbnail shows up in the bottom right corner for a moment before the file saves.

Shift + Command + 3. The Whole Screen

This takes a picture of everything on your display. Apple's Mac User Guide lists it as the shortcut for the entire screen. Click the thumbnail to mark it up, or just wait and it saves to the desktop.

Shift + Command + 4. Part of the Screen

The pointer turns into a crosshair. Drag it over the part you want, then let go of the mouse or trackpad to take the picture.

Two small tricks make this one much better.

• Hold the Space bar while you drag to move the whole box without changing its size. Apple calls this out, and it saves a lot of redoing.
• Press Esc to cancel before you let go.

To grab an open menu and its items, open the menu first, then press Shift + Command + 4 and drag over it.

Shift + Command + 4, Then Space. One Window

Press Shift + Command + 4, then tap the Space bar. The pointer becomes a small camera, and each window lights up as you move over it. Click the one you want.

Apple says to hold Option while you click if you want the window without its shadow. That gives you a clean picture with no gray edge, which looks better in a document or a slide.

Shift + Command + 5. The Screenshot App

This opens a toolbar at the bottom of the screen. You can pick the whole screen, one window or a part of the screen, and you can record video too. Apple says the Screenshot app has been on Macs since macOS Mojave, and you can also open it from the Utilities folder in Applications.

Shift + Command + 6. The Touch Bar

This one only matters on a MacBook Pro that has a Touch Bar. Apple's guide lists it as the way to capture the Touch Bar itself.

Copy a Screenshot Instead of Saving It

This is the shortcut most people do not know, and it is the one we use most. Hold Control along with any of the shortcuts.

• Control + Shift + Command + 3 copies the whole screen.
• Control + Shift + Command + 4 copies the part you drag over.

Nothing lands on your desktop. Press Command + V to paste it into an email, a chat, a note or a document. Apple says you can even paste it on another Apple device. If you already took a normal screenshot, Control click the thumbnail and choose Save to Clipboard.

It also keeps your desktop clean. If your desktop is a wall of screenshot files, this habit fixes that.

Where Your Screenshots Go and How to Change It

By default, Apple says screenshots save to the desktop. They are PNG files, and the name starts with Screenshot followed by the date and time. Older versions of macOS used the words Screen Shot, so do not be surprised if older files look different.

To send them somewhere else:

• Press Shift + Command + 5.
• Click Options.
• Under Save to, pick one of the preset places, or choose Other Location to pick any folder you like.

The new spot sticks for the keyboard shortcuts too. We suggest making a folder called Screenshots inside Documents and pointing it there.

You can also grab a screenshot before it saves. Drag the corner thumbnail straight into a document, an email or a Finder window. Apple says moving the pointer over the thumbnail keeps it on screen until you act on it.

Options in the Screenshot App

The Options menu in the Screenshot app holds the settings that the plain shortcuts cannot change.

• Timer. Pick a delay before the picture is taken. This is how you capture a menu or a hover effect that disappears when you press keys.
• Show Floating Thumbnail. Turn the corner preview off if it gets in your way. Screenshots then save right away.
• Remember Last Selection. Keeps the last box you drew, so you can take the same shot again and again.
• Show Mouse Pointer. Choose whether the pointer shows up in the picture.
• Capture Format. On supported Macs running macOS Tahoe 26 or later, Apple added a choice between SDR and HDR. SDR saves a PNG and works everywhere. HDR saves a HEIF file with more brightness and color, but you need an HDR screen to see the difference. If you plan to send the picture to someone, stick with SDR.

How to Screenshot a Whole Web Page

The Mac shortcuts only capture what is on the screen right now. A long web page gets cut off at the bottom.

In Safari, there is a simple way around it. Choose File, then Export as PDF, then pick a name and a folder. How-To Geek walks through the same steps. You get the whole page in one file, which is often more useful than a picture anyway, because the text stays sharp.

Screenshot Keys Not Working? Check These

If you press the keys and nothing happens, work down this list.

The Shortcut Is Off or Changed

Open System Settings, click Keyboard, then Keyboard Shortcuts, then Screenshots. Make sure each box is checked. Apple's keyboard shortcuts guide says you can change a shortcut there, and that a shortcut that clashes with another one will not work until you change one of them. The Restore Defaults button in the bottom left puts every shortcut back the way Apple shipped it.

Another App Took the Keys

Some apps grab the same keys for their own use. If the shortcut stopped working after you installed a new app, that app is the first thing to check. Apple says to quit and reopen apps after you change a shortcut.

The App Blocks Screenshots

Some apps do not allow pictures of their windows. Apple names the Apple TV app and DVD Player. You may get a blank or black area instead of the picture. That is the app protecting its content, not a broken Mac.

You Cannot Find the File

Press Shift + Command + 5 and look at Options. The place with the check mark under Save to is where your screenshots are going. If someone changed it, your files are sitting in that folder, not on the desktop. Also remember that a shortcut with Control in it copies the picture and never saves a file at all.

Advice to Ignore

Most online answers to this question are a Quora thread, YouTube clips from as far back as 2013, and how to articles from 2022 and 2023. None of them mention the HDR and SDR choice that came with macOS Tahoe 26. Most skip the Control trick for copying, the Option trick for a clean window and the Space bar trick for moving a box. And none of them tell you what to do when the keys stop working, which is the reason a lot of people search in the first place.

Apple's own page is accurate, but it splits the answers across several pages. We put them in one place, in the order people need them.

Three Keys to Learn

Learn three keys and you are set. Shift + Command + 3 for everything. Shift + Command + 4 for part of it. Add Control when you want to paste instead of save. Use Shift + Command + 5 when you need a timer, a new save folder or a screen recording. If the keys stop working, check Keyboard Shortcuts in System Settings first.

Keep Going With These

On an iPhone instead? Our guide on how to screen record on iPhone covers video with and without sound. For the latest on Macs and other gear, follow our devices news, or browse more plain tech advice.

From the Inbox

How do I take a screenshot on a Mac?

Press Shift, Command and 3 together to capture the whole screen. Press Shift, Command and 4, then drag, to capture part of the screen. Apple says the picture saves to your desktop, and a small thumbnail shows in the corner first so you can edit it.

Where do screenshots go on a Mac?

To the desktop by default, as PNG files. The name starts with Screenshot and carries the date and time. To change the folder, press Shift, Command and 5, click Options, and pick a place under Save to.

How do I screenshot just one window on a Mac?

Press Shift, Command and 4, then press the Space bar. The pointer turns into a camera. Click the window you want. Apple says to hold Option while you click if you want the picture without the window's shadow.

How do I copy a screenshot on a Mac without saving it?

Hold Control along with the shortcut. Control, Shift, Command and 3 copies the whole screen. Control, Shift, Command and 4 copies the part you drag over. Then press Command and V to paste it into an email, a chat or a document.

Why are my Mac screenshot shortcuts not working?

The shortcut may be turned off or changed. Open System Settings, click Keyboard, then Keyboard Shortcuts, then Screenshots, and make sure the boxes are checked. Restore Defaults puts every shortcut back. Some apps, like the Apple TV app, also block pictures of their windows.

How do I screenshot a whole web page on a Mac?

The screenshot keys only grab what is on the screen. In Safari, choose File, then Export as PDF, to save the full page as one file. For a picture of what you can see, use Shift, Command and 3.

How do I take a screenshot with a timer on a Mac?

Press Shift, Command and 5 to open the Screenshot app. Click Options and pick a delay under Timer. Then click Capture. It gives you time to open a menu or move the pointer before the picture is taken.

Dig Deeper

Apple Support, Take a screenshot on Mac (published September 14, 2026), accessed October 2026
Apple Mac User Guide, Take screenshots or screen recordings on Mac, accessed October 2026
Apple Mac User Guide, Use macOS keyboard shortcuts, accessed October 2026
How-To Geek, How to Save a Web Page as a PDF in Safari on Mac (June 29, 2020), accessed October 2026