How to Take a Screenshot on Mac | 4 Methods

To Take a Screenshot on Mac, Press Shift + Command + 3 for a full-screen capture, Shift + Command + 4 for a selected area, or Shift + Command + 5 for the screenshot toolbar to capture, record, and manage Mac screenshots easily.

Whether you need to grab a quick image of your entire screen or just a specific window, macOS gives you several built-in shortcuts that make the process fast and easy.

Method 1: Capture the Entire Screen

Press Shift + Command + 3.

Your Mac will instantly snap a screenshot and save it to your desktop by default.

Method 2: Capture a Portion of the Screen

Press Shift + Command + 4, then drag the crosshair to select the area you want. When you let go, your screenshot is taken.

Method 3: Screenshot a Window or Menu

Press Shift + Command + 4, tap the Space bar, then hover over the window or menu you want to capture. Click to grab it — easy.

Method 4: Cmd-Shift-5 Use the Screenshot Toolbar (macOS Mojave or later)

Cmd-Shift-5

Hit Shift + Command + 5 to bring up Apple’s Screenshot toolbar.

From here, you can choose what to capture, set timers, pick where to save your file, and even record your screen.

Afer you hit Cmd + Shift + 5, it will open a Screenshot Toolbar, and you’ll have all these options:

  1. Full-Screen Capture – Snap your entire display in one go.
  2. Window Capture – Grab just a single app or window without extra cropping.
  3. Custom Area Capture – You can Select exactly the portion of the screen you need.
  4. Record the Entire Screen – Perfect for tutorials, presentations, or gameplay.
  5. Record a Selected Portion – Focus on just one part of the screen.
  6. Choose Where Screenshots Go – Save to Desktop, Documents, Clipboard, Mail, Messages, Preview, or any folder you like.
  7. Add a Timer – Set a 5- or 10-second delay to line up menus or tricky screens.
  8. Floating Thumbnail Preview – See a quick preview after every screenshot; turn it off if it gets annoying.
  9. Include Mouse Pointer – Handy for walkthroughs and demos.
  10. Move the Toolbar – Drag it anywhere on your screen so it doesn’t block your view.

Add the Control key to any shortcut (for example, Control + Shift + Command + 3) to copy the screenshot straight to your clipboard. This is Perfect for pasting into Messages, Slack, or Docs.

To change the saved location, Open the Screenshot toolbar → click Options → choose a new folder to keep your desktop clutter-free.

If you wanna make a quick edit, After you take a screenshot, a thumbnail pops up in the bottom-right corner. Click it to crop, annotate, or share without opening Preview.

How to Share a screenshot from Mac?

Iam not kidding, Sharing screenshots on a Mac is the easiest thing ever.

  1. Use the Floating Thumbnail – After taking a screenshot, simply click on the thumbnail that pops up in the corner. Hit the Share button to send it via Mail, Messages, AirDrop, Notes, or other apps.
  2. Share from Your Desktop or Folder – If you have saved it first and later share it, find the saved screenshot, right-click it, and select Share. Choose the app or service you want.
  3. Drag & Drop – To send it directly, Open the folder with your screenshot and drag it directly into an email, chat, or document.
  4. Copy to Clipboard – Hold Control while taking a screenshot to copy it instead of saving. Then paste it straight into Messages, Mail, or other apps.
  5. AirDrop for Fast Transfers – For transfer to Apple device, it be Macs or iPhones instantly without attachments, it is super convenient for quick sharing.

I also have a guide with keyboard shortcut keys for chromebook if you are interested.