Missed a screenshot occasion because you fumbled with the wrong key combination? Want to take a screenshot of your Mac’s screen — or a window — as fast as possible? Find out here how to take Mac screenshots with a keyboard shortcut ⤓ (for selections, windows or the whole screen).
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How to Take a Mac Screenshot with a Keyboard Shortcut
To take screenshots on a Mac, use the following standard macOS keyboard shortcuts:
| Mac Screenshot Shortcut | Screenshot Area | Saving Location |
|---|---|---|
| Command Shift 4 | Selection made with the mouse cursor | Default Mac screenshot location Your pick: You can change where screenshots go by default on a Mac. |
| Command Shift 4 followed by Space | The window selected with the mouse | Default Mac screenshot location |
| Command Control Shift 4 | Selection made with the mouse cursor | Clipboard |
| Command Control Shift 4 followed by Space | The window selected with the mouse | Clipboard |
| Command Shift 3 | Entire screen | Default Mac screenshot location |
| Command Control Shift 3 | Entire screen | Clipboard |
One more keyboard shortcut relates to screenshots:
- Press Command Shift 5 to take a screenshot with picking options such as a delay timer or including the mouse cursor.
Screen grabbed?
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Mac Screenshot Selection Shortcuts
While you make a selection on screen for.the region to copy to the screenshot, you can use the following shortcuts:
| Shortcut | Effect |
|---|---|
| Option | Expand from the center instead of keeping the top left corner fixed. |
| Shift | Change only the dominant moving direction. Example: If you expand the screenshot predominantly down and press Shift, the width will be fixed and no longer change (even if the mouse moves left or right). |
| Space | Switch coordinates display (next to the selection cursor) from the selected area’s current size to the cursor position relative to the top left corner. |
About to take a screenshot of a movie? Try this instead: How to Extract a Still Image from a Movie on a Mac
Inside the browser: How to Make a Website Screenshot in Firefox
How to Change or Disable the Mac Screenshot Shortcuts
To change the standard screenshot shortcuts on macOS or disable ones you do not use:
- Open System Settings on the Mac.
- Go to the Keyboard category.
- Click Keyboard Shortcuts….
- Now open the Screenshots category.
- Check all Mac screenshot keyboard shortcuts you want to be enabled.
- Double-click any existing shortcut, then press the desired key combination to change it.
- Click Done.
On Windows? This Is the Snipping Tool Shortcut for Screenshots
How to Take a Mac Screenshot with a Keyboard Shortcut: FAQ
Can I undo taking a screenshot (and not save it)?
For certain Mac screenshot shortcuts, you can undo taking the screenshot and delete it immediately, yes:
- After using a shortcut that saves to the standard location (as a file), click the screenshot preview.
- Click the trash icon in the editing window that appears.
To cancel a screenshot selection, press Esc.
(Tested with macOS Tahoe 26.0–26.3, Sequoia 15.0, Sonoma 14.3 and Ventura 13.4; first published July 2023, last updated March 2026)