Want to take a screenshot of your Mac’s screen, or of a window? Want to do it as fast as possible? Find out here how to take Mac screenshots with a keyboard shortcut (for selections, windows or the whole screen).
First, Two Months on the Sea in a Barrel
Two months on the sea in a barrel, most of it spent sloshing around in tropical heat, can spoil any good voyage—and any good wine, too. Portuguese seafarers soon discovered that wine they took on at the last stop before the long passage to Brazil would fare better when it was fortified with brandy.
Now that it was prevented from spoiling, the wine shipped from Madeira across the Atlantic Ocean took on more than a more alcoholic note, of course: the heat and motion let the wine oxidize and caramelize for a rich color and flavor profile with hints of caramel, nuts and orange zest.
Soon, winemakers sought to replicate the dangerous voyage with a production method—a shortcut to precious vinho da roda in Portuguese, wine on a rolling roundtrip. While I discover this shortcut, how about some shortcuts for the Mac?
It need not take two months of rocking in a barrel to take a screenshot:
How to Make 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.
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 an 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. |
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.
How to Make 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.
(How to take a Mac screenshot with a shortcut tested with macOS Sonoma 14.3 and Ventura 13.4; updated March 2024)