The Ultimate Guide | How to Capture Screenshots on Your Mac?


Updated: 2, Nov 2024

80


At some point, you’ll need to take a screenshot on your Mac. On a Mac, it’s very easy to take a screenshot, which makes it very simple to record your screen. If you want to save the whole screen, a section of it, or a single window, MacOS has many built-in ways to do it. This guide will teach you how to use the snapping images tool or speed keys that come with your Mac.

To take a screenshot on Mac you can use several effective methods. These methods make it easy to capture exactly what you need on your screen!

1. How to Capture the Entire Screen

This is the quickest method for capturing everything visible on your Mac’s screen.

Step 1:

Press “Command (⌘) + Shift + 3” at the same time.

MacBook keyboard with highlighted Command, Shift, and 3 keys for taking screenshots.

Step 2:

Your entire screen will be captured rapidly.

MacBook screen showing the dock with multiple app icons and a screenshot preview in the corner.

Step 3:

The screenshot is normally saved on the Mac desktop.

It will be saved as a.png file with the date and time prefixed by default.

screenshot icon on a MacBook desktop with colorful background

2. How to Capture a Partial Area

Want to capture just part of your screen? you can easily do this with a few key commands.

Step 1:

Press “Command (⌘) + Shift + 4” at the same time.
The pointer will then change into a crosshair.

Highlighted Command, Shift, and 4 keys on a MacBook keyboard for taking screenshots.

Step 2:

Click and drag to select the area you need to capture, then release the mouse button to take the screenshot.

MacBook screen showing a rectangular selection for taking a custom screenshot on the desktop.

Step 3:

Your screenshot usually gets saved as a.png file to your desktop.

Also, Read thisπŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡

How to Take a Screenshot on a Computer Laptop

How to Take a Screenshot on a Chromebook

3. Use the Screenshot Menu (macOS Mojave and later)

If you’re using macOS Mojave or newer, you may use the Screenshot toolbar.

Step 1:

Press “Command (⌘) + Shift + 5” at the same time.

MacBook keyboard with highlighted keys for Command, Shift, and 5 screenshot shortcut.

Step 2:

A toolbar will show up at the bottom of the screen, offering choices for capturing the full screen, a single window, or a specific section.

Screenshot toolbar on a MacBook showing different capture options, including entire screen, window, and custom selection.

Step 3:

Select your desired option and click β€œCapture.”

The screenshot will be saved on your desktop.

4. Capture a Specific Window

This option allows you to snap a screenshot of a specific window without a background.

Step 1:

Press “Command (⌘) + Shift + 4” at the same time, then press the “Spacebar”.

The cursor will become a camera icon.

MacBook keyboard highlighting Shift, Command, and 4 keys for screenshot

Step 2:

Drag the camera icon across the window you want to capture, and it will be highlighted.

Step 3:

Then click the window to take the screenshot, which will be saved to your desktop.

How to take a screenshot on a mac desktop computer?

Use Shift + Command (⌘) + 3 to capture the entire screen, or Shift + Command + 4 to capture a selected area. After pressing these keys, the snapshot will be saved to your desktop. You can open and edit it as needed.

How to screen record and voiceover on mac?

Open QuickTime Player from your Applications folder and select File > New Screen Recording. To add a voiceover, select a microphone from the recording settings menu. After you’ve finished recording, you can save or share the video.

How to record screen on mac for free?

To record your screen for free, use the built-in QuickTime Player. Navigate to File > New Screen Recording, customize the settings, then press the record button. You can record a portion of the screen or complete screen.

How to screen record on your macbook pro?

To open the recording toolbar in macOS Mojave or later, press Shift + Command + 5. From there, you can choose whether to record the entire screen or a specific section. Click the record button, then stop when you’re finished.

Is there a snip tool on Mac?

Mac does not have a Snip Tool like Windows, although it does provide similar features via shortcuts. Shift + Command + 4 will snip a portion of the screen, while Shift + Command + 5 will provide extra options. These tools are built into macOS and don’t require additional apps.

How do you take a screenshot on a Mac without pressing the buttons?

You can use Siri by saying, “Take a screenshot,” or use a third-party app like Snagit to capture screenshots without using a button. Another alternative is to schedule or automate screenshots with macOS Automator.

Conclusion

On a Mac, taking screenshots is easy and can be done in a number of ways. You can easily take screenshots of all of the screen, specific programs, or chosen areas of your screen if you use computer shortcuts. You can choose where to save the pictures and change the file name.


Muhammad Bilal

Muhammad Bilal

Muhammad Bilal has been covering laptop technology professionally for over four years. With a thorough understanding of every aspect of laptops, he will impart his knowledge to everyone. Bilal is the admin at Laptop Test Guide. So you'll find lots of reviews, solutions to problems, and opinion pieces from him here.

Please Write Your Comments