# How to screenshot on a Mac

> Press Shift, Command and 3 for the whole screen, 4 for a selection, 5 for the Screenshot toolbar. Steps checked against Apple's guides for macOS 13 to 26.

Canonical: https://www.notchstar.com/tips/how-to-screenshot-on-mac/
Last updated: 2026-11-04

Published 2026-11-04.

To take a screenshot on a Mac, press `Shift-Command-3` for the whole screen, `Shift-Command-4` to drag over an area, or `Shift-Command-5` to open the Screenshot toolbar. These shortcuts are the same in the Apple guides for macOS Ventura 13, Sonoma 14, Sequoia 15 and Tahoe 26, checked on 4 November 2026.

## The shortcuts

| You want | Press |
|---|---|
| The entire screen | `Shift-Command-3` |
| A portion of the screen | `Shift-Command-4`, then drag over the area |
| A window or the menu bar | `Shift-Command-4`, then Space bar, then click it |
| A menu and its items | Open the menu, press `Shift-Command-4`, then drag over the items |
| The Screenshot toolbar | `Shift-Command-5` |
| Copy to the clipboard instead of saving a file | Add `Control` to any of the above |

Apple's support article adds that you can press Esc to cancel a selection, and that holding Space bar while you drag moves the selected area without resizing it.

## What happens next

A small thumbnail can appear in the bottom right corner of the screen for a few seconds. Click it to mark the screenshot up, or swipe it right to save it at once. If you do nothing, the file is saved. Screenshots are `.png` files and their names start with "Screenshot" followed by the date and time. Older Apple pages write "Screen Shot".

By default, captures made with the keyboard shortcuts are saved to the desktop. To change that, read [how to change where Mac screenshots are saved](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/change-mac-screenshot-save-location/). If the thumbnail gets in your way, read [how to turn off the screenshot preview](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/turn-off-mac-screenshot-preview/).

## Version differences

The steps above do not change between macOS 13, 14, 15 and 26. What does change is the extras. macOS Tahoe 26 adds a way to record a single window and, on supported Macs, a choice between HDR and SDR capture formats. Read the page for your version: [Sonoma](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/screenshot-on-mac-sonoma/), [Sequoia](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/screenshot-on-mac-sequoia/), [Tahoe](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/screenshot-on-mac-tahoe/) or [Ventura](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/screenshot-on-mac-ventura/).

## Limits

Some apps do not allow screenshots of their windows. Apple names the Apple TV app as an example. If a shortcut does nothing, read [what to check when the screenshot shortcut does not work](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/mac-screenshot-shortcut-not-working/).

NotchStar's [Screenshot Tray](https://www.notchstar.com/features/screenshot-tray/) is an optional extra. It hangs each new screenshot under the notch so you can drag it into a chat or a folder. You do not need it to follow any step on this page.

## Quick answers.

### Which key combination takes a screenshot on a Mac?

Shift, Command and 3 for the whole screen, Shift, Command and 4 for a selection, and Shift, Command and 5 for the Screenshot toolbar.

## Keep reading.

- [Screenshot Tray: your screenshots wait under the notch](https://www.notchstar.com/features/screenshot-tray/): Every screenshot lands in a tray under your Mac notch. Drag it into a chat, an email or a folder, or send several at once.
- [How to screenshot on a Mac running macOS Sonoma](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/screenshot-on-mac-sonoma/): Screenshot shortcuts and the Screenshot toolbar on macOS Sonoma 14, with the Options menu, the floating thumbnail and how to copy to the clipboard.
- [How to screenshot on a Mac running macOS Tahoe 26](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/screenshot-on-mac-tahoe/): Screenshot shortcuts on macOS Tahoe 26 plus what is new: the HDR or SDR Capture Format and recording a selected window. Checked against Apple's guides.
- [Where Mac screenshots are saved](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/where-mac-screenshots-are-saved/): Mac screenshots made with the keyboard shortcuts are saved to the desktop by default. How the file is named, and how to find one that is not there.
- [How to take a screenshot to the clipboard on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/screenshot-to-clipboard-on-mac/): Add Control to any screenshot shortcut, for example Control, Shift, Command and 4, then paste with Command and V. Steps from Apple.

## More in Screenshots.

- [How to screenshot on a Mac running macOS Sonoma](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/screenshot-on-mac-sonoma/): Screenshot shortcuts and the Screenshot toolbar on macOS Sonoma 14, with the Options menu, the floating thumbnail and how to copy to the clipboard.
- [How to screenshot on a Mac running macOS Sequoia](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/screenshot-on-mac-sequoia/): Take screenshots and recordings on macOS Sequoia 15: shortcuts, the Screenshot toolbar, every Options menu item and where the files go.
- [How to screenshot on a Mac running macOS Tahoe 26](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/screenshot-on-mac-tahoe/): Screenshot shortcuts on macOS Tahoe 26 plus what is new: the HDR or SDR Capture Format and recording a selected window. Checked against Apple's guides.
- [How to screenshot on a Mac running macOS Ventura](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/screenshot-on-mac-ventura/): Screenshot shortcuts and the Screenshot toolbar on macOS Ventura 13, with Options, the floating thumbnail, copying to the clipboard and recordings.
- [Where Mac screenshots are saved](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/where-mac-screenshots-are-saved/): Mac screenshots made with the keyboard shortcuts are saved to the desktop by default. How the file is named, and how to find one that is not there.
- [How to change where Mac screenshots are saved](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/change-mac-screenshot-save-location/): Press Shift, Command and 5, open Options and pick a folder under Save to. How to choose Other Location, what the list means and how to check it worked.