How to screenshot a single window on a Mac

To screenshot one window on a Mac, press Shift-Command-4, then press Space bar, then click the window. The pointer turns into a camera icon. Hold Option while you click to leave out the window’s shadow. This is from Apple’s support article, checked on 4 November 2026.

With the shortcut

1. Open the window you want and bring it to the front.
2. Press Shift-Command-4. The pointer becomes a crosshair.
3. Press Space bar. The pointer becomes a camera icon and the window under it highlights.
4. Move the camera over the window you want and click. Hold Option as you click to exclude the shadow.
5. Press Esc at any point to cancel.

The file is saved like any other screenshot. Where it goes is covered in where Mac screenshots are saved.

With the Screenshot toolbar

1. Press Shift-Command-5.
2. Click the Capture a window tool. Apple’s guides name this tool “Capture a window”.
3. Move the pointer over the window and click it. The window is highlighted before you click.

The toolbar way is easier to remember and lets you set a timer first under Options, which helps if you need to open a menu or hover over something before the capture.

The window you want is behind others

The shortcut captures the window you click, not what is visible on the screen. Apple’s pages do not say whether covered parts of the window appear in the image, so check one capture before you rely on it.

Menus and the menu bar

A menu is a special case. Apple’s guide says to capture a window or menu bar with Shift-Command-4, Space bar and a click, and to capture a menu with its items by opening the menu, pressing Shift-Command-4 and dragging over the items. See screenshot a menu on a Mac.

Some windows will not capture

Apple notes that some apps, such as the Apple TV app, may not allow screenshots of their windows.

Copy instead of save

Add Control to the shortcut: Control-Shift-Command-4, Space bar, then click. The window goes to the clipboard and you can paste it with Command-V.

If you want only part of a window, see how to screenshot part of the screen on a Mac.

NotchStar’s Screenshot Tray shows each capture under the notch afterwards, if you want to drag it into a chat.