How to Take a Screenshot on Mac in 2026: A Complete MacBook Guide
macOS includes a powerful built-in tool for taking and editing screenshots. For most MacBook, iMac, and Mac Mini users, it is more than enough, especially once you know how to use all of its features. Still, some Mac screenshot options are not obvious, and a few important features are missing altogether. This guide covers how to take screenshots on Mac with the built-in tools, plus a short list of the best third-party screenshot apps.
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How to Screenshot on Mac with Built-In Tools
If you do not need flexible screenshot editing tools and do not want to install third-party software on your Mac, the built-in screenshot tool will be enough. Apple makes it easy to capture and edit images, and even video, without any third-party apps and with just a few keystrokes.
The Screenshot app is available in macOS Mojave 10.14 and later. You can open it with a keyboard shortcut or Spotlight, but it also lives in Applications → Utilities. If you do not like shortcuts, drag its icon to the Dock and open it with one click.
Mac Screenshot Shortcut: Key Combinations to Know
The easiest way to take a screenshot on Mac is to open the built-in Screenshot app in one of two ways: press ⇧⌘5, or open Spotlight with ⌘Space, start typing “Screenshot,” and press Enter.
If you use Spotlight alternatives such as Raycast or Alfred, the shortcut for opening them may be different. The basic process for launching the screenshot utility is the same.
After it opens, a toolbar appears at the bottom of the screen. Choose the screenshot type you need: the entire screen, the selected window, or the selected portion. You can also record video of a window or part of the screen from this toolbar, which is often useful. For simple instructional videos or quick how-tos, it is usually enough.
The drawback of this method is that it adds a few extra steps: you have to open the utility, choose a capture mode with the mouse or trackpad, and click Capture. Fortunately, you can speed this up by memorizing a few keyboard shortcuts.
| Shortcut | What it captures | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| ⇧⌘3 | The entire screen | File |
| ⌃⇧⌘3 | The entire screen | Clipboard |
| ⇧⌘4 | A selected area | File |
| ⌃⇧⌘4 | A selected area | Clipboard |
| ⇧⌘5 | Opens the Screenshot toolbar | Your choice |
| ⇧⌘6 | The Touch Bar, on models that have one | File |
| Esc | Cancels the capture before it is taken | — |
If you save the image to the clipboard, it will not appear on your desktop or in your files. You can paste it into the app, text editor, or other destination you choose with Command-V.
Small shortcuts that save real time
- After pressing ⇧⌘4, press and hold Space: the selected frame will move around the screen without changing size.
- If you have already started selecting an area and realize you need the screenshot in the clipboard, just hold Control while dragging the frame. In other words, you can choose “file or clipboard” while selecting the area, not beforehand.
- To copy a screenshot you have already taken to the clipboard, Control-click its thumbnail in the corner of the screen and choose Copy to Clipboard.
- The thumbnail in the corner disappears after a few seconds, but if you move the pointer over it, it will stay on the screen until you move the pointer away.
Changing the shortcuts
- 1Open macOS System Settings.
- 2Scroll down the menu and find Keyboard.
- 3In the settings, find Keyboard Navigation and click Keyboard Shortcuts.
- 4In the window that opens, find and click Screenshots.
- 5Double-click one of the keyboard shortcuts, or double-tap it on the trackpad.
- 6Press the new key combination you want to use, then click Done.
To return to the default settings, click Restore Defaults in the same window, and all shortcuts will be reset to the standard ones.
Do not assign screenshot shortcuts that are already used by system or app actions. For example, Command-Shift-S means “Save As…” in most apps, so if you reassign it, you will lose a familiar command where you actually need it.
How to screenshot a window on Mac or capture a menu
The Screenshot toolbar has a window capture mode, but there is also a faster shortcut that many people do not know.
- 1Open the window or menu you want to capture.
- 2Press ⇧⌘4, release the keys, then press and release Space: the pointer will turn into a camera icon.
- 3Move the camera over the window you want and click.
Your Mac captures only that window, without the background, nearby elements, or extra edges, and adds a semi-transparent shadow automatically. If you do not want the shadow, Option-click the window. To send the window screenshot straight to the clipboard, Control-click it. Press Esc to cancel the capture.
How to take a scrolling screenshot on Mac
The built-in screenshot utility does not support long screenshots, so the best option is to use third-party apps, which we cover below, or browsers that support this feature, such as Firefox. Still, there is one way to do it. It is not very convenient or obvious, but it works.
- 1Open the page you need in Safari.
- 2In the menu bar, choose Safari → Settings.
- 3On the Advanced tab, select the “Show features for web developers” checkbox, then close Settings.
- 4With the page open, press ⌘⌥I.
- 5Open the context menu on the <html> line, either by right-clicking or by tapping the trackpad with two fingers.
- 6In the context menu, click Capture Screenshot.
Where do screenshots go on Mac?
By default, all screenshots are saved to the desktop, except those copied to the clipboard, with a file name in the format “Screenshot [date] at [time].” You can change the save location and even send screenshots straight to other apps.
- 1Open the Screenshot app using any of the methods described above.
- 2Click the Options button in the toolbar.
- 3Choose what to do with the new screenshot.
You can save it to Documents, send it via iMessage or Mail, or change the default location. To do that, click Other Location…, choose a folder, and click Save.
You can also use Options to set a 5- or 10-second timer before taking a screenshot or starting a screen recording. This is useful when you need a little time to open an app or folder, or otherwise get the screen ready.
The same Options menu includes two more toggles that are easy to miss. The first controls the floating thumbnail animation in the corner of the screen, which you can turn off. The second shows the mouse pointer in the screenshot. By default, the pointer is hidden, so if you are creating instructions and need to show exactly where to click, turn this option on manually.
On supported Mac models with macOS Tahoe 26 or later, the same menu also lets you choose the screenshot format: SDR, which uses standard dynamic range and a PNG file for maximum compatibility, or HDR, which uses high dynamic range and a HEIF file.
One more tip: you do not have to wait for the screenshot to land on the desktop. You can drag the thumbnail from the corner of the screen straight into a folder, a chat, or an already open document.
In Options, the Remember Last Selection checkbox is enabled by default. That means your screenshots will be saved to the folder you chose most recently. You can clear this checkbox if you want screenshots to go back to saving on the desktop by default next time.
How to crop and edit a screenshot on Mac: add text and drawing tools
After you take a screenshot, its thumbnail appears in the lower-right corner of the screen for a few seconds, then moves to the desktop. In either case, you can click it to edit the image with built-in tools. Open it from the thumbnail or from the desktop, and the image will appear in a new window. Click the editing button in the upper-right corner. Additional tools will then appear in the top toolbar:
- Sketch
- Shapes
- Text
- Highlight a selection
- Add a signature
- Adjust line thickness and colour
- Adjust fonts
- Rotate the image
- Crop the image
- Add a comment
- Leave a note on iPhone
The same set of tools is available in Preview: if the screenshot is already saved on your disk, open it with a double-click and click the Markup icon in the top toolbar. On MacBook models with Touch Bar, some editing tools are also mirrored directly on the touch strip.
For basic needs, this is usually enough. If you need more image-editing tools, it is probably worth looking at third-party apps.
Some apps, such as Apple TV, block screenshots of their windows to protect content, so the screenshot will show an empty rectangle. Another common issue is that when you press the keyboard shortcut, focus switches to the system, so an open drop-down menu or tooltip may close before it is captured. In these cases, the 5- or 10-second timer in the Options menu helps.
Screenshots in macOS 27 Golden Gate: what changed
In June 2026, at WWDC, Apple showed macOS 27 Golden Gate, with a public release expected in the fall. The keyboard shortcuts and the Screenshot panel have not changed, so everything described above still works as before. What has changed noticeably is what you can do with a screenshot afterward.
A screenshot has become a way to ask the system a question. You capture what you see on the display, whether it is an image, PDF, web page, or document, and ask Siri AI about it. In response, you can get an explanation, a search result, or a specific action.
Inside a screenshot, you can select an object and use Ask Siri, image search, or help. Visual Intelligence, which previously lived only on iPhone, now works on Mac too.
AirDrop finally sends batches of files quickly. Before Golden Gate, transferring several screenshots at once often froze or failed.
Best Screenshot Apps for Mac in 2026
If you take dozens of screenshots every day, such as writing specs for a designer, documenting website bugs, collecting competitors’ creatives, or preparing client reports, the built-in utility may no longer be enough. You need a full workflow: capture, annotate, blur sensitive details, get a link, and send it to a colleague in seconds. The tools below cover that.
Sowiks
Sowiks is a macOS app that lives in the menu bar and takes you from capture to a ready-to-share link. In addition to screenshots, it records video and GIFs, organizes everything in its own cloud gallery with filters by file type, and lets you share with a single link, including a password and expiration date if the material is sensitive. You can sign in with Google or Apple, with no separate password required. There is a free plan and paid plans with more storage.
Download Sowiks for MacOther screenshot tools for Mac
| Tool | Platforms | Price |
|---|---|---|
| ShareX | Windows | Completely free |
| Greenshot | Windows, macOS | Free on Windows, paid on macOS |
| Lightshot | Windows, macOS, browser | Free |
| Monosnap | Windows, macOS | Limited free plan |
| Snagit | Windows, macOS | Trial only, then paid |
| PicPick | Windows | Free for personal use |
| Awesome Screenshot | Chrome extension | Free version available |
| CleanShot X | macOS | Paid |
| Markup Hero | Windows, macOS, browser | Free version available |
| Zappy | Windows | Completely free |
ShareX
Built-in editor, dozens of capture modes, automatic file uploads, GIF support, and integrations with cloud services.
Watch out for: A complex interface, so beginners will need some time.
Greenshot
Simple interface, convenient annotations, and export to Word and Excel.
Watch out for: A modest feature set and no Linux version.
Lightshot
Fast capture, highlighting and labels, and instant image links.
Watch out for: No full-featured screen recording.
Monosnap
Screen recording, cloud storage, share links, and screenshot comments.
Watch out for: Some professional features require a subscription.
Snagit
A powerful editor, long scrolling screenshots, design templates, and video recording.
Watch out for: The licence is expensive.
PicPick
Combines a screenshot tool with an image editor and offers many capture modes.
Watch out for: No macOS or Linux versions.
Awesome Screenshot
Screenshots and full-page captures in the browser, annotations, video, and collaboration.
Watch out for: Some features require a subscription.
CleanShot X
Hides desktop clutter automatically, blurs data, cloud sharing, and high-quality screen recording.
Watch out for: macOS only.
Markup Hero
Built for collaboration: screenshot comments, cloud storage, and share links in seconds.
Watch out for: The full feature set is in the paid version.
Zappy
Instant image sharing with no extra setup.
Watch out for: No blur, video recording, or advanced editing.
How to choose the best screenshot app for Mac
Before you install anything, think about the tasks you handle every day. Your choice depends on them.
| What to weigh | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Platform | Some apps work only on Windows, others only on macOS, and others exist solely as browser extensions. If your team uses different systems, choose a cross-platform option. |
| Annotations | Arrows, shapes, highlights for important areas, text, and data blurring. Almost every work screenshot needs at least one of these. |
| Cloud links | The ability to upload a screenshot to the cloud right away and send a link instead of a file. This is most useful when coordinating with clients and contractors. |
| Screen recording | When you need to show a sequence of actions or reproduce a bug, video saves far more time than a series of images. |
What to check before you send a screenshot
A screenshot of your work screen almost always captures more than you intended. Before sending it, make sure the frame does not include:
- clients' personal data
- logins and passwords
- ad budgets and financial information
- data from CRM systems
- corporate email addresses and phone numbers
- internal employee comments
If you could not hide the information on the screen itself, cover it with a blur tool. Almost every app listed above has one.
Compared head to head
CleanShot X alternatives
Five options compared on price, link privacy and what actually breaks when you switch.
Read the comparison →
Shottr alternatives
What to use when Shottr's missing screen recording or unreliable scrolling capture becomes the problem.
Read the comparison →
Lightshot alternatives
Why prnt.sc links are guessable, and what replaces Lightshot on Mac and on Windows.
Read the comparison →FAQ
How do I take a screenshot quickly?
To quickly take a screenshot on Mac, press Command-Shift-3. The screenshot will be saved to the Desktop.
How do I screenshot a selected area?
To capture a selected area, press Command-Shift-4, select the area you want, and press Enter.
How do I capture just one window?
Press Command-Shift-4, then Space. The pointer changes to a camera icon. Click the window you want, and your Mac captures only that window, without the background. To remove the window shadow, hold Option while clicking.
How do I copy a screenshot straight to the clipboard?
Add Control to the usual shortcut: Control-Shift-Command-3 for the entire screen and Control-Shift-Command-4 for a selected area. This screenshot will not appear on the Desktop. Paste it into the app you need with Command-V.
Can I take a scrolling screenshot on a Mac?
macOS built-in tools do not support long screenshots. You can use third-party apps such as Shottr, CleanShot X, or others, or a browser that supports this feature, such as Firefox.
Where can I find all my saved screenshots?
By default, all screenshots are saved to your Mac's Desktop. You can change the location in the settings by pressing Command-Shift-5, then choosing Options and Other Location… under Save to.
How do I change the screenshot shortcut?
Open System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Screenshots and assign your own shortcut. Just do not use Command-Shift-S: in most apps, that is Save As….
Why is my screenshot blank?
Some apps block screenshots of their windows for content protection, such as Apple TV. In that case, the screenshot will show an empty rectangle, and there is no way to bypass this with the built-in tools.
Vasyl is a Product Marketing Manager at MySignature with experience in SEO and Growth. He has been featured on HubSpot, The Next Web, ActiveCampaign, and other well-known marketing blogs.
From capture to link, in one step
Sowiks captures, annotates and shares from the macOS menu bar. Free for local capture and editing.
Download Sowiks for Mac