Method 1: Capture the Entire Screen
Press:
Command (⌘) + Shift + 3
Captures your entire screen
Screenshot is automatically saved
📁 Default save location:
Desktop
Method 2: Capture a Selected Area
Press:
Command (⌘) + Shift + 4
Your cursor will turn into a crosshair
Click and drag to select the area you want to capture
👉 Release to take the screenshot
👉 Saved automatically to Desktop
Method 3: Capture a Specific Window
Press:
Command (⌘) + Shift + 4, then press Spacebar
Cursor changes to a camera icon
Click on the window you want to capture
👉 Captures only that window
👉 Saved to Desktop
Method 4: Use Screenshot Toolbar (More Options)
Press:
Command (⌘) + Shift + 5
This opens the screenshot toolbar where you can:
Capture full screen
Capture a selected window
Capture a selected portion
Record your screen
👉 You can also:
Choose where to save screenshots
Set a timer
Show/hide mouse pointer
Method 5: Copy Screenshot to Clipboard
Add Control (⌃) to any shortcut:
Example:
Command + Shift + Control + 3
Copies screenshot to clipboard instead of saving
Paste using Command (⌘) + V
Quick Tips ✅
Screenshots are saved as PNG files by default
You can change the save location using Command + Shift + 5 → Options
Click the preview (bottom-right corner) to quickly edit or annotate
Use Preview app to further edit screenshots
You can also refer to the video below for a step-by-step walkthrough.