Mac screenshot shortcuts: the complete list
The three to remember: ⇧⌘3 captures the whole screen, ⇧⌘4 a part of it, and ⇧⌘5 opens a toolbar with every option, including screen recording. Add ⌃ (Control) to any of them to copy the picture to the clipboard instead of saving a file.
Updated
The shortcuts built into macOS
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| ⇧⌘3 | The whole screen, saved as a file (one per display). |
| ⌃⇧⌘3 | The whole screen, to the clipboard. |
| ⇧⌘4 | A part of the screen: drag over it. |
| ⌃⇧⌘4 | A part of the screen, to the clipboard. |
| ⇧⌘4, then Space | A window or a menu: click it. Hold ⌥ while clicking to leave out the shadow. |
| ⇧⌘5 | The Screenshot toolbar: screen, window or part, record the screen, timer, save location. |
| ⇧⌘6 | The Touch Bar, on MacBook Pro models that have one. |
| ⌃⌘Esc | Stops a screen recording started from ⇧⌘5. |
| Esc | Cancels a screenshot before you let go. |
Keys to hold while you drag with ⇧⌘4
- Space: moves the whole selection without changing its size.
- Shift: changes one side only, keeping the other fixed.
- ⌥ (Option): grows the selection from its centre.
How to change the screenshot shortcuts
- Open System Settings › Keyboard and click Keyboard Shortcuts.
- Choose Screenshots in the list on the left.
- Double-click a shortcut and press the new keys, or untick it to turn it off.
The same keys in SimpleShot, and a few more
SimpleShot, a free capture app for Mac, uses the standard keys above (Settings › Shortcuts › The standard screenshot keys), so your habits keep working. ⇧⌘5 opens its All-in-One bar, where the selection stays adjustable and Capture, Copy Text, Pin, Scrolling, Record Video, Record GIF and a timer are one click away. It adds keys macOS doesn’t have:
| Shortcut | In SimpleShot |
|---|---|
| ⌥⇧⌘L | The same area as last time, without selecting again. |
| ⌥⇧⌘T | Select any part of the screen: its text goes to the clipboard. |
| ⌥⇧⌘S | Scrolling capture: a long page or chat as one image. |
| ⌥⇧⌘R | Record the screen, with the computer’s sound and your microphone if you want. |
| ⌥⇧⌘H | The Library: every capture, searchable by its words. |
Every shortcut can be changed in SimpleShot › Settings › Shortcuts; keys another app already uses are refused. In the editor every tool has a letter: A for the arrow, T for text, H for the highlighter, B for blur, C for crop.
Questions
What is the shortcut to take a screenshot on a Mac?
⇧⌘3 for the whole screen and ⇧⌘4 for a part. That is Shift, Command and the number key, pressed together.
How do I copy a screenshot instead of saving it?
Add Control: ⌃⇧⌘4 for a part, ⌃⇧⌘3 for the whole screen. Then paste with ⌘V. More in screenshot to the clipboard.
Is there a Print Screen key on a Mac?
No. ⇧⌘3 does what Print Screen does on Windows. On a Windows keyboard plugged into a Mac, press Shift + Windows + 3: see screenshots with a Windows keyboard.
What does ⇧⌘5 do?
It opens the Screenshot toolbar at the bottom of the screen: capture the whole screen, a window or a part, record the screen, and Options for the timer, the save folder and the microphone.
My shortcut does nothing. Why?
It may be off in System Settings › Keyboard › Keyboard Shortcuts › Screenshots, or another app may use the same keys. See screenshot not working on Mac.
Related
- How to screenshot on a Mac
- How to screenshot a window, with or without the shadow
- How to take a delayed screenshot on Mac
Same keys.
A lot more after them.
Free · macOS 26 or later · Apple Silicon