How to screenshot on a Mac with a Windows keyboard

On a Windows keyboard connected to a Mac, the Windows key does the job of Command (⌘) and Alt does the job of Option (⌥). So press Shift + Windows + 4 and drag to capture a part of the screen, or Shift + Windows + 3 to capture all of it. The Print Screen key does nothing on a Mac until you assign it.

Updated November 2, 2026

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The Mac screenshot keys on a Windows keyboard

What you want	Mac keyboard	Windows keyboard
The whole screen	⇧⌘3	Shift + Windows + 3
A part of the screen	⇧⌘4	Shift + Windows + 4
A window	⇧⌘4, Space	Shift + Windows + 4, Space
All the options	⇧⌘5	Shift + Windows + 5
A part, to the clipboard	⌃⇧⌘4	Ctrl + Shift + Windows + 4
A window without its shadow	Hold ⌥ while clicking	Hold Alt while clicking

Make the Print Screen key take screenshots

Open System Settings › Keyboard and click Keyboard Shortcuts.
Choose Screenshots on the left.
Double-click the shortcut next to “Save picture of selected area as a file” (or another line) and press Print Screen. Many keyboards send it as F13; that works too.
Click Done. Print Screen now does what ⇧⌘4 does.

If the Windows and Alt keys feel swapped, choose which key is Command in System Settings › Keyboard › Keyboard Shortcuts › Modifier Keys, with your keyboard selected at the top.

Coming from Windows?

Windows users reach for Win + Shift + S. The closest thing on a Mac is ⇧⌘4 for a quick selection and ⇧⌘5 for the toolbar; see the screenshot tool for Windows users. SimpleShot, a free capture app for Mac, lets you put each kind of capture on keys you choose in Settings › Shortcuts, and refuses keys another app already uses. After a capture, its thumbnail lets you copy, save, mark up or drag the screenshot into a message, much like the pop-up after a capture on Windows.

Questions

How do I take a screenshot on a Mac with a Windows keyboard?

Press Shift + Windows + 4 and drag over the area, or Shift + Windows + 3 for the whole screen. The Windows key stands in for ⌘ Command.

Does Print Screen work on a Mac?

Not by default. Assign it to a screenshot in System Settings › Keyboard › Keyboard Shortcuts › Screenshots, or in a capture app’s shortcut settings.

Which key is Command on a Windows keyboard?

The Windows key, next to the space bar. Alt works as Option and Ctrl as Control. You can swap them in System Settings › Keyboard › Keyboard Shortcuts › Modifier Keys.

How do I copy a screenshot to paste it?

Add Ctrl: Ctrl + Shift + Windows + 4. Then paste with Windows + V, which is ⌘V on a Mac. More in screenshot to the clipboard.

Any keyboard.
Any keys you like.