How to take a delayed screenshot on Mac
Press ⇧⌘5, click Options and choose 5 Seconds or 10 Seconds under Timer, then click Capture. You get time to open a menu, hover over a button or start an animation before the screenshot is taken. The timer stays set until you change it back to None.
Updated
Set a screenshot timer
- Press ⇧⌘5.
- Choose what to capture in the toolbar: the whole screen, a window or a selected part.
- Click Options and choose 5 Seconds or 10 Seconds under Timer.
- Click Capture, then get the screen ready: open the menu, point at the button. A countdown shows where the screenshot will be taken.
From Terminal, screencapture -T 10 ~/Desktop/shot.png takes the whole screen after 10 seconds.
A timer in SimpleShot
SimpleShot, a free capture app for Mac, has a Timer button in its All-in-One bar (⇧⌘5 with the standard keys): 3, 5 or 10 seconds, for the area you selected, which stays adjustable until you capture. Its menu also has Capture Screen After 3, 5 or 10 seconds. The capture then arrives like any other: copied, saved and waiting as a thumbnail to mark up.
Often you don’t need a timer at all: when you press ⇧⌘4 in SimpleShot, the screen freezes as it is, so an open menu, a tooltip or a frame of a video stays put while you choose the area.
Questions
How do I set a timer for a screenshot on a Mac?
Press ⇧⌘5, click Options and choose 5 or 10 seconds under Timer. Then click Capture.
How do I screenshot a menu that closes when I press keys?
Use the timer: start it, then open the menu and wait. Or press ⇧⌘4, then Space, while the menu is open, and click it.
How do I turn the screenshot timer off?
Press ⇧⌘5, click Options and choose None under Timer.
Can I record the screen with a countdown?
Yes. ⇧⌘5’s timer works for recordings too, and SimpleShot counts down 3 seconds before every recording (a setting).
Related
- Mac screenshot shortcuts: the complete list
- How to screenshot a window on Mac
- How to screen record on a Mac
Set it up,
then capture.
Free · macOS 26 or later · Apple Silicon