How to change the screenshot shortcut on a Mac (macOS 12 to 27)

These steps describe macOS 27 Golden Gate back to macOS 12 Monterey. Checked on 2026-09-29 against Apple’s macOS User Guide.

Which method fits your Mac

Checked on 2026-09-29. Sources below.

Method 1: Change the shortcut in System Settings (macOS 13 and later)

1. Choose Apple menu → System Settings, then click Keyboard in the sidebar. You may need to scroll down.
2. Click Keyboard Shortcuts, then click Screenshots in the sidebar.
3. Select the checkbox next to the shortcut you want to change.
4. Double-click the current key combination, then press the new one.
5. Quit and reopen the apps you are using, so the new shortcut takes effect in them.

Method 2: Change the shortcut in System Preferences (macOS 12 and earlier)

1. Choose Apple menu → System Preferences, click Keyboard, then click Shortcuts.
2. In the list on the left, select Screenshots.
3. In the list on the right, select the checkbox next to the shortcut you want to change.
4. Double-click the current key combination, then press the new one.
5. Quit and reopen the apps you are using.

Turn a shortcut off or restore the defaults

• Turn one off. In the Screenshots list, deselect the checkbox next to the shortcut.
• Restore the defaults. Go to Keyboard settings, click Keyboard Shortcuts, then click Restore Defaults in the bottom-left corner.

Pick keys that do not clash

Apple’s rule: if you assign a shortcut that already exists for another command or app, your new shortcut won’t work, and you need to change one of the two. Keys macOS already uses include ⌘Space for Spotlight, and on macOS 27 with Siri AI (Beta) turned on, ⇧⌘6 asks Siri about a selected area.

When Screen2Shot helps

The system list changes which keys take a screenshot, not what happens next: the file still goes to the save location, and markup opens after you click the thumbnail. Screen2Shot gives you one key for select, mark up and copy, and lets you pick that key. It is free for screenshots and needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later on Apple silicon.

1. Open Screen2Shot’s Settings and go to Shortcut.
2. Under Presets, click Use next to one of four ready shortcuts, or pick one from Shortcut ▸ in the menu:
   • ⇧⌘9, the default
   • ⌃⇧9, for a Windows habit
   • ⌃⇧S, in the style of the Snipping Tool
   • ⇧⌘2, next to the system keys
3. For keys of your own, click Change… next to the capture shortcut and press the combination. Esc cancels.
4. To change the recording shortcut, ⌥⇧⌘9 by default, click Change… under Recording shortcut. Recording needs macOS 15 Sequoia or later.

What Screen2Shot accepts:

• ⌘, ⌃ or ⌥ in the combination, so the shortcut does not fire while you type. A function key such as F5 works on its own. Otherwise Settings says “Use ⌘, ⌃ or ⌥ in the shortcut, so it doesn’t fire while you type.”
• No macOS shortcuts. ⇧⌘3, ⇧⌘4, ⇧⌘5, ⇧⌘6, ⌘Q, ⌘Space and others are refused with “is used by macOS”, even if you turned them off in System Settings.
• No shortcut another app holds. Settings says it is already used by another app, and your previous shortcut keeps working.
• Every keyboard layout. Shortcuts follow the physical keys, so ⇧⌘9 works in Russian or French too; the label shows your layout’s character.

Coming from Windows? Snipping Tool for Mac maps the Windows keys to their Mac equivalents, and Screen2Shot for screenshots covers the rest of the tools.

Troubleshooting

• The new shortcut does nothing. Another command or app has the same keys. Choose another combination, then quit and reopen the apps you are using.
• The Screenshots list is missing. Look for Keyboard Shortcuts inside Keyboard settings on macOS 13 and later, or for the Shortcuts tab in Keyboard preferences on macOS 12 and earlier.
• You want the old keys back. Click Restore Defaults in the bottom-left corner of Keyboard Shortcuts.
• Screen2Shot shows a warning next to its shortcut. Another app took the keys. Pick a preset or press new keys under Change….