Mac screenshot shortcuts
Short answer: ⇧⌘3 captures the whole screen, ⇧⌘4 an area you drag, ⇧⌘4 then Space one window, and ⇧⌘5 opens the Screenshot app with screen recording (macOS Mojave 10.14 or later). ⇧⌘6 captures the Touch Bar. Add ⌃, as in ⌃⇧⌘4, to copy the screenshot to the clipboard instead of saving a file to the desktop.
These shortcuts work on macOS 27 Golden Gate and earlier versions; ⇧⌘5 needs macOS Mojave 10.14 or later. Checked on 2026-10-10 against Apple’s support pages published 2026-09-14.
Symbols: ⌘ is Command, ⇧ is Shift, ⌥ is Option, ⌃ is Control.
Every built-in screenshot shortcut
| Shortcut | What it captures | Where it goes | Works on |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⇧⌘3 | the whole screen | a file on the desktop | every version covered here |
| ⇧⌘4, then drag | an area you select | a file on the desktop | every version covered here |
| ⇧⌘4, then Space, then click | one window or menu | a file on the desktop | every version covered here |
| ⇧⌘4, then drag over menu items | some items of an open menu | a file on the desktop | every version covered here |
| ⇧⌘5 | opens the Screenshot app: screen, window, area, recording, timer, save place | the place under Save to | macOS Mojave 10.14 or later |
| ⇧⌘6 | the Touch Bar | a file on the desktop | Macs with a Touch Bar |
| ⌃⇧⌘3 | the whole screen | the clipboard | every version covered here |
| ⌃⇧⌘4 | an area you select | the clipboard | every version covered here |
Checked on 2026-10-10. Sources below.
On macOS 27 Golden Gate or later with Siri AI (Beta) turned on, Apple lists ⇧⌘6 as the shortcut to ask Siri about a selected area of the screen.
Keys that change a capture while you take it
| While you | Press | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| drag with ⇧⌘4 | hold Space | moves the selection without changing its size |
| point at a window after ⇧⌘4, Space | hold ⌥ while you click | leaves out the window’s shadow |
| select anything | Esc | cancels; nothing is saved |
| look at the thumbnail in the corner | ⌃-click it, choose Save to Clipboard | copies the screenshot you just took |
Screen recording shortcuts
| Shortcut | What it does | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| ⇧⌘5, then Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion | starts a recording after you click Record | macOS Mojave 10.14 or later |
| ⌃⌘Esc | stops the recording | while a recording runs |
| ⌃⌘N | File → New Screen Recording in QuickTime Player | QuickTime Player |
See how to screen record on a Mac for the full steps.
Change a shortcut
- Choose Apple menu → System Settings, then click Keyboard.
- Click Keyboard Shortcuts, then Screenshots.
- Select the checkbox next to the shortcut, double-click its key combination and press the new one.
- Quit and reopen the apps you are using, so the new shortcut takes effect in them.
The guide to changing the screenshot shortcut covers conflicts and how to restore the defaults.
On a Windows keyboard
Press Ctrl or the Windows logo key where a Mac shortcut uses ⌘, and Alt where it uses ⌥. The Print Screen key is covered in how to print screen on a Mac.
Screen2Shot shortcuts
Screen2Shot adds one shortcut that captures, marks up and copies without a file in between. It is free for screenshots, with a thin Screen2Shot strip at the bottom of free exports that PRO removes, and needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later on Apple silicon.
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| ⇧⌘9 | select an area on any display, with its size in pixels beside it |
| ⌘C or Return | copy the screenshot with your markup |
| ⌘S | save it as a PNG |
| Esc | cancel; nothing is written |
| ⌘Z, ⇧⌘Z | undo and redo a drawing |
| ⇧⌘C | Copy Text: read the text and QR codes in the selection (PRO) |
| ⌥⇧⌘9 | start and stop a screen recording (macOS 15 Sequoia or later) |
If ⇧⌘9 is taken by another app, choose one of the presets in the Screen2Shot menu → Shortcut: ⇧⌘9, ⌃⇧9, ⌃⇧S or ⇧⌘2. See Screen2Shot for screenshots and pricing.
Troubleshooting
- A shortcut does nothing. Open System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Screenshots and check the keys set there, and that the action is turned on.
- ⇧⌘6 does nothing. The Mac has no Touch Bar. On macOS 27 with Siri AI turned on, the same keys ask Siri instead.
- The screenshot is not on the desktop. You held ⌃, so it is on the clipboard; paste with ⌘V. Or Save to in ⇧⌘5 → Options points to another folder.