🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 94 (from laksa053)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa094.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-a-mac/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-a-mac/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-a-mac\/","crawl_time":1774586416,"first_indexed_time":1509053723,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,digitaltrends!www,\/computing\/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-a-mac\/ s443","src_root_hash":"386433295579149494","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"How to take a screenshot on a Mac - Digital Trends","meta_descriptions":[],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"For most new Mac users — especially if they’re coming from Windows — one of the first questions they need to ask is how to take a screenshot on a Mac? There’s no dedicated Print Screen key like there is on a PC, but there is keyboard shortcut, along with some great screenshot apps you can use.\nHere’s how to take a screenshot on\nMacOS\nin a few different ways.\nRecommended Videos\nHow to take a screenshot using keyboard shortcuts\nMacOS keyboard shortcuts\nare the quickest ways to take screenshots, whether you’re capturing the entire screen or just a portion. By default, Apple’s methods save your screenshot to the desktop, but if you want to copy the screenshot to the clipboard, there’s a keyboard shortcut you can use instead.\nHow to capture a selected area\nDigital Trends\nPress the\nCommand + Shift + 4\n keys simultaneously. With your pointer now turned into a crosshair, click and drag to draw a box around the region you want captured. When you let go of the mouse button, the screenshot saves to your desktop.\nHow to capture a single window\nscreenshot \/ Digital Trends\nStep 1\n: Press the\nCommand + Shift + 4\nkeys simultaneously so that your pointer becomes a crosshair.\nStep 2\n: Press the\nSpacebar\n. The pointer changes to a camera icon.\nStep 3\n: Any window you hover over is highlighted with a light blue overlay. Click on the window you want to capture, and the image saves to your desktop.\nThis method doesn’t just capture windows — you can save the desktop, the menu bar, the dock, or even an open menu by itself.\nHow to capture the entire screen\nDigital Trends\nPress and hold\nCommand + Shift + 3\n keys simultaneously for an instant capture of your desktop. This will include the Dock, Menu Bar, and everything else on the screen. You’ll hear the screenshot sound and the preview will appear in the bottom-right corner of your screen, giving you quick access to editing tools.\nThe image you save consists of the window and its shadow against a transparent background (PNG). If you don’t want the shadow, press and hold the\nOption\n key (or\nAlt\n) as you click to save the image.\nHow to take a screenshot using the Touch Bar\nIf you have one of the older\nMacBook Pro models with a Touch Bar\n, these options appear on the OLED strip. Another Touch Bar exclusive is taking a screenshot of the Touch Bar display, which can be done by hitting\nShift + Command + 6.\nHow to take a screenshot using the native Mac app\nDigital Trends\nKeyboard shortcuts work well for programmers, but a point-and-click user interface is easy for everyone to use. That’s why Apple also includes a Screenshot app, and it gives you even more control over screenshots. The app also lets you take screenshots after a five-second or 10-second delay, allowing you time to open a menu or do some other setup that might not be possible with the keyboard shortcut before capturing an image on your display. There are three ways (shown in steps 1 to 3 below) to find the Screenshot app.\nOpen your Mac’s\nLaunchpad\n and scroll through or type in the search box at the top to locate the Screenshot app, then double-click to open it.\nYou can also hold\nCommand + Spacebar\nto start a Spotlight Search. Begin typing “Screenshot,” and the app will soon appear in the results. Select\nScreenshot\nfrom the top section of the search results to open the app. If you see\nScreenshot\n lower in the results, that will start a web search for “screenshot” as a search term, so make sure to choose a result near the top.\nOpen the Finder by choosing the smiling, blue face icon at the bottom-left of the Dock, then select\nApplications\nfrom the left sidebar. Next, open the\nUtilities\nfolder, scroll down to find the\nScreenshot\n app, and open it.\nIf you think you’ll use the Screenshot app frequently, you can keep it in the Dock by right-clicking the app icon and selecting\nKeep in dock\nfrom the\nOptions\n menu.\nHow to take a screenshot with the screenshot menu\nscreenshot \/ Digital Trends\nThe Screenshot app looks like a floating toolbar near the bottom of the screen with buttons that look like the type of screenshot that they capture. At the far left is full-screen capture, then window and partial-screen capture. In the next section, full- and partial-screen recording buttons appear, followed by an\nOptions\nmenu. and a\nCapture\n button.\nChoose one of the screenshot buttons, then\nCapture\n to grab a save of what’s on the screen. The Screenshot toolbar won’t be included in the capture.\nIf something needs to be set up, such as a menu opened to show its contents in the screenshot, select the\n5 seconds\nor\n10 seconds\ndelay from the\nOptions\n menu.\nYou can also pick a different\ndefault save location for your screenshots\nor send screenshots to another app like Mail or Messages.\nIf you want to see the mouse pointer arrow in the screenshot, enable\nShow mouse pointer\nin the\nOptions\n menu.\nThe Floating Thumbnail option is enabled by default, but when taking multiple screenshots in a row, the thumbnail might be captured in some of the images since it appears on-screen. Switch\nFloating thumbnail\noff in the\nOptions\n menu when you are taking quick screenshots.\nHow to print screen on Mac using Preview\nscreenshot \/ Digital Trends\nStep 1:\nPreview is the default tool that allows you to open everything from photos to\nPDF files\n(and here’s\nhow to print PDFs\n). It has plenty of lesser-known features, such as annotating documents and images by selecting the\nMarkup\nicon in the upper-right. Preview captures screenshots, too. Start by opening the image by double-clicking it in the folder or opening it in Preview in Spotlight by using the\nCommand + Space\nkey command.\nStep 2:\nIn the Preview app, open the\nFile\nmenu and the\nTake screenshot\nsubmenu, then choose the selection mode depending on your preference.\nStep 3:\nThe keyboard shortcut method is far quicker, and the Screenshot app is easier, but Preview lets you name the file before saving it to your preferred location.\nWhere to find screenshots on Mac\nSo, you took your screenshot, but now you might be wondering where to find it. Your screenshots are saved, by default, to your desktop, which can be accessed through Finder under\nDesktop\nor just by accessing the desktop directly. However, that can lead to a very messy desktop. If you have macOS Mojave or later, the default location of screenshots can be changed in the Screenshot app.\nIn terms of file format, the default for saved screenshots is PNG. To change this, open up\nTerminal\n. Ignoring the quotation marks, type in the following command: “\ndefaults write com.apple.screencapture type\n” — followed by space and the file format you want, whether that’s JPG, PDF, or some other image format. Finally, hit the\nReturn\n key.\nHow to add annotations to a screenshot\nThe macOS Markup capabilities are built into the Screenshot app. That means you can easily add highlights to text, draw arrows to point out details, make freehand sketches, add your signature, and much more to any screen capture.\nscreenshot \/ Digital Trends\nStep 1\n: To see the Markup toolbar, just select the thumbnail that appears in the bottom-right corner after taking a screenshot.\nStep 2\n: After you select the screenshot’s thumbnail, it opens in a window with a Markup toolbar at the top. This is a system utility window that appears above all other windows and lacks the usual maximize, minimize, and sizing options of an app window. There are several drawing tools, a text tool, a signature option that lets you sign on your trackpad or take a photo of an ink and paper signature with a webcam or iPhone, and more.\nStep 3\n: Perfect squares and circles are possible when using the Shapes tool, but the Sketch tool at the top-left is quite helpful at correcting wobbly, hand-drawn shapes, including boxes, stars, triangles, ovals, and arrows.\nStep 4\n: It’s also easy to edit your drawings and annotations — Preview is the\nbest Paint equivalent on macOS\n. Deselect the current tool so the cursor becomes an arrow and choose any annotation to adjust its size, position, and color. Hit the Delete key to remove that sketch, text, or signature.\nStep 5\n: When you’re satisfied with marking up the screenshot, choose the\nDone\nbutton at the upper right to save the image.\nYou can also use the\nShare\n menu to AirDrop\nand send to another app, or simply trash the screenshot if you’ve decided you don’t want it.\nScreenshot tips and tricks\nThere are a few tricks that use the Mac keyboard to change how a screenshot works. These tips work no matter whether you started the screenshot with a keyboard shortcut, the Screenshot app, or the Preview app.\nPress and hold the\nControl\n key while capturing a screen grab to copy it to the clipboard instead of saving it as a file. The *=\nOption\n key is quite useful for Mac screenshots as well. Hold\nOption\n when you’re taking a screenshot of a window to remove the shadow that will otherwise surround the window in the image.\nIf you hold down\nOption\n while changing the dotted outline in a partial screenshot, dragging an edge or corner makes the same movement on the opposite corner or edge. It’s a handy way to keep the center in place while resizing the area of the screen that will be captured.\nHow to take screenshots on other devices\nIf you own other Apple devices, you might also be wondering\nhow to take a screenshot on an iPhone\n. It’s simple enough, though it depends on what generation of device you have. If you have an older iPhone that still has a Home button, it’s as easy as holding the\nHome\n button and the\nPower\n button at the same time.\nOn newer devices without a Home button, hold the\nVolume up\n button and the\nPower\n button at the same time. The same method applies when\ntaking a screenshot on an iPad\n.\nLearning\nhow to take a screenshot on a Windows PC or laptop\ncan be tricky if you’re more familiar with MacOS. There are still a number of keyboard shortcuts involving the Print Screen key that’ll do the trick, as well as the built-in Snipping Windows application. This same method applies when\ntaking a screenshot on a Microsoft Surface\ndevice or any other Windows tablet or 2-in-1.\nChromebooks have their own unique way of handling screenshots\n, too.","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to main content](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-a-mac\/#h-maincontent)\n\nMenu\n\n[Digital Trends](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/)\n\n[Computing](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/)[AI](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/artificial-intelligence\/)[Phones](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/)[Gaming](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/)[Entertainment](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/)[Audio \/ Video](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/)[Autos](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/cars\/)[Smart Home](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/)[Videos](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/videos\/)\n\nSearch\n\n- Computing\n  Computing\n  - [See All Computing](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/)\n  - Trending Topics\n    - [Laptops](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/laptops\/)\n    - [Software](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/software\/)\n    - [PC Gaming](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/pc-gaming\/)\n    - [Graphics Cards](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/gpu\/)\n  - Trending Guides\n    - [ChatGPT](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/how-to-use-openai-chatgpt-text-generation-chatbot\/)\n    - [What is a Chromebook?](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/chromebook-vs-laptop\/)\n    - [How to Choose a Laptop](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/laptop-buying-guide\/)\n    - [Windows 11 vs Windows 10](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/windows-11-vs-windows-10\/)\n    - [How to Download YouTube Videos](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/how-to-download-youtube-videos\/)\n- AI\n  AI\n  - [See All AI](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/artificial-intelligence\/)\n  - Trending Topics\n    - [GPT-5](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/gpt-5\/)\n    - [Copilot](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/what-is-copilot\/)\n    - [Grok](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/what-is-grok\/)\n    - [DeepSeek](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/what-is-deepseek-everything-you-need-to-know\/)\n    - [Perplexity](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/perplexity-ai-everything-you-need-to-know\/)\n    - [Google Gemini](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/google-gemini-everything-you-need-to-know\/)\n    - [Apple Intelligence](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/apple-intelligence-everything-we-know-so-far\/)\n    - [ChatGPT](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/how-to-use-openai-chatgpt-text-generation-chatbot\/)\n  - Trending Guides\n    - [How to Use Gemini](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/how-to-use-google-gemini\/)\n    - [How to Use Apple Intelligence on Mac](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tablets\/how-to-use-apple-intelligence-on-your-mac\/)\n    - [What to Know About AI agents](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/what-are-ai-agents\/)\n    - [Building an AI PC](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/how-to-built-ultimate-ai-machine-learning-pc\/)\n    - [How to Use Gemini in Google Docs](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/how-to-use-gemini-ai-write-anything-in-docs\/)\n    - [How to Use Copilot AI](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/how-to-use-microsoft-copilot-free\/)\n    - [Things AI Can Do](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/7-things-you-didnt-know-you-could-do-with-ai\/)\n    - [Free AI Classes](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/need-to-get-better-at-ai-the-worlds-top-universities-are-gifting-you-their-best-classes\/)\n    - [AI Beginneer Guide](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/how-to-turn-beginner-ai-prompts-into-better-results\/)\n- Phones\n  Phones\n  - [See All Phones](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/)\n  - Phones Trending Topics\n    - [5G](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/5g\/)\n    - [Phone Apps](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/mobile\/apps\/)\n    - [iPhone](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/mobile\/iphone\/)\n    - [Android](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/mobile\/android\/)\n  - Trending Guides\n    - [What is 5G?](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/what-is-5g\/)\n    - [How to Unlock a Phone](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/how-to-unlock-a-phone-on-every-carrier\/)\n    - [How to Stop Spam Calls](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/how-to-stop-block-spam-calls-iphone-and-android-phones\/)\n    - [Best Stock Trading Apps](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/best-stock-trading-apps\/)\n    - [How to Use WhatsApp Web](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/how-to-use-whatsapp-web\/)\n- Gaming\n  Gaming\n  - [See All Gaming](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/)\n  - Trending Gaming Topics\n    - [Xbox](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/xbox\/)\n    - [PlayStation](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/playstation\/)\n    - [PC Gaming](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/pc-gaming\/)\n    - [Cloud Gaming](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/cloud-gaming\/)\n    - [Nintendo Switch](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/nintendo-switch\/)\n  - Trending Guides\n    - [Wordle Today](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/wordle-today-answer-hints\/)\n    - [Xbox Series X vs PS5](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/xbox-series-x-vs-ps5\/)\n    - [Upcoming PS5 Games](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/upcoming-ps5-games\/)\n    - [All Cross-Platform Games](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/all-cross-platform-games\/)\n    - [Upcoming Switch Games](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/upcoming-switch-games\/)\n- Entertainment\n  Entertainment\n  - [See All Entertainment](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/)\n  - Trending Topics\n    - [Sci-Fi](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/sci-fi\/)\n    - [Action](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/action\/)\n    - [Marvel](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/marvel\/)\n    - [Fantasy](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/fantasy\/)\n    - [DC Comics](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/dc\/)\n  - Trending Guides\n    - [Best New Movies](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/best-new-movies-to-stream-this-week\/)\n    - [Best New Shows](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/best-new-shows-to-stream-this-week\/)\n    - [Best Shows on Netflix](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/best-shows-on-netflix\/)\n    - [Best Movies on Netflix](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/best-movies-on-netflix\/)\n    - [Best Shows on Disney Plus](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/best-shows-on-disney-plus\/)\n  - ‎What to Watch\n    - [Best Movies on Disney Plus](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/best-movies-on-disney-plus\/)\n    - [Best Shows on Amazon Prime](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/best-shows-on-amazon-prime\/)\n    - [Best Movies on Amazon Prime](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/best-movies-on-amazon-prime\/)\n    - [Most Popular Movies on Netflix](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/the-10-most-popular-movies-on-netflix-right-now\/)\n    - [See All Streaming Guides](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/streaming-guides\/)\n- Audio \/ Video\n  Audio \/ Video\n  - [See All Audio \/ Video](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/)\n  - Trending Topics\n    - [TVs](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/tv\/)\n    - [Speakers](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/speakers\/)\n    - [Soundbars](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/soundbars\/)\n    - [Headphones](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/headphones\/)\n    - [Streaming Services](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/streaming\/)\n  - Trending Guides\n    - [Fubo TV](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/fubotv-channels-pricing-features\/)\n    - [Sling TV](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/sling-tv-channels-pricing\/)\n    - [YouTube TV](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/what-is-youtube-tv\/)\n    - [QLED vs OLED](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/qled-vs-oled-tv\/)\n    - [What is Sonos?](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/sonos-speakers-app-wireless-music\/)\n- Autos\n  Autos\n  - [See All Autos](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/cars\/)\n  - Trending Auto Reviews\n    - [Toyota Prius Prime Review](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/cars\/2023-toyota-prius-prime-review\/)\n    - [Lexus RZ 450e Review](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/cars\/2023-lexus-rz-450e-review\/)\n    - [Mercedes EQE AMG SUV Review](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/cars\/2024-mercedes-amg-eqe-suv-review\/)\n    - [BMW XM Review](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/cars\/2023-bmw-xm-review\/)\n    - [Hyundai Ioniq 6 Review](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/cars\/2023-bmw-xm-review\/)\n  - Trending Auto Guides\n    - [NACS charging](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/cars\/ev-companies-using-tesla-nacs-charging-connector\/)\n    - [EV tax credits](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/cars\/federal-ev-tax-credit-qualifying-car-models\/)\n    - [Best Level 2 EV chargers](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/cars\/best-ev-charging-stations\/)\n    - [Rivian R2 SUV](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/cars\/rivian-r2-everything-we-know-so-far\/)\n    - [Volvo EX90 SUV](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/cars\/volvo-ex90-price-range-trim-specs\/)\n  - Browse Autos by Type\n    - [Car News](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/cars\/news\/)\n    - [Car Guides](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/cars\/guides)\n    - [Car Features](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/cars\/features\/)\n    - [Car Reviews](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/cars\/reviews\/)\n    - [Car Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/cars\/deals\/)\n- Smart Home\n  Smart Home\n  - [See All Smart Home](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/)\n  - Smart Home Trending Topics\n    - [Google Nest](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/google-nest\/)\n    - [Amazon Alexa](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/alexa\/)\n    - [Home Security](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/home-security\/)\n    - [Video Doorbell](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/video-doorbell\/)\n    - [Robot Vacuums](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/robot-vacuum\/)\n  - Browse Smart Home\n    - [Smart Home News](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/news\/)\n    - [Smart Home Guides](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/guides\/)\n    - [Smart Home Features](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/features\/)\n    - [Smart Home Reviews](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/reviews\/)\n    - [Smart Home Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/deals\/)\n- Tablets\n  Tablets\n  - [See All Tablets](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tablets\/)\n  - Trending Topics\n    - [Apple iPad](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/mobile\/ipad\/)\n    - [Samsung Galaxy Tablets](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tablets\/samsung-galaxy-tablets\/)\n    - [Google Pixel Tablets](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tablets\/google-pixel-tablets\/)\n    - [iPadOS 26](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tablets\/ipados-19-everything-you-need-to-know\/)\n    - [Android 16](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tablets\/android-16-everything-you-need-to-know\/)\n  - Trending Guides\n    - [Best Tablets](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tablets\/best-tablets\/)\n    - [Best iPads](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tablets\/best-ipad\/)\n    - [Best Tablet Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tablets\/best-tablet-deals\/)\n    - [Best iPad Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tablets\/best-ipad-deals\/)\n    - [Best Samsung Tablet Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tablets\/samsung-tablet-deals\/)\n    - [Best Android Tablets](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tablets\/best-android-tablets\/)\n    - [Best iPad Screen Size](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tablets\/whats-the-best-ipad-screen-size-should-you-go-11-inch-or-13-inch\/)\n- Wearables\n  Wearables\n  - [See All Wearables](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wearables\/)\n  - Trending Topics\n    - [Apple Watch](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/mobile\/apple-watch\/)\n    - [Google Pixel Watches](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wearables\/google-pixels-watches\/)\n    - [Samsung Galaxy Watches](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wearables\/samsung-galaxy-watches\/)\n    - [Apple Watch Series 11](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wearables\/apple-watch-series-11-everything-you-need-to-know\/)\n    - [watchOS 26](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wearables\/watchos-12-everything-you-need-to-know\/)\n  - Trending Guides\n    - [Best Smartwatches](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wearables\/best-smartwatch\/)\n    - [Best Smartwatch Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wearables\/best-smartwatch-deals\/)\n    - [Best Android Smartwatches](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wearables\/best-android-smartwatches\/)\n    - [Best Samsung Galaxy Watch](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wearables\/best-samsung-galaxy-smartwatches\/)\n- Best Products\n  Best Products\n  - [See All Best Products](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/best-products\/)\n  - Best Computing Products\n    - [Best Laptops](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/best-laptops\/)\n    - [Best Chromebooks](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/best-chromebooks\/)\n    - [Best Gaming Laptops](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/best-gaming-laptops\/)\n    - [Best Desktop Computer](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wearables\/best-desktop-computers\/)\n    - [Best Graphics Cards](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/best-graphics-cards\/)\n  - Best Mobile Devices\n    - [Best Smartphone](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/best-smartphones\/)\n    - [Best Tablets](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tablets\/best-tablets\/)\n    - [Best Smartwatches](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wearables\/best-smartwatch\/)\n    - [Best Fitness Trackers](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wearables\/best-fitness-trackers\/)\n    - [Best Smart Notebooks](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tablets\/best-smart-notebooks\/)\n  - Best Audio \/ Video Products\n    - [Best TVs](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/best-tvs\/)\n    - [Best Speakers](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/best-speakers\/)\n    - [Best Projectors](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/best-home-theater-projectors\/)\n    - [Best Soundbars](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/best-soundbars\/)\n    - [Best Headphones](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/best-headphones\/)\n  - Best Video Games\n    - [Best Mac Games](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/best-mac-games\/)\n    - [Best PS5 Games](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/best-ps5-games\/)\n    - [Best Games on PS Plus](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/best-games-on-playstation-plus-ps-extra-premium\/)\n    - [Best Xbox Series X Games](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/best-xbox-series-x-games\/)\n    - [Best Nintendo Switch Games](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/best-switch-games\/)\n- Deals\n  Deals\n  - [See All Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/dtdeals\/best-deals\/)\n  - Computing Deals\n    - [Best Laptop Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/best-laptop-deals\/)\n    - [Best MacBook Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/best-macbook-deals\/)\n    - [Best Gaming PC Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/best-gaming-pc-deals\/)\n    - [Best Chromebook Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/cheap-chromebook-deals\/)\n    - [Best Gaming Laptop Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/best-gaming-laptop-deals\/)\n  - Gaming Deals\n    - [Best PS5 Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/best-ps5-deals\/)\n    - [Best Lego Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/best-lego-deals\/)\n    - [Best Xbox Series S Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/best-xbox-series-s-deals\/)\n    - [Best Xbox Series X Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/best-xbox-series-x-deals\/)\n    - [Best Nintendo Switch Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/nintendo-switch-deals\/)\n  - Mobile Deals\n    - [Best iPad Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tablets\/best-ipad-deals\/)\n    - [Best Tablet Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tablets\/best-tablet-deals\/)\n    - [Best Google Pixel Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wearables\/best-google-pixel-deals\/)\n    - [Best Apple Watch Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wearables\/best-apple-watch-deals\/)\n  - Home Theater Deals\n    - [Best TV Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/best-4k-tv-deals\/)\n    - [Best Sony TV Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/best-sony-tv-deals\/)\n    - [Best 75-inch TV Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/best-75-inch-tv-deals\/)\n    - [Best Headphone Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/best-headphone-deals\/)\n  - Smart Home Deals\n    - [Best Dyson Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/best-dyson-deals\/)\n    - [Best Amazon Echo Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/best-amazon-echo-deals\/)\n    - [Best Cordless Vacuum Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/best-cheap-cordless-vacuum-deals\/)\n  - Retailers\n    - [Best Walmart Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tablets\/walmart-deals\/)\n    - [Best Alienware Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/best-alienware-deals\/)\n  - Trending Deals\n    - [Best Camera Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/photography\/best-camera-deals\/)\n    - [Best Prime Day Deals](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/best-amazon-prime-day-deals\/)\n- Reviews\n  Reviews\n  - [See All Reviews](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/product-reviews\/)\n  - Computing Reviews\n    - [Mac Reviews](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/mac-reviews\/)\n    - [Printer Reviews](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/printer-reviews\/)\n    - [Laptop Reviews](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/laptop-reviews\/)\n    - [Monitor Reviews](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/monitor-reviews\/)\n    - [Desktop Reviews](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/desktop-computer-reviews\/)\n  - Mobile Reviews\n    - [Smartphone Reviews](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/mobile\/cell-phone-reviews\/)\n    - [Tablet Reviews](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/mobile\/tablet-reviews\/)\n    - [Smartwatch Reviews](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/mobile\/smartwatch-reviews\/)\n    - [Fitness Tracker Reviews](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/mobile\/fitness-tracker-reviews\/)\n    - [iPhone and iPad Reviews](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/mobile\/iphone-ipad-reviews\/)\n  - Audio \/ Video Reviews\n    - [TV Reviews](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/tv-reviews\/)\n    - [Speaker Reviews](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/speaker-reviews\/)\n    - [Soundbar Reviews](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/sound-bar-reviews\/)\n    - [Headphones Reviews](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/headphone-reviews\/)\n    - [Media Streamer Reviews](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/media-streamer-reviews\/)\n  - More Reviews\n    - [Game Reviews](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/game-reviews\/)\n    - [Movie and TV Show Reviews](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movie-reviews\/)\n    - [Smart Home Reviews](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/smart-home-reviews\/)\n    - [Power Station Reviews](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/outdoors\/power-station-reviews\/)\n    - [eBike Reviews](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/outdoors\/ebike-reviews\/)\n- [News](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/news\/)\n- [Videos](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/videos\/)\n- [YouTube](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC8wXC0ZCfGt3HaVLy_fdTQw?sub_confirmation=1)\n- [Giveaways](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/giveaways\/)\n- More\n  More\n  - Brands\n    - [Dell](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/dell\/)\n    - [Apple](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/apple\/)\n    - [Google](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/google\/)\n    - [Samsung](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/samsung\/)\n    - [Microsoft](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/microsoft\/)\n  - Buying Guides\n    - [Best Kindles](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/best-kindle\/)\n      - [Best Bluetooth Trackers](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/best-bluetooth-trackers\/)\n    - [Best Portable Power Stations](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/outdoors\/best-portable-power-stations\/)\n    - [Best Live TV Streaming Services](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/best-live-tv-streaming-services\/)\n  - Original Series\n    - [You Asked](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/you-asked\/)\n    - [Weekend Watchlist](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/weekend-watchlist\/)\n    - [QuickCharge: This Week in EV](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/week-in-ev\/)\n    - [Tech for Change](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/tech-for-change\/)\n    - [Genius Home](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/genius-home\/)\n    - [See All Original Series](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/original-series\/)\n  - More Topics\n    - [Space](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/space\/)\n    - [Outdoors](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/outdoors\/)\n    - [Portable Power Stations](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/outdoors\/portable-power-stations\/)\n    - [Versus](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/versus\/)\n    - [Business](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/business\/)\n    - [See All Topics](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/)\n\n- Trending:\n- [iOS 26.4 Released](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/apple-releases-ios-26-4-with-playlist-playground-new-emojis-and-a-crucial-family-sharing-fix\/)\n- [Fight for Control of Smart TVs](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/warner-disney-and-nbc-are-fighting-google-apple-over-control-of-your-smart-tvs\/)\n- [macOS 26.4 Released](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/macos-26-4-is-out-now-with-subtle-upgrades-and-a-big-hint-about-the-future\/)\n- [AirPods Max 2 Headphones](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/airpods-max-2-arrive-with-improved-noise-cancellation-lossless-audio-and-new-smart-features-in-a-familiar-design\/)\n- [MacBook Neo Gaming](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/can-the-599-macbook-neo-actually-handle-gaming-a-new-test-tries-to-find-out\/)\n- [Google Maps AI Upgrade](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/ai-search-meets-3d-navigation-in-googles-biggest-maps-overhaul\/)\n- [MacBook Neo](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/apple-macbook-neo-launched-everything-you-need-to-know\/)\n- [Sony’s PC Retreat](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/sony-will-no-longer-bring-its-first-party-games-to-pcs-and-its-a-huge-shift\/)\n- [M5 MacBook Pro](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/macbook-pro-jumps-to-m5-pro-and-max-silicon-faster-storage-and-higher-prices\/)\n- [M5 MacBook Air](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/macbook-air-gets-faster-m5-chip-double-the-storage-and-a-price-hike\/)\n- [New Studio Display XDR](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/apples-new-studio-display-xdr-shrinks-pro-xdr-into-a-brighter-more-affordable-miniled-monitor\/)\n- [M4 iPad Air](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/ipad-air-gets-faster-m4-chip-and-wireless-connectivity-without-a-price-hike\/)\n- [Apple Unveils iPhone 17e](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/apple-unveils-faster-sturdier-and-more-spacious-iphone-17e-at-the-same-599-ask\/)\n- [Galaxy Unpacked 2026](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/everything-samsung-announced-at-the-galaxy-s26-launch-event\/)\n- [Best Handheld PCs](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/handheld-gaming-pc\/)\n- [How to Use AI Browsers](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/ai-browsers-are-here-and-you-need-to-learn-how-to-use-the-web-properly\/)\n- [iPhone 17 Alternatives](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/3-alternatives-apple-iphone-17\/)\n- [AirPods Finally Won’t Fall Out](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/ive-been-testing-the-airpods-pro-3-on-long-runs-its-bad-news-for-jabra\/)\n- [Favorite Gemini Prompts](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/these-are-my-favorite-google-gemini-prompts-after-100-hours-using-the-ai-chatbot\/)\n- [PC Gamer Switching to Console](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/im-a-pc-builder-of-20-years-the-latest-games-make-me-want-to-switch-to-console\/)\n- [Swap RTX 4060 for 5060](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/i-swapped-my-rtx-4060-for-the-rtx-5060-and-heres-what-i-found\/)\n- [Best iPhone 17 Pro Color?](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/best-iphone-17-pro-color\/)\n- [GPT-5 Explained](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/gpt-5\/)\n- [Next Apple TV](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/the-next-apple-tv-draws-closer-and-it-could-be-a-true-game-changer\/)\n- [PlayStation 6](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/playstation-6-ps6-everything-we-know-so-far\/)\n- [iPhone: What To Know](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/iphone-everything-you-need-to-know\/)\n- [One UI 8](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/one-ui-8-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-latest-samsung-galaxy-update\/)\n- [iPad: What To Know](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tablets\/ipad-everything-you-need-to-know\/)\n- [Upcoming Games](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/upcoming-video-games-2-2\/)\n- [Google Pixel Leaks](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/mobile\/googles-confirmed-new-pixel-phones-watch-and-buds-and-now-weve-probably-seen-them-as-well\/)\n- [Galaxy Watch 8 Series](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wearables\/i-tried-the-samsung-galaxy-watch-8-series-theyre-sleek-but-with-a-lot-to-prove\/)\n- [Best Flagship Phone Battery?](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/i-tested-10-flagship-phones-this-has-the-best-battery\/)\n- [Xbox VR Headset?](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/meta-quest-3s-xbox-edition-announced\/)\n- [5 Things the iPhone 17 Needs](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/5-things-the-iphone-17-needs-to-make-it-a-compelling-upgrade\/)\n- [Every iPhone Release](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/every-iphone-release-in-chronological-order\/)\n\n1. [Home](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/)\n2. [Computing](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/)\n3. [Evergreens](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/guides\/)\n# How to take a screenshot on a Mac\nBy [Kevin Parrish](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/users\/kparrish\/) and [Alan Truly](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/users\/atruly\/)\n\nUpdated April 14, 2024\n\n[![Add as a preferred source on Google](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/content\/themes\/dt-stardust\/assets\/images\/google_preferred_source.webp)](https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com \"Add as a preferred source on Google\")\n\nSave\n\nFor most new Mac users — especially if they’re coming from Windows — one of the first questions they need to ask is how to take a screenshot on a Mac? There’s no dedicated Print Screen key like there is on a PC, but there is keyboard shortcut, along with some great screenshot apps you can use.\n\nHere’s how to take a screenshot on [MacOS](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/macos-update-everything-you-need-to-know\/) in a few different ways.\n\nRecommended Videos\n\n## How to take a screenshot using keyboard shortcuts\n[MacOS keyboard shortcuts](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/mac-keyboard-shortcuts\/) are the quickest ways to take screenshots, whether you’re capturing the entire screen or just a portion. By default, Apple’s methods save your screenshot to the desktop, but if you want to copy the screenshot to the clipboard, there’s a keyboard shortcut you can use instead.\n\n### How to capture a selected area\n![An Apple keyboard with certain keys highlighted.](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)\n\nDigital Trends\n\nPress the *Command + Shift + 4* keys simultaneously. With your pointer now turned into a crosshair, click and drag to draw a box around the region you want captured. When you let go of the mouse button, the screenshot saves to your desktop.\n\n### How to capture a single window\n![](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)\n\nscreenshot \/ Digital Trends\n\n**Step 1**: Press the *Command + Shift + 4* keys simultaneously so that your pointer becomes a crosshair.\n\n**Step 2**: Press the *Spacebar*. The pointer changes to a camera icon.\n\n**Step 3**: Any window you hover over is highlighted with a light blue overlay. Click on the window you want to capture, and the image saves to your desktop.\n\nThis method doesn’t just capture windows — you can save the desktop, the menu bar, the dock, or even an open menu by itself.\n\n### How to capture the entire screen\n![Apple keyboard with keys marked.](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)\n\nDigital Trends\n\nPress and hold *Command + Shift + 3* keys simultaneously for an instant capture of your desktop. This will include the Dock, Menu Bar, and everything else on the screen. You’ll hear the screenshot sound and the preview will appear in the bottom-right corner of your screen, giving you quick access to editing tools.\n\nThe image you save consists of the window and its shadow against a transparent background (PNG). If you don’t want the shadow, press and hold the *Option* key (or *Alt*) as you click to save the image.\n\n### How to take a screenshot using the Touch Bar\nIf you have one of the older [MacBook Pro models with a Touch Bar](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/macbook-pro-13-buyers-guide\/), these options appear on the OLED strip. Another Touch Bar exclusive is taking a screenshot of the Touch Bar display, which can be done by hitting *Shift + Command + 6.*\n\n## How to take a screenshot using the native Mac app\n![Launchpad has a Utilities folder that contains Screenshot and other useful apps.](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)\n\nDigital Trends\n\nKeyboard shortcuts work well for programmers, but a point-and-click user interface is easy for everyone to use. That’s why Apple also includes a Screenshot app, and it gives you even more control over screenshots. The app also lets you take screenshots after a five-second or 10-second delay, allowing you time to open a menu or do some other setup that might not be possible with the keyboard shortcut before capturing an image on your display. There are three ways (shown in steps 1 to 3 below) to find the Screenshot app.\n\n- Open your Mac’s *Launchpad* and scroll through or type in the search box at the top to locate the Screenshot app, then double-click to open it.\n- You can also hold *Command + Spacebar* to start a Spotlight Search. Begin typing “Screenshot,” and the app will soon appear in the results. Select *Screenshot* from the top section of the search results to open the app. If you see *Screenshot* lower in the results, that will start a web search for “screenshot” as a search term, so make sure to choose a result near the top.\n- Open the Finder by choosing the smiling, blue face icon at the bottom-left of the Dock, then select *Applications* from the left sidebar. Next, open the *Utilities* folder, scroll down to find the *Screenshot* app, and open it.\n\nIf you think you’ll use the Screenshot app frequently, you can keep it in the Dock by right-clicking the app icon and selecting *Keep in dock* from the *Options* menu.\n\n## How to take a screenshot with the screenshot menu\n![The Screenshot toolbar appears at the bottom of a Mac screen with an arrow pointing to the Capture button.](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)\n\nscreenshot \/ Digital Trends\n\nThe Screenshot app looks like a floating toolbar near the bottom of the screen with buttons that look like the type of screenshot that they capture. At the far left is full-screen capture, then window and partial-screen capture. In the next section, full- and partial-screen recording buttons appear, followed by an *Options* menu. and a *Capture* button.\n\nChoose one of the screenshot buttons, then *Capture* to grab a save of what’s on the screen. The Screenshot toolbar won’t be included in the capture.\n\nIf something needs to be set up, such as a menu opened to show its contents in the screenshot, select the *5 seconds* or *10 seconds* delay from the *Options* menu.\n\nYou can also pick a different [default save location for your screenshots](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/how-to-change-where-screenshots-are-saved-on-a-mac\/) or send screenshots to another app like Mail or Messages.\n\nIf you want to see the mouse pointer arrow in the screenshot, enable *Show mouse pointer* in the *Options* menu.\n\nThe Floating Thumbnail option is enabled by default, but when taking multiple screenshots in a row, the thumbnail might be captured in some of the images since it appears on-screen. Switch *Floating thumbnail* off in the *Options* menu when you are taking quick screenshots.\n\n## How to print screen on Mac using Preview\n![The Preview app can capture three types of screenshots.](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)\n\nscreenshot \/ Digital Trends\n\n**Step 1:** Preview is the default tool that allows you to open everything from photos to [PDF files](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/how-to-split-and-combine-pdfs-on-mac-using-preview\/) (and here’s [how to print PDFs](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/how-to-print-pdf-on-a-mac\/)). It has plenty of lesser-known features, such as annotating documents and images by selecting the *Markup* icon in the upper-right. Preview captures screenshots, too. Start by opening the image by double-clicking it in the folder or opening it in Preview in Spotlight by using the *Command + Space* key command.\n\n**Step 2:** In the Preview app, open the *File* menu and the *Take screenshot* submenu, then choose the selection mode depending on your preference.\n\n**Step 3:** The keyboard shortcut method is far quicker, and the Screenshot app is easier, but Preview lets you name the file before saving it to your preferred location.\n\n## Where to find screenshots on Mac\nSo, you took your screenshot, but now you might be wondering where to find it. Your screenshots are saved, by default, to your desktop, which can be accessed through Finder under *Desktop* or just by accessing the desktop directly. However, that can lead to a very messy desktop. If you have macOS Mojave or later, the default location of screenshots can be changed in the Screenshot app.\n\nIn terms of file format, the default for saved screenshots is PNG. To change this, open up *Terminal*. Ignoring the quotation marks, type in the following command: “*defaults write com.apple.screencapture type*” — followed by space and the file format you want, whether that’s JPG, PDF, or some other image format. Finally, hit the *Return* key.\n\n## How to add annotations to a screenshot\nThe macOS Markup capabilities are built into the Screenshot app. That means you can easily add highlights to text, draw arrows to point out details, make freehand sketches, add your signature, and much more to any screen capture.\n\n![A screenshot of using Markup in the Preview app.](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)\n\nscreenshot \/ Digital Trends\n\n**Step 1**: To see the Markup toolbar, just select the thumbnail that appears in the bottom-right corner after taking a screenshot.\n\n**Step 2**: After you select the screenshot’s thumbnail, it opens in a window with a Markup toolbar at the top. This is a system utility window that appears above all other windows and lacks the usual maximize, minimize, and sizing options of an app window. There are several drawing tools, a text tool, a signature option that lets you sign on your trackpad or take a photo of an ink and paper signature with a webcam or iPhone, and more.\n\n**Step 3**: Perfect squares and circles are possible when using the Shapes tool, but the Sketch tool at the top-left is quite helpful at correcting wobbly, hand-drawn shapes, including boxes, stars, triangles, ovals, and arrows.\n\n**Step 4**: It’s also easy to edit your drawings and annotations — Preview is the [best Paint equivalent on macOS](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/paint-equivalent-for-mac\/). Deselect the current tool so the cursor becomes an arrow and choose any annotation to adjust its size, position, and color. Hit the Delete key to remove that sketch, text, or signature.\n\n**Step 5**: When you’re satisfied with marking up the screenshot, choose the *Done* button at the upper right to save the image. [You can also use the *Share* menu to AirDrop](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/how-to-share-files-other-people-mac\/) and send to another app, or simply trash the screenshot if you’ve decided you don’t want it.\n\n## Screenshot tips and tricks\nThere are a few tricks that use the Mac keyboard to change how a screenshot works. These tips work no matter whether you started the screenshot with a keyboard shortcut, the Screenshot app, or the Preview app.\n\nPress and hold the *Control* key while capturing a screen grab to copy it to the clipboard instead of saving it as a file. The \\*=*Option* key is quite useful for Mac screenshots as well. Hold *Option* when you’re taking a screenshot of a window to remove the shadow that will otherwise surround the window in the image.\n\nIf you hold down *Option* while changing the dotted outline in a partial screenshot, dragging an edge or corner makes the same movement on the opposite corner or edge. It’s a handy way to keep the center in place while resizing the area of the screen that will be captured.\n\n## How to take screenshots on other devices\nIf you own other Apple devices, you might also be wondering [how to take a screenshot on an iPhone](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/how-to-take-a-screenshot-iphone\/). It’s simple enough, though it depends on what generation of device you have. If you have an older iPhone that still has a Home button, it’s as easy as holding the *Home* button and the *Power* button at the same time.\n\nOn newer devices without a Home button, hold the *Volume up* button and the *Power* button at the same time. The same method applies when [taking a screenshot on an iPad](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tablets\/how-to-take-a-screenshot-ipad\/).\n\nLearning [how to take a screenshot on a Windows PC or laptop](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-pc\/) can be tricky if you’re more familiar with MacOS. There are still a number of keyboard shortcuts involving the Print Screen key that’ll do the trick, as well as the built-in Snipping Windows application. This same method applies when [taking a screenshot on a Microsoft Surface](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-a-microsoft-surface\/) device or any other Windows tablet or 2-in-1.\n\n[Chromebooks have their own unique way of handling screenshots](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-a-chromebook\/), too.\n\n![Kevin Parrish](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)\n\n[Kevin Parrish](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/users\/kparrish\/)\n\nFormer Contributor\n\n[facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/exfileme)   [twitter](https:\/\/twitter.com\/exfileme)\n\nKevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then…\n\nTopics\n\n- [Apple](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/apple\/)\n- [Mac](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/mac\/)\n- [Software](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/software\/)\n\n- [Computing](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/)\n\nA simple coding mistake is exposing API keys across thousands of websites\n\nSecurity gaps that are easier to miss than you think\n\n![Computer, Electronics, Laptop](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)\n\nAfter analyzing 10 million webpages, researchers have found thousands of websites accidentally exposing sensitive API credentials, including keys linked to major services like Amazon Web Services, Stripe, and OpenAI.\n\nThis is a serious issue because APIs act as the backbone of the apps we use today. They allow websites to connect to services like payments, cloud storage, and AI tools, but they rely on digital keys to stay secure. Once exposed, API keys can allow anyone to interact with those services with malicious intent.\n\n[Read more](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/a-simple-coding-mistake-is-exposing-api-keys-across-thousands-of-websites\/)\n\n- [Computing](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/)\n\nAMD’s latest Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 pushes X3D to the limit\n\nDual 3D V-Cache, higher power, and a focus on enthusiast performance\n\n![AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 FEatured](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)\n\nAMD has unveiled what might be its most extreme desktop CPU yet, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D2. And it’s going all-in on one thing: cache.\n\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/jackhuynh\/status\/2037159705395491033?s=20\n\n[Read more](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/amds-latest-ryzen-9-9950x3d2-pushes-x3d-to-the-limit\/)\n\n- [Computing](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/)\n\nNext-gen AI breakthrough promises chatbots that can read the room better\n\nResearchers are teaching AI chatbots to read between the lines\n\n![Generative AI](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)\n\nHave you ever asked a chatbot something and felt like it completely missed your point? You say something with a bit of nuance, and the AI misses the subtlety entirely. That is exactly the problem researchers are trying to solve.\n\nEven though the emotional connection with AI can feel deeper than human conversation for many users, most AI systems today still treat a sentence as a single block of sentiment. If you mix praise and criticism, the nuance often gets lost.\n\n[Read more](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/next-gen-ai-breakthrough-promises-chatbots-that-can-read-the-room-better\/)\n\n## More Apple\n![Apple iPhone 17 Pro in Cosmic Orange next to the iPhone 17 Pro Max in Deep Blue](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)\n\n### [iPhone 18 leaks are pouring in, but these Apple rumors excite me the most](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/iphone-18\/)\n\n![iPhone 17 iPhone Air iPhone 17 Pro iPhone 17 Pro Max pre-order date](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)\n\n### [These are the best iPhone 17 and iPhone Air deals: save on every new iPhone](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/iphone-17-deals\/)\n\n![The back of the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max.](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)\n\n### [Your complete guide to the Apple iPhone, an icon of mobile](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/iphone-everything-you-need-to-know\/)\n\n![Apple Watch SE3 in array](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)\n\n### [Apple Watch SE 3: everything announced at launch](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wearables\/apple-watch-se-3\/)\n\n![iPhone Air held up , surrounded by the letters A and R](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)\n\n### [iPhone Air: everything you need to know about Apple’s thinnest phone](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/apple-iphone-17-air\/)\n\n![Branding Logo](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Digital-Trends-Newsletter-Module-Update.jpg)\n\n**Upgrade your inbox: sign-up for our newsletters**\n\nCheck your inbox\\!\n\n[Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.dtmg.co\/privacy-policy)\n\n**Upgrade your lifestyle**Digital Trends helps readers keep tabs on the fast-paced world of tech with all the latest news, fun product reviews, insightful editorials, and one-of-a-kind sneak peeks.\n\n- [Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DigitalTrends)\n- [Instagram](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/digitaltrends\/)\n- [Twitter](https:\/\/twitter.com\/digitaltrends)\n- [YouTube](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC8wXC0ZCfGt3HaVLy_fdTQw?sub_confirmation=1)\n- [TikTok](https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@digitaltrends)\n- [Pinterest](https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/digitaltrends\/)\n- [LinkedIn](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/digitaltrends-com\/)\n- [Flipboard](https:\/\/flipboard.com\/@DigitalTrends)\n\n- [Phones](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/)\n- [Computing](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/)\n- [Gaming](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/)\n- [Audio \/ Video](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home-theater\/)\n- [Smart Home](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/home\/)\n- [Entertainment](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/movies\/)\n- [Automotive](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/cars\/)\n- [Tablets](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tablets\/)\n- [Wearables](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wearables\/)\n- [Space](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/space\/)\n- [Streaming Guides](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/streaming\/)\n- [Best Products](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/best-products\/)\n- [How-To Guides](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/topic\/how-to\/)\n- [Original Series](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/original-series\/)\n\n- [About Us](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/about\/)\n- [Contact Us](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/contact-us\/)\n- [Advertise With Us](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/advertise-with-us\/)\n- [Editorial Guidelines](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/editorial-guidelines\/)\n- [Logo & Accolade Licensing](https:\/\/www.adcetera.com\/?utm_campaign=cl&utm_source=digitaltrends&utm_content=licensing_and_accolades&utm_medium=web)\n\n- [Subscribe to our Newsletter](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/newsletter\/)\n- [Branded Content](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/brc\/)\n- [Digital Trends Wallpapers](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/wallpapers\/)\n- [Digital Trends in Spanish](https:\/\/es.digitaltrends.com\/)\n- [Digital Trends App Bundle](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/digital-trends-app-bundle\/)\n\n[![Digital Trends Media Group](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)](https:\/\/www.dtmg.co\/)\n\nDigital Trends Media Group\n\n6420 S. Macadam Ave, Suite 216\n\nPortland, OR 97239\n\n- [Careers](https:\/\/www.dtmg.co\/careers)\n- [Work With Us](https:\/\/www.dtmg.co\/work-with-us)\n- [Diversity & Inclusion](https:\/\/www.dtmg.co\/diversity-equity-inclusion)\n- [Terms of Use](https:\/\/www.dtmg.co\/terms-of-use)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.dtmg.co\/privacy-policy)\n- [Press Room](https:\/\/www.dtmg.co\/press-room)\n- Manage Privacy Options\n  Manage Privacy Options\n- [Sitemap](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/sitemap\/)\n\nDigital Trends Media Group may earn a commission when you buy through links on our sites.\n\n©2026 [Digital Trends Media Group](https:\/\/www.dtmg.co\/), a Designtechnica Company. All rights reserved.","attrs_readable_markdown":"For most new Mac users — especially if they’re coming from Windows — one of the first questions they need to ask is how to take a screenshot on a Mac? There’s no dedicated Print Screen key like there is on a PC, but there is keyboard shortcut, along with some great screenshot apps you can use.\n\nHere’s how to take a screenshot on [MacOS](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/macos-update-everything-you-need-to-know\/) in a few different ways.\n\nRecommended Videos\n\n## How to take a screenshot using keyboard shortcuts\n[MacOS keyboard shortcuts](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/mac-keyboard-shortcuts\/) are the quickest ways to take screenshots, whether you’re capturing the entire screen or just a portion. By default, Apple’s methods save your screenshot to the desktop, but if you want to copy the screenshot to the clipboard, there’s a keyboard shortcut you can use instead.\n\n### How to capture a selected area\n![An Apple keyboard with certain keys highlighted.](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tachyon\/2018\/02\/applecompactkeyboardusb-2.jpg?resize=720%2C720)\n\nDigital Trends\n\nPress the *Command + Shift + 4* keys simultaneously. With your pointer now turned into a crosshair, click and drag to draw a box around the region you want captured. When you let go of the mouse button, the screenshot saves to your desktop.\n\n### How to capture a single window\n![](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tachyon\/2023\/07\/macos-big-sur-safari-screenshot-window.jpg?resize=720%2C720)\n\nscreenshot \/ Digital Trends\n\n**Step 1**: Press the *Command + Shift + 4* keys simultaneously so that your pointer becomes a crosshair.\n\n**Step 2**: Press the *Spacebar*. The pointer changes to a camera icon.\n\n**Step 3**: Any window you hover over is highlighted with a light blue overlay. Click on the window you want to capture, and the image saves to your desktop.\n\nThis method doesn’t just capture windows — you can save the desktop, the menu bar, the dock, or even an open menu by itself.\n\n### How to capture the entire screen\n![Apple keyboard with keys marked.](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tachyon\/2018\/02\/applecompactkeyboardusb-capture1.jpg?resize=720%2C720)\n\nDigital Trends\n\nPress and hold *Command + Shift + 3* keys simultaneously for an instant capture of your desktop. This will include the Dock, Menu Bar, and everything else on the screen. You’ll hear the screenshot sound and the preview will appear in the bottom-right corner of your screen, giving you quick access to editing tools.\n\nThe image you save consists of the window and its shadow against a transparent background (PNG). If you don’t want the shadow, press and hold the *Option* key (or *Alt*) as you click to save the image.\n\n### How to take a screenshot using the Touch Bar\nIf you have one of the older [MacBook Pro models with a Touch Bar](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/macbook-pro-13-buyers-guide\/), these options appear on the OLED strip. Another Touch Bar exclusive is taking a screenshot of the Touch Bar display, which can be done by hitting *Shift + Command + 6.*\n\n## How to take a screenshot using the native Mac app\n![Launchpad has a Utilities folder that contains Screenshot and other useful apps.](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tachyon\/2022\/08\/1-Launchpad-has-a-Utilities-folder-that-contains-Screenshot-and-other-useful-apps..jpg?resize=720%2C720)\n\nDigital Trends\n\nKeyboard shortcuts work well for programmers, but a point-and-click user interface is easy for everyone to use. That’s why Apple also includes a Screenshot app, and it gives you even more control over screenshots. The app also lets you take screenshots after a five-second or 10-second delay, allowing you time to open a menu or do some other setup that might not be possible with the keyboard shortcut before capturing an image on your display. There are three ways (shown in steps 1 to 3 below) to find the Screenshot app.\n\n- Open your Mac’s *Launchpad* and scroll through or type in the search box at the top to locate the Screenshot app, then double-click to open it.\n- You can also hold *Command + Spacebar* to start a Spotlight Search. Begin typing “Screenshot,” and the app will soon appear in the results. Select *Screenshot* from the top section of the search results to open the app. If you see *Screenshot* lower in the results, that will start a web search for “screenshot” as a search term, so make sure to choose a result near the top.\n- Open the Finder by choosing the smiling, blue face icon at the bottom-left of the Dock, then select *Applications* from the left sidebar. Next, open the *Utilities* folder, scroll down to find the *Screenshot* app, and open it.\n\nIf you think you’ll use the Screenshot app frequently, you can keep it in the Dock by right-clicking the app icon and selecting *Keep in dock* from the *Options* menu.\n\n## How to take a screenshot with the screenshot menu\n![The Screenshot toolbar appears at the bottom of a Mac screen with an arrow pointing to the Capture button.](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tachyon\/2022\/08\/4-The-Screenshot-toolbar-appears-at-the-bottom-of-a-Mac-screen-with-an-outline-around-the-type-and-an-arrow-pointing-to-the-Capture-button..jpg?resize=720%2C720)\n\nscreenshot \/ Digital Trends\n\nThe Screenshot app looks like a floating toolbar near the bottom of the screen with buttons that look like the type of screenshot that they capture. At the far left is full-screen capture, then window and partial-screen capture. In the next section, full- and partial-screen recording buttons appear, followed by an *Options* menu. and a *Capture* button.\n\nChoose one of the screenshot buttons, then *Capture* to grab a save of what’s on the screen. The Screenshot toolbar won’t be included in the capture.\n\nIf something needs to be set up, such as a menu opened to show its contents in the screenshot, select the *5 seconds* or *10 seconds* delay from the *Options* menu.\n\nYou can also pick a different [default save location for your screenshots](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/how-to-change-where-screenshots-are-saved-on-a-mac\/) or send screenshots to another app like Mail or Messages.\n\nIf you want to see the mouse pointer arrow in the screenshot, enable *Show mouse pointer* in the *Options* menu.\n\nThe Floating Thumbnail option is enabled by default, but when taking multiple screenshots in a row, the thumbnail might be captured in some of the images since it appears on-screen. Switch *Floating thumbnail* off in the *Options* menu when you are taking quick screenshots.\n\n## How to print screen on Mac using Preview\n![The Preview app can capture three types of screenshots.](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tachyon\/2022\/08\/15-The-Preview-app-can-capture-three-types-of-screenshots..jpg?resize=720%2C720)\n\nscreenshot \/ Digital Trends\n\n**Step 1:** Preview is the default tool that allows you to open everything from photos to [PDF files](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/how-to-split-and-combine-pdfs-on-mac-using-preview\/) (and here’s [how to print PDFs](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/how-to-print-pdf-on-a-mac\/)). It has plenty of lesser-known features, such as annotating documents and images by selecting the *Markup* icon in the upper-right. Preview captures screenshots, too. Start by opening the image by double-clicking it in the folder or opening it in Preview in Spotlight by using the *Command + Space* key command.\n\n**Step 2:** In the Preview app, open the *File* menu and the *Take screenshot* submenu, then choose the selection mode depending on your preference.\n\n**Step 3:** The keyboard shortcut method is far quicker, and the Screenshot app is easier, but Preview lets you name the file before saving it to your preferred location.\n\n## Where to find screenshots on Mac\nSo, you took your screenshot, but now you might be wondering where to find it. Your screenshots are saved, by default, to your desktop, which can be accessed through Finder under *Desktop* or just by accessing the desktop directly. However, that can lead to a very messy desktop. If you have macOS Mojave or later, the default location of screenshots can be changed in the Screenshot app.\n\nIn terms of file format, the default for saved screenshots is PNG. To change this, open up *Terminal*. Ignoring the quotation marks, type in the following command: “*defaults write com.apple.screencapture type*” — followed by space and the file format you want, whether that’s JPG, PDF, or some other image format. Finally, hit the *Return* key.\n\n## How to add annotations to a screenshot\nThe macOS Markup capabilities are built into the Screenshot app. That means you can easily add highlights to text, draw arrows to point out details, make freehand sketches, add your signature, and much more to any screen capture.\n\n![A screenshot of using Markup in the Preview app.](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tachyon\/2022\/09\/Mac-Preview-Markup-Sign-Button.jpg?resize=720%2C720)\n\nscreenshot \/ Digital Trends\n\n**Step 1**: To see the Markup toolbar, just select the thumbnail that appears in the bottom-right corner after taking a screenshot.\n\n**Step 2**: After you select the screenshot’s thumbnail, it opens in a window with a Markup toolbar at the top. This is a system utility window that appears above all other windows and lacks the usual maximize, minimize, and sizing options of an app window. There are several drawing tools, a text tool, a signature option that lets you sign on your trackpad or take a photo of an ink and paper signature with a webcam or iPhone, and more.\n\n**Step 3**: Perfect squares and circles are possible when using the Shapes tool, but the Sketch tool at the top-left is quite helpful at correcting wobbly, hand-drawn shapes, including boxes, stars, triangles, ovals, and arrows.\n\n**Step 4**: It’s also easy to edit your drawings and annotations — Preview is the [best Paint equivalent on macOS](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/paint-equivalent-for-mac\/). Deselect the current tool so the cursor becomes an arrow and choose any annotation to adjust its size, position, and color. Hit the Delete key to remove that sketch, text, or signature.\n\n**Step 5**: When you’re satisfied with marking up the screenshot, choose the *Done* button at the upper right to save the image. [You can also use the *Share* menu to AirDrop](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/how-to-share-files-other-people-mac\/) and send to another app, or simply trash the screenshot if you’ve decided you don’t want it.\n\n## Screenshot tips and tricks\nThere are a few tricks that use the Mac keyboard to change how a screenshot works. These tips work no matter whether you started the screenshot with a keyboard shortcut, the Screenshot app, or the Preview app.\n\nPress and hold the *Control* key while capturing a screen grab to copy it to the clipboard instead of saving it as a file. The \\*=*Option* key is quite useful for Mac screenshots as well. Hold *Option* when you’re taking a screenshot of a window to remove the shadow that will otherwise surround the window in the image.\n\nIf you hold down *Option* while changing the dotted outline in a partial screenshot, dragging an edge or corner makes the same movement on the opposite corner or edge. It’s a handy way to keep the center in place while resizing the area of the screen that will be captured.\n\n## How to take screenshots on other devices\nIf you own other Apple devices, you might also be wondering [how to take a screenshot on an iPhone](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/phones\/how-to-take-a-screenshot-iphone\/). It’s simple enough, though it depends on what generation of device you have. If you have an older iPhone that still has a Home button, it’s as easy as holding the *Home* button and the *Power* button at the same time.\n\nOn newer devices without a Home button, hold the *Volume up* button and the *Power* button at the same time. The same method applies when [taking a screenshot on an iPad](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/tablets\/how-to-take-a-screenshot-ipad\/).\n\nLearning [how to take a screenshot on a Windows PC or laptop](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-pc\/) can be tricky if you’re more familiar with MacOS. There are still a number of keyboard shortcuts involving the Print Screen key that’ll do the trick, as well as the built-in Snipping Windows application. This same method applies when [taking a screenshot on a Microsoft Surface](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-a-microsoft-surface\/) device or any other Windows tablet or 2-in-1.\n\n[Chromebooks have their own unique way of handling screenshots](https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/computing\/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-a-chromebook\/), too.","meta_canonical":null}

3. Robots.txt Check

Query:

Response:

4. Spam/Ban Check

Query:

Response:

5. Seen Status Check

ℹ️ Skipped - page is already crawled

📄

INDEXABLE

✅

CRAWLED

12 days ago

🤖

ROBOTS ALLOWED

Page Info Filters

Filter	Status	Condition	Details
HTTP status	PASS	`download_http_code = 200`	HTTP 200
Age cutoff	PASS	`download_stamp > now() - 6 MONTH`	0.4 months ago
History drop	PASS	`isNull(history_drop_reason)`	No drop reason
Spam/ban	PASS	`fh_dont_index != 1 AND ml_spam_score = 0`	ml_spam_score=0
Canonical	PASS	`meta_canonical IS NULL OR = '' OR = src_unparsed`	Not set

Page Details

Property	Value
URL	https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-a-mac/
Last Crawled	2026-03-27 04:40:16 (12 days ago)
First Indexed	2017-10-26 21:35:23 (8 years ago)
HTTP Status Code	200
Meta Title	How to take a screenshot on a Mac - Digital Trends
Meta Description	null
Meta Canonical	null
Boilerpipe Text	For most new Mac users — especially if they’re coming from Windows — one of the first questions they need to ask is how to take a screenshot on a Mac? There’s no dedicated Print Screen key like there is on a PC, but there is keyboard shortcut, along with some great screenshot apps you can use. Here’s how to take a screenshot on MacOS in a few different ways. Recommended Videos How to take a screenshot using keyboard shortcuts MacOS keyboard shortcuts are the quickest ways to take screenshots, whether you’re capturing the entire screen or just a portion. By default, Apple’s methods save your screenshot to the desktop, but if you want to copy the screenshot to the clipboard, there’s a keyboard shortcut you can use instead. How to capture a selected area Digital Trends Press the Command + Shift + 4 keys simultaneously. With your pointer now turned into a crosshair, click and drag to draw a box around the region you want captured. When you let go of the mouse button, the screenshot saves to your desktop. How to capture a single window screenshot / Digital Trends Step 1 : Press the Command + Shift + 4 keys simultaneously so that your pointer becomes a crosshair. Step 2 : Press the Spacebar . The pointer changes to a camera icon. Step 3 : Any window you hover over is highlighted with a light blue overlay. Click on the window you want to capture, and the image saves to your desktop. This method doesn’t just capture windows — you can save the desktop, the menu bar, the dock, or even an open menu by itself. How to capture the entire screen Digital Trends Press and hold Command + Shift + 3 keys simultaneously for an instant capture of your desktop. This will include the Dock, Menu Bar, and everything else on the screen. You’ll hear the screenshot sound and the preview will appear in the bottom-right corner of your screen, giving you quick access to editing tools. The image you save consists of the window and its shadow against a transparent background (PNG). If you don’t want the shadow, press and hold the Option key (or Alt ) as you click to save the image. How to take a screenshot using the Touch Bar If you have one of the older MacBook Pro models with a Touch Bar , these options appear on the OLED strip. Another Touch Bar exclusive is taking a screenshot of the Touch Bar display, which can be done by hitting Shift + Command + 6. How to take a screenshot using the native Mac app Digital Trends Keyboard shortcuts work well for programmers, but a point-and-click user interface is easy for everyone to use. That’s why Apple also includes a Screenshot app, and it gives you even more control over screenshots. The app also lets you take screenshots after a five-second or 10-second delay, allowing you time to open a menu or do some other setup that might not be possible with the keyboard shortcut before capturing an image on your display. There are three ways (shown in steps 1 to 3 below) to find the Screenshot app. Open your Mac’s Launchpad and scroll through or type in the search box at the top to locate the Screenshot app, then double-click to open it. You can also hold Command + Spacebar to start a Spotlight Search. Begin typing “Screenshot,” and the app will soon appear in the results. Select Screenshot from the top section of the search results to open the app. If you see Screenshot lower in the results, that will start a web search for “screenshot” as a search term, so make sure to choose a result near the top. Open the Finder by choosing the smiling, blue face icon at the bottom-left of the Dock, then select Applications from the left sidebar. Next, open the Utilities folder, scroll down to find the Screenshot app, and open it. If you think you’ll use the Screenshot app frequently, you can keep it in the Dock by right-clicking the app icon and selecting Keep in dock from the Options menu. How to take a screenshot with the screenshot menu screenshot / Digital Trends The Screenshot app looks like a floating toolbar near the bottom of the screen with buttons that look like the type of screenshot that they capture. At the far left is full-screen capture, then window and partial-screen capture. In the next section, full- and partial-screen recording buttons appear, followed by an Options menu. and a Capture button. Choose one of the screenshot buttons, then Capture to grab a save of what’s on the screen. The Screenshot toolbar won’t be included in the capture. If something needs to be set up, such as a menu opened to show its contents in the screenshot, select the 5 seconds or 10 seconds delay from the Options menu. You can also pick a different default save location for your screenshots or send screenshots to another app like Mail or Messages. If you want to see the mouse pointer arrow in the screenshot, enable Show mouse pointer in the Options menu. The Floating Thumbnail option is enabled by default, but when taking multiple screenshots in a row, the thumbnail might be captured in some of the images since it appears on-screen. Switch Floating thumbnail off in the Options menu when you are taking quick screenshots. How to print screen on Mac using Preview screenshot / Digital Trends Step 1: Preview is the default tool that allows you to open everything from photos to PDF files (and here’s how to print PDFs ). It has plenty of lesser-known features, such as annotating documents and images by selecting the Markup icon in the upper-right. Preview captures screenshots, too. Start by opening the image by double-clicking it in the folder or opening it in Preview in Spotlight by using the Command + Space key command. Step 2: In the Preview app, open the File menu and the Take screenshot submenu, then choose the selection mode depending on your preference. Step 3: The keyboard shortcut method is far quicker, and the Screenshot app is easier, but Preview lets you name the file before saving it to your preferred location. Where to find screenshots on Mac So, you took your screenshot, but now you might be wondering where to find it. Your screenshots are saved, by default, to your desktop, which can be accessed through Finder under Desktop or just by accessing the desktop directly. However, that can lead to a very messy desktop. If you have macOS Mojave or later, the default location of screenshots can be changed in the Screenshot app. In terms of file format, the default for saved screenshots is PNG. To change this, open up Terminal . Ignoring the quotation marks, type in the following command: “ defaults write com.apple.screencapture type ” — followed by space and the file format you want, whether that’s JPG, PDF, or some other image format. Finally, hit the Return key. How to add annotations to a screenshot The macOS Markup capabilities are built into the Screenshot app. That means you can easily add highlights to text, draw arrows to point out details, make freehand sketches, add your signature, and much more to any screen capture. screenshot / Digital Trends Step 1 : To see the Markup toolbar, just select the thumbnail that appears in the bottom-right corner after taking a screenshot. Step 2 : After you select the screenshot’s thumbnail, it opens in a window with a Markup toolbar at the top. This is a system utility window that appears above all other windows and lacks the usual maximize, minimize, and sizing options of an app window. There are several drawing tools, a text tool, a signature option that lets you sign on your trackpad or take a photo of an ink and paper signature with a webcam or iPhone, and more. Step 3 : Perfect squares and circles are possible when using the Shapes tool, but the Sketch tool at the top-left is quite helpful at correcting wobbly, hand-drawn shapes, including boxes, stars, triangles, ovals, and arrows. Step 4 : It’s also easy to edit your drawings and annotations — Preview is the best Paint equivalent on macOS . Deselect the current tool so the cursor becomes an arrow and choose any annotation to adjust its size, position, and color. Hit the Delete key to remove that sketch, text, or signature. Step 5 : When you’re satisfied with marking up the screenshot, choose the Done button at the upper right to save the image. You can also use the Share menu to AirDrop and send to another app, or simply trash the screenshot if you’ve decided you don’t want it. Screenshot tips and tricks There are a few tricks that use the Mac keyboard to change how a screenshot works. These tips work no matter whether you started the screenshot with a keyboard shortcut, the Screenshot app, or the Preview app. Press and hold the Control key while capturing a screen grab to copy it to the clipboard instead of saving it as a file. The *= Option key is quite useful for Mac screenshots as well. Hold Option when you’re taking a screenshot of a window to remove the shadow that will otherwise surround the window in the image. If you hold down Option while changing the dotted outline in a partial screenshot, dragging an edge or corner makes the same movement on the opposite corner or edge. It’s a handy way to keep the center in place while resizing the area of the screen that will be captured. How to take screenshots on other devices If you own other Apple devices, you might also be wondering how to take a screenshot on an iPhone . It’s simple enough, though it depends on what generation of device you have. If you have an older iPhone that still has a Home button, it’s as easy as holding the Home button and the Power button at the same time. On newer devices without a Home button, hold the Volume up button and the Power button at the same time. The same method applies when taking a screenshot on an iPad . Learning how to take a screenshot on a Windows PC or laptop can be tricky if you’re more familiar with MacOS. There are still a number of keyboard shortcuts involving the Print Screen key that’ll do the trick, as well as the built-in Snipping Windows application. This same method applies when taking a screenshot on a Microsoft Surface device or any other Windows tablet or 2-in-1. Chromebooks have their own unique way of handling screenshots , too.
Markdown	[Skip to main content](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-a-mac/#h-maincontent) Menu [Digital Trends](https://www.digitaltrends.com/) [Computing](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/)[AI](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/artificial-intelligence/)[Phones](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/)[Gaming](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/)[Entertainment](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/)[Audio / Video](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/)[Autos](https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/)[Smart Home](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/)[Videos](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/videos/) Search - Computing Computing - [See All Computing](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/) - Trending Topics - [Laptops](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/laptops/) - [Software](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/software/) - [PC Gaming](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/pc-gaming/) - [Graphics Cards](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/gpu/) - Trending Guides - [ChatGPT](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-use-openai-chatgpt-text-generation-chatbot/) - [What is a Chromebook?](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/chromebook-vs-laptop/) - [How to Choose a Laptop](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/laptop-buying-guide/) - [Windows 11 vs Windows 10](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/windows-11-vs-windows-10/) - [How to Download YouTube Videos](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/how-to-download-youtube-videos/) - AI AI - [See All AI](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/artificial-intelligence/) - Trending Topics - [GPT-5](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/gpt-5/) - [Copilot](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/what-is-copilot/) - [Grok](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/what-is-grok/) - [DeepSeek](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/what-is-deepseek-everything-you-need-to-know/) - [Perplexity](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/perplexity-ai-everything-you-need-to-know/) - [Google Gemini](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/google-gemini-everything-you-need-to-know/) - [Apple Intelligence](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/apple-intelligence-everything-we-know-so-far/) - [ChatGPT](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-use-openai-chatgpt-text-generation-chatbot/) - Trending Guides - [How to Use Gemini](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-use-google-gemini/) - [How to Use Apple Intelligence on Mac](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablets/how-to-use-apple-intelligence-on-your-mac/) - [What to Know About AI agents](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/what-are-ai-agents/) - [Building an AI PC](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-built-ultimate-ai-machine-learning-pc/) - [How to Use Gemini in Google Docs](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-use-gemini-ai-write-anything-in-docs/) - [How to Use Copilot AI](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-use-microsoft-copilot-free/) - [Things AI Can Do](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/7-things-you-didnt-know-you-could-do-with-ai/) - [Free AI Classes](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/need-to-get-better-at-ai-the-worlds-top-universities-are-gifting-you-their-best-classes/) - [AI Beginneer Guide](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-turn-beginner-ai-prompts-into-better-results/) - Phones Phones - [See All Phones](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/) - Phones Trending Topics - [5G](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/5g/) - [Phone Apps](https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/apps/) - [iPhone](https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/iphone/) - [Android](https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/android/) - Trending Guides - [What is 5G?](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/what-is-5g/) - [How to Unlock a Phone](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/how-to-unlock-a-phone-on-every-carrier/) - [How to Stop Spam Calls](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/how-to-stop-block-spam-calls-iphone-and-android-phones/) - [Best Stock Trading Apps](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/best-stock-trading-apps/) - [How to Use WhatsApp Web](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/how-to-use-whatsapp-web/) - Gaming Gaming - [See All Gaming](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/) - Trending Gaming Topics - [Xbox](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/xbox/) - [PlayStation](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/playstation/) - [PC Gaming](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/pc-gaming/) - [Cloud Gaming](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/cloud-gaming/) - [Nintendo Switch](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/nintendo-switch/) - Trending Guides - [Wordle Today](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/wordle-today-answer-hints/) - [Xbox Series X vs PS5](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/xbox-series-x-vs-ps5/) - [Upcoming PS5 Games](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/upcoming-ps5-games/) - [All Cross-Platform Games](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/all-cross-platform-games/) - [Upcoming Switch Games](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/upcoming-switch-games/) - Entertainment Entertainment - [See All Entertainment](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/) - Trending Topics - [Sci-Fi](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/sci-fi/) - [Action](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/action/) - [Marvel](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/marvel/) - [Fantasy](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/fantasy/) - [DC Comics](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/dc/) - Trending Guides - [Best New Movies](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/best-new-movies-to-stream-this-week/) - [Best New Shows](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/best-new-shows-to-stream-this-week/) - [Best Shows on Netflix](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/best-shows-on-netflix/) - [Best Movies on Netflix](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/best-movies-on-netflix/) - [Best Shows on Disney Plus](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/best-shows-on-disney-plus/) - ‎What to Watch - [Best Movies on Disney Plus](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/best-movies-on-disney-plus/) - [Best Shows on Amazon Prime](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/best-shows-on-amazon-prime/) - [Best Movies on Amazon Prime](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/best-movies-on-amazon-prime/) - [Most Popular Movies on Netflix](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/the-10-most-popular-movies-on-netflix-right-now/) - [See All Streaming Guides](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/streaming-guides/) - Audio / Video Audio / Video - [See All Audio / Video](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/) - Trending Topics - [TVs](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/tv/) - [Speakers](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/speakers/) - [Soundbars](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/soundbars/) - [Headphones](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/headphones/) - [Streaming Services](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/streaming/) - Trending Guides - [Fubo TV](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/fubotv-channels-pricing-features/) - [Sling TV](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/sling-tv-channels-pricing/) - [YouTube TV](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/what-is-youtube-tv/) - [QLED vs OLED](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/qled-vs-oled-tv/) - [What is Sonos?](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/sonos-speakers-app-wireless-music/) - Autos Autos - [See All Autos](https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/) - Trending Auto Reviews - [Toyota Prius Prime Review](https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/2023-toyota-prius-prime-review/) - [Lexus RZ 450e Review](https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/2023-lexus-rz-450e-review/) - [Mercedes EQE AMG SUV Review](https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/2024-mercedes-amg-eqe-suv-review/) - [BMW XM Review](https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/2023-bmw-xm-review/) - [Hyundai Ioniq 6 Review](https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/2023-bmw-xm-review/) - Trending Auto Guides - [NACS charging](https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/ev-companies-using-tesla-nacs-charging-connector/) - [EV tax credits](https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/federal-ev-tax-credit-qualifying-car-models/) - [Best Level 2 EV chargers](https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/best-ev-charging-stations/) - [Rivian R2 SUV](https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/rivian-r2-everything-we-know-so-far/) - [Volvo EX90 SUV](https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/volvo-ex90-price-range-trim-specs/) - Browse Autos by Type - [Car News](https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/news/) - [Car Guides](https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/guides) - [Car Features](https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/features/) - [Car Reviews](https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/reviews/) - [Car Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/deals/) - Smart Home Smart Home - [See All Smart Home](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/) - Smart Home Trending Topics - [Google Nest](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/google-nest/) - [Amazon Alexa](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/alexa/) - [Home Security](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/home-security/) - [Video Doorbell](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/video-doorbell/) - [Robot Vacuums](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/robot-vacuum/) - Browse Smart Home - [Smart Home News](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/news/) - [Smart Home Guides](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/guides/) - [Smart Home Features](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/features/) - [Smart Home Reviews](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/reviews/) - [Smart Home Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/deals/) - Tablets Tablets - [See All Tablets](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablets/) - Trending Topics - [Apple iPad](https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/ipad/) - [Samsung Galaxy Tablets](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablets/samsung-galaxy-tablets/) - [Google Pixel Tablets](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablets/google-pixel-tablets/) - [iPadOS 26](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablets/ipados-19-everything-you-need-to-know/) - [Android 16](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablets/android-16-everything-you-need-to-know/) - Trending Guides - [Best Tablets](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablets/best-tablets/) - [Best iPads](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablets/best-ipad/) - [Best Tablet Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablets/best-tablet-deals/) - [Best iPad Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablets/best-ipad-deals/) - [Best Samsung Tablet Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablets/samsung-tablet-deals/) - [Best Android Tablets](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablets/best-android-tablets/) - [Best iPad Screen Size](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablets/whats-the-best-ipad-screen-size-should-you-go-11-inch-or-13-inch/) - Wearables Wearables - [See All Wearables](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wearables/) - Trending Topics - [Apple Watch](https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/apple-watch/) - [Google Pixel Watches](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wearables/google-pixels-watches/) - [Samsung Galaxy Watches](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wearables/samsung-galaxy-watches/) - [Apple Watch Series 11](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wearables/apple-watch-series-11-everything-you-need-to-know/) - [watchOS 26](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wearables/watchos-12-everything-you-need-to-know/) - Trending Guides - [Best Smartwatches](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wearables/best-smartwatch/) - [Best Smartwatch Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wearables/best-smartwatch-deals/) - [Best Android Smartwatches](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wearables/best-android-smartwatches/) - [Best Samsung Galaxy Watch](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wearables/best-samsung-galaxy-smartwatches/) - Best Products Best Products - [See All Best Products](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/best-products/) - Best Computing Products - [Best Laptops](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/best-laptops/) - [Best Chromebooks](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/best-chromebooks/) - [Best Gaming Laptops](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/best-gaming-laptops/) - [Best Desktop Computer](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wearables/best-desktop-computers/) - [Best Graphics Cards](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/best-graphics-cards/) - Best Mobile Devices - [Best Smartphone](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/best-smartphones/) - [Best Tablets](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablets/best-tablets/) - [Best Smartwatches](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wearables/best-smartwatch/) - [Best Fitness Trackers](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wearables/best-fitness-trackers/) - [Best Smart Notebooks](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablets/best-smart-notebooks/) - Best Audio / Video Products - [Best TVs](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/best-tvs/) - [Best Speakers](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/best-speakers/) - [Best Projectors](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/best-home-theater-projectors/) - [Best Soundbars](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/best-soundbars/) - [Best Headphones](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/best-headphones/) - Best Video Games - [Best Mac Games](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/best-mac-games/) - [Best PS5 Games](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/best-ps5-games/) - [Best Games on PS Plus](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/best-games-on-playstation-plus-ps-extra-premium/) - [Best Xbox Series X Games](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/best-xbox-series-x-games/) - [Best Nintendo Switch Games](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/best-switch-games/) - Deals Deals - [See All Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/dtdeals/best-deals/) - Computing Deals - [Best Laptop Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/best-laptop-deals/) - [Best MacBook Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/best-macbook-deals/) - [Best Gaming PC Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/best-gaming-pc-deals/) - [Best Chromebook Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/cheap-chromebook-deals/) - [Best Gaming Laptop Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/best-gaming-laptop-deals/) - Gaming Deals - [Best PS5 Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/best-ps5-deals/) - [Best Lego Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/best-lego-deals/) - [Best Xbox Series S Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/best-xbox-series-s-deals/) - [Best Xbox Series X Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/best-xbox-series-x-deals/) - [Best Nintendo Switch Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/nintendo-switch-deals/) - Mobile Deals - [Best iPad Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablets/best-ipad-deals/) - [Best Tablet Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablets/best-tablet-deals/) - [Best Google Pixel Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wearables/best-google-pixel-deals/) - [Best Apple Watch Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wearables/best-apple-watch-deals/) - Home Theater Deals - [Best TV Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/best-4k-tv-deals/) - [Best Sony TV Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/best-sony-tv-deals/) - [Best 75-inch TV Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/best-75-inch-tv-deals/) - [Best Headphone Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/best-headphone-deals/) - Smart Home Deals - [Best Dyson Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/best-dyson-deals/) - [Best Amazon Echo Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/best-amazon-echo-deals/) - [Best Cordless Vacuum Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/best-cheap-cordless-vacuum-deals/) - Retailers - [Best Walmart Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablets/walmart-deals/) - [Best Alienware Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/best-alienware-deals/) - Trending Deals - [Best Camera Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/best-camera-deals/) - [Best Prime Day Deals](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/best-amazon-prime-day-deals/) - Reviews Reviews - [See All Reviews](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/product-reviews/) - Computing Reviews - [Mac Reviews](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/mac-reviews/) - [Printer Reviews](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/printer-reviews/) - [Laptop Reviews](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/laptop-reviews/) - [Monitor Reviews](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/monitor-reviews/) - [Desktop Reviews](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/desktop-computer-reviews/) - Mobile Reviews - [Smartphone Reviews](https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/cell-phone-reviews/) - [Tablet Reviews](https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/tablet-reviews/) - [Smartwatch Reviews](https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/smartwatch-reviews/) - [Fitness Tracker Reviews](https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/fitness-tracker-reviews/) - [iPhone and iPad Reviews](https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/iphone-ipad-reviews/) - Audio / Video Reviews - [TV Reviews](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/tv-reviews/) - [Speaker Reviews](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/speaker-reviews/) - [Soundbar Reviews](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/sound-bar-reviews/) - [Headphones Reviews](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/headphone-reviews/) - [Media Streamer Reviews](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/media-streamer-reviews/) - More Reviews - [Game Reviews](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/game-reviews/) - [Movie and TV Show Reviews](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movie-reviews/) - [Smart Home Reviews](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/smart-home-reviews/) - [Power Station Reviews](https://www.digitaltrends.com/outdoors/power-station-reviews/) - [eBike Reviews](https://www.digitaltrends.com/outdoors/ebike-reviews/) - [News](https://www.digitaltrends.com/news/) - [Videos](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/videos/) - [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8wXC0ZCfGt3HaVLy_fdTQw?sub_confirmation=1) - [Giveaways](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/giveaways/) - More More - Brands - [Dell](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/dell/) - [Apple](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/apple/) - [Google](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/google/) - [Samsung](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/samsung/) - [Microsoft](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/microsoft/) - Buying Guides - [Best Kindles](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/best-kindle/) - [Best Bluetooth Trackers](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/best-bluetooth-trackers/) - [Best Portable Power Stations](https://www.digitaltrends.com/outdoors/best-portable-power-stations/) - [Best Live TV Streaming Services](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/best-live-tv-streaming-services/) - Original Series - [You Asked](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/you-asked/) - [Weekend Watchlist](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/weekend-watchlist/) - [QuickCharge: This Week in EV](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/week-in-ev/) - [Tech for Change](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/tech-for-change/) - [Genius Home](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/genius-home/) - [See All Original Series](https://www.digitaltrends.com/original-series/) - More Topics - [Space](https://www.digitaltrends.com/space/) - [Outdoors](https://www.digitaltrends.com/outdoors/) - [Portable Power Stations](https://www.digitaltrends.com/outdoors/portable-power-stations/) - [Versus](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/versus/) - [Business](https://www.digitaltrends.com/business/) - [See All Topics](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/) - Trending: - [iOS 26.4 Released](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/apple-releases-ios-26-4-with-playlist-playground-new-emojis-and-a-crucial-family-sharing-fix/) - [Fight for Control of Smart TVs](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/warner-disney-and-nbc-are-fighting-google-apple-over-control-of-your-smart-tvs/) - [macOS 26.4 Released](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/macos-26-4-is-out-now-with-subtle-upgrades-and-a-big-hint-about-the-future/) - [AirPods Max 2 Headphones](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/airpods-max-2-arrive-with-improved-noise-cancellation-lossless-audio-and-new-smart-features-in-a-familiar-design/) - [MacBook Neo Gaming](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/can-the-599-macbook-neo-actually-handle-gaming-a-new-test-tries-to-find-out/) - [Google Maps AI Upgrade](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/ai-search-meets-3d-navigation-in-googles-biggest-maps-overhaul/) - [MacBook Neo](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/apple-macbook-neo-launched-everything-you-need-to-know/) - [Sony’s PC Retreat](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/sony-will-no-longer-bring-its-first-party-games-to-pcs-and-its-a-huge-shift/) - [M5 MacBook Pro](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/macbook-pro-jumps-to-m5-pro-and-max-silicon-faster-storage-and-higher-prices/) - [M5 MacBook Air](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/macbook-air-gets-faster-m5-chip-double-the-storage-and-a-price-hike/) - [New Studio Display XDR](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/apples-new-studio-display-xdr-shrinks-pro-xdr-into-a-brighter-more-affordable-miniled-monitor/) - [M4 iPad Air](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/ipad-air-gets-faster-m4-chip-and-wireless-connectivity-without-a-price-hike/) - [Apple Unveils iPhone 17e](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/apple-unveils-faster-sturdier-and-more-spacious-iphone-17e-at-the-same-599-ask/) - [Galaxy Unpacked 2026](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/everything-samsung-announced-at-the-galaxy-s26-launch-event/) - [Best Handheld PCs](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/handheld-gaming-pc/) - [How to Use AI Browsers](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/ai-browsers-are-here-and-you-need-to-learn-how-to-use-the-web-properly/) - [iPhone 17 Alternatives](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/3-alternatives-apple-iphone-17/) - [AirPods Finally Won’t Fall Out](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/ive-been-testing-the-airpods-pro-3-on-long-runs-its-bad-news-for-jabra/) - [Favorite Gemini Prompts](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/these-are-my-favorite-google-gemini-prompts-after-100-hours-using-the-ai-chatbot/) - [PC Gamer Switching to Console](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/im-a-pc-builder-of-20-years-the-latest-games-make-me-want-to-switch-to-console/) - [Swap RTX 4060 for 5060](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/i-swapped-my-rtx-4060-for-the-rtx-5060-and-heres-what-i-found/) - [Best iPhone 17 Pro Color?](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/best-iphone-17-pro-color/) - [GPT-5 Explained](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/gpt-5/) - [Next Apple TV](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/the-next-apple-tv-draws-closer-and-it-could-be-a-true-game-changer/) - [PlayStation 6](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/playstation-6-ps6-everything-we-know-so-far/) - [iPhone: What To Know](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/iphone-everything-you-need-to-know/) - [One UI 8](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/one-ui-8-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-latest-samsung-galaxy-update/) - [iPad: What To Know](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablets/ipad-everything-you-need-to-know/) - [Upcoming Games](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/upcoming-video-games-2-2/) - [Google Pixel Leaks](https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/googles-confirmed-new-pixel-phones-watch-and-buds-and-now-weve-probably-seen-them-as-well/) - [Galaxy Watch 8 Series](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wearables/i-tried-the-samsung-galaxy-watch-8-series-theyre-sleek-but-with-a-lot-to-prove/) - [Best Flagship Phone Battery?](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/i-tested-10-flagship-phones-this-has-the-best-battery/) - [Xbox VR Headset?](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/meta-quest-3s-xbox-edition-announced/) - [5 Things the iPhone 17 Needs](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/5-things-the-iphone-17-needs-to-make-it-a-compelling-upgrade/) - [Every iPhone Release](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/every-iphone-release-in-chronological-order/) 1. [Home](https://www.digitaltrends.com/) 2. [Computing](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/) 3. [Evergreens](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/guides/) # How to take a screenshot on a Mac By [Kevin Parrish](https://www.digitaltrends.com/users/kparrish/) and [Alan Truly](https://www.digitaltrends.com/users/atruly/) Updated April 14, 2024 [![Add as a preferred source on Google](https://www.digitaltrends.com/content/themes/dt-stardust/assets/images/google_preferred_source.webp)](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=https://www.digitaltrends.com "Add as a preferred source on Google") Save For most new Mac users — especially if they’re coming from Windows — one of the first questions they need to ask is how to take a screenshot on a Mac? There’s no dedicated Print Screen key like there is on a PC, but there is keyboard shortcut, along with some great screenshot apps you can use. Here’s how to take a screenshot on [MacOS](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/macos-update-everything-you-need-to-know/) in a few different ways. Recommended Videos ## How to take a screenshot using keyboard shortcuts [MacOS keyboard shortcuts](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/mac-keyboard-shortcuts/) are the quickest ways to take screenshots, whether you’re capturing the entire screen or just a portion. By default, Apple’s methods save your screenshot to the desktop, but if you want to copy the screenshot to the clipboard, there’s a keyboard shortcut you can use instead. ### How to capture a selected area ![An Apple keyboard with certain keys highlighted.](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) Digital Trends Press the Command + Shift + 4 keys simultaneously. With your pointer now turned into a crosshair, click and drag to draw a box around the region you want captured. When you let go of the mouse button, the screenshot saves to your desktop. ### How to capture a single window ![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) screenshot / Digital Trends Step 1: Press the Command + Shift + 4 keys simultaneously so that your pointer becomes a crosshair. Step 2: Press the Spacebar. The pointer changes to a camera icon. Step 3: Any window you hover over is highlighted with a light blue overlay. Click on the window you want to capture, and the image saves to your desktop. This method doesn’t just capture windows — you can save the desktop, the menu bar, the dock, or even an open menu by itself. ### How to capture the entire screen ![Apple keyboard with keys marked.](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) Digital Trends Press and hold Command + Shift + 3 keys simultaneously for an instant capture of your desktop. This will include the Dock, Menu Bar, and everything else on the screen. You’ll hear the screenshot sound and the preview will appear in the bottom-right corner of your screen, giving you quick access to editing tools. The image you save consists of the window and its shadow against a transparent background (PNG). If you don’t want the shadow, press and hold the Option key (or Alt) as you click to save the image. ### How to take a screenshot using the Touch Bar If you have one of the older [MacBook Pro models with a Touch Bar](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/macbook-pro-13-buyers-guide/), these options appear on the OLED strip. Another Touch Bar exclusive is taking a screenshot of the Touch Bar display, which can be done by hitting Shift + Command + 6. ## How to take a screenshot using the native Mac app ![Launchpad has a Utilities folder that contains Screenshot and other useful apps.](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) Digital Trends Keyboard shortcuts work well for programmers, but a point-and-click user interface is easy for everyone to use. That’s why Apple also includes a Screenshot app, and it gives you even more control over screenshots. The app also lets you take screenshots after a five-second or 10-second delay, allowing you time to open a menu or do some other setup that might not be possible with the keyboard shortcut before capturing an image on your display. There are three ways (shown in steps 1 to 3 below) to find the Screenshot app. - Open your Mac’s Launchpad and scroll through or type in the search box at the top to locate the Screenshot app, then double-click to open it. - You can also hold Command + Spacebar to start a Spotlight Search. Begin typing “Screenshot,” and the app will soon appear in the results. Select Screenshot from the top section of the search results to open the app. If you see Screenshot lower in the results, that will start a web search for “screenshot” as a search term, so make sure to choose a result near the top. - Open the Finder by choosing the smiling, blue face icon at the bottom-left of the Dock, then select Applications from the left sidebar. Next, open the Utilities folder, scroll down to find the Screenshot app, and open it. If you think you’ll use the Screenshot app frequently, you can keep it in the Dock by right-clicking the app icon and selecting Keep in dock from the Options menu. ## How to take a screenshot with the screenshot menu ![The Screenshot toolbar appears at the bottom of a Mac screen with an arrow pointing to the Capture button.](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) screenshot / Digital Trends The Screenshot app looks like a floating toolbar near the bottom of the screen with buttons that look like the type of screenshot that they capture. At the far left is full-screen capture, then window and partial-screen capture. In the next section, full- and partial-screen recording buttons appear, followed by an Options menu. and a Capture button. Choose one of the screenshot buttons, then Capture to grab a save of what’s on the screen. The Screenshot toolbar won’t be included in the capture. If something needs to be set up, such as a menu opened to show its contents in the screenshot, select the 5 seconds or 10 seconds delay from the Options menu. You can also pick a different [default save location for your screenshots](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-change-where-screenshots-are-saved-on-a-mac/) or send screenshots to another app like Mail or Messages. If you want to see the mouse pointer arrow in the screenshot, enable Show mouse pointer in the Options menu. The Floating Thumbnail option is enabled by default, but when taking multiple screenshots in a row, the thumbnail might be captured in some of the images since it appears on-screen. Switch Floating thumbnail off in the Options menu when you are taking quick screenshots. ## How to print screen on Mac using Preview ![The Preview app can capture three types of screenshots.](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) screenshot / Digital Trends Step 1: Preview is the default tool that allows you to open everything from photos to [PDF files](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-split-and-combine-pdfs-on-mac-using-preview/) (and here’s [how to print PDFs](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-print-pdf-on-a-mac/)). It has plenty of lesser-known features, such as annotating documents and images by selecting the Markup icon in the upper-right. Preview captures screenshots, too. Start by opening the image by double-clicking it in the folder or opening it in Preview in Spotlight by using the Command + Space key command. Step 2: In the Preview app, open the File menu and the Take screenshot submenu, then choose the selection mode depending on your preference. Step 3: The keyboard shortcut method is far quicker, and the Screenshot app is easier, but Preview lets you name the file before saving it to your preferred location. ## Where to find screenshots on Mac So, you took your screenshot, but now you might be wondering where to find it. Your screenshots are saved, by default, to your desktop, which can be accessed through Finder under Desktop or just by accessing the desktop directly. However, that can lead to a very messy desktop. If you have macOS Mojave or later, the default location of screenshots can be changed in the Screenshot app. In terms of file format, the default for saved screenshots is PNG. To change this, open up Terminal. Ignoring the quotation marks, type in the following command: “defaults write com.apple.screencapture type” — followed by space and the file format you want, whether that’s JPG, PDF, or some other image format. Finally, hit the Return key. ## How to add annotations to a screenshot The macOS Markup capabilities are built into the Screenshot app. That means you can easily add highlights to text, draw arrows to point out details, make freehand sketches, add your signature, and much more to any screen capture. ![A screenshot of using Markup in the Preview app.](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) screenshot / Digital Trends Step 1: To see the Markup toolbar, just select the thumbnail that appears in the bottom-right corner after taking a screenshot. Step 2: After you select the screenshot’s thumbnail, it opens in a window with a Markup toolbar at the top. This is a system utility window that appears above all other windows and lacks the usual maximize, minimize, and sizing options of an app window. There are several drawing tools, a text tool, a signature option that lets you sign on your trackpad or take a photo of an ink and paper signature with a webcam or iPhone, and more. Step 3: Perfect squares and circles are possible when using the Shapes tool, but the Sketch tool at the top-left is quite helpful at correcting wobbly, hand-drawn shapes, including boxes, stars, triangles, ovals, and arrows. Step 4: It’s also easy to edit your drawings and annotations — Preview is the [best Paint equivalent on macOS](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/paint-equivalent-for-mac/). Deselect the current tool so the cursor becomes an arrow and choose any annotation to adjust its size, position, and color. Hit the Delete key to remove that sketch, text, or signature. Step 5: When you’re satisfied with marking up the screenshot, choose the Done button at the upper right to save the image. [You can also use the Share menu to AirDrop](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-share-files-other-people-mac/) and send to another app, or simply trash the screenshot if you’ve decided you don’t want it. ## Screenshot tips and tricks There are a few tricks that use the Mac keyboard to change how a screenshot works. These tips work no matter whether you started the screenshot with a keyboard shortcut, the Screenshot app, or the Preview app. Press and hold the Control key while capturing a screen grab to copy it to the clipboard instead of saving it as a file. The \=Option* key is quite useful for Mac screenshots as well. Hold Option when you’re taking a screenshot of a window to remove the shadow that will otherwise surround the window in the image. If you hold down Option while changing the dotted outline in a partial screenshot, dragging an edge or corner makes the same movement on the opposite corner or edge. It’s a handy way to keep the center in place while resizing the area of the screen that will be captured. ## How to take screenshots on other devices If you own other Apple devices, you might also be wondering [how to take a screenshot on an iPhone](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/how-to-take-a-screenshot-iphone/). It’s simple enough, though it depends on what generation of device you have. If you have an older iPhone that still has a Home button, it’s as easy as holding the Home button and the Power button at the same time. On newer devices without a Home button, hold the Volume up button and the Power button at the same time. The same method applies when [taking a screenshot on an iPad](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablets/how-to-take-a-screenshot-ipad/). Learning [how to take a screenshot on a Windows PC or laptop](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-pc/) can be tricky if you’re more familiar with MacOS. There are still a number of keyboard shortcuts involving the Print Screen key that’ll do the trick, as well as the built-in Snipping Windows application. This same method applies when [taking a screenshot on a Microsoft Surface](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-a-microsoft-surface/) device or any other Windows tablet or 2-in-1. [Chromebooks have their own unique way of handling screenshots](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-a-chromebook/), too. ![Kevin Parrish](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) [Kevin Parrish](https://www.digitaltrends.com/users/kparrish/) Former Contributor [facebook](https://www.facebook.com/exfileme) [twitter](https://twitter.com/exfileme) Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then… Topics - [Apple](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/apple/) - [Mac](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/mac/) - [Software](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/software/) - [Computing](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/) A simple coding mistake is exposing API keys across thousands of websites Security gaps that are easier to miss than you think ![Computer, Electronics, Laptop](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) After analyzing 10 million webpages, researchers have found thousands of websites accidentally exposing sensitive API credentials, including keys linked to major services like Amazon Web Services, Stripe, and OpenAI. This is a serious issue because APIs act as the backbone of the apps we use today. They allow websites to connect to services like payments, cloud storage, and AI tools, but they rely on digital keys to stay secure. Once exposed, API keys can allow anyone to interact with those services with malicious intent. [Read more](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/a-simple-coding-mistake-is-exposing-api-keys-across-thousands-of-websites/) - [Computing](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/) AMD’s latest Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 pushes X3D to the limit Dual 3D V-Cache, higher power, and a focus on enthusiast performance ![AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 FEatured](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) AMD has unveiled what might be its most extreme desktop CPU yet, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D2. And it’s going all-in on one thing: cache. https://twitter.com/jackhuynh/status/2037159705395491033?s=20 [Read more](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/amds-latest-ryzen-9-9950x3d2-pushes-x3d-to-the-limit/) - [Computing](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/) Next-gen AI breakthrough promises chatbots that can read the room better Researchers are teaching AI chatbots to read between the lines ![Generative AI](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) Have you ever asked a chatbot something and felt like it completely missed your point? You say something with a bit of nuance, and the AI misses the subtlety entirely. That is exactly the problem researchers are trying to solve. Even though the emotional connection with AI can feel deeper than human conversation for many users, most AI systems today still treat a sentence as a single block of sentiment. If you mix praise and criticism, the nuance often gets lost. [Read more](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/next-gen-ai-breakthrough-promises-chatbots-that-can-read-the-room-better/) ## More Apple ![Apple iPhone 17 Pro in Cosmic Orange next to the iPhone 17 Pro Max in Deep Blue](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) ### [iPhone 18 leaks are pouring in, but these Apple rumors excite me the most](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/iphone-18/) ![iPhone 17 iPhone Air iPhone 17 Pro iPhone 17 Pro Max pre-order date](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) ### [These are the best iPhone 17 and iPhone Air deals: save on every new iPhone](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/iphone-17-deals/) ![The back of the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max.](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) ### [Your complete guide to the Apple iPhone, an icon of mobile](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/iphone-everything-you-need-to-know/) ![Apple Watch SE3 in array](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) ### [Apple Watch SE 3: everything announced at launch](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wearables/apple-watch-se-3/) ![iPhone Air held up , surrounded by the letters A and R](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7) ### [iPhone Air: everything you need to know about Apple’s thinnest phone](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/apple-iphone-17-air/) ![Branding Logo](https://www.digitaltrends.com/uploads/2025/11/Digital-Trends-Newsletter-Module-Update.jpg) Upgrade your inbox: sign-up for our newsletters Check your inbox\! [Privacy Policy](https://www.dtmg.co/privacy-policy) Upgrade your lifestyleDigital Trends helps readers keep tabs on the fast-paced world of tech with all the latest news, fun product reviews, insightful editorials, and one-of-a-kind sneak peeks. - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/DigitalTrends) - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/digitaltrends/) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/digitaltrends) - [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8wXC0ZCfGt3HaVLy_fdTQw?sub_confirmation=1) - [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@digitaltrends) - [Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/digitaltrends/) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/digitaltrends-com/) - [Flipboard](https://flipboard.com/@DigitalTrends) - [Phones](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/) - [Computing](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/) - [Gaming](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/) - [Audio / Video](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/) - [Smart Home](https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/) - [Entertainment](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/) - [Automotive](https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/) - [Tablets](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablets/) - [Wearables](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wearables/) - [Space](https://www.digitaltrends.com/space/) - [Streaming Guides](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/streaming/) - [Best Products](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/best-products/) - [How-To Guides](https://www.digitaltrends.com/topic/how-to/) - [Original Series](https://www.digitaltrends.com/original-series/) - [About Us](https://www.digitaltrends.com/about/) - [Contact Us](https://www.digitaltrends.com/contact-us/) - [Advertise With Us](https://www.digitaltrends.com/advertise-with-us/) - [Editorial Guidelines](https://www.digitaltrends.com/editorial-guidelines/) - [Logo & Accolade Licensing](https://www.adcetera.com/?utm_campaign=cl&utm_source=digitaltrends&utm_content=licensing_and_accolades&utm_medium=web) - [Subscribe to our Newsletter](https://www.digitaltrends.com/newsletter/) - [Branded Content](https://www.digitaltrends.com/brc/) - [Digital Trends Wallpapers](https://www.digitaltrends.com/wallpapers/) - [Digital Trends in Spanish](https://es.digitaltrends.com/) - [Digital Trends App Bundle](https://www.digitaltrends.com/digital-trends-app-bundle/) [![Digital Trends Media Group](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)](https://www.dtmg.co/) Digital Trends Media Group 6420 S. Macadam Ave, Suite 216 Portland, OR 97239 - [Careers](https://www.dtmg.co/careers) - [Work With Us](https://www.dtmg.co/work-with-us) - [Diversity & Inclusion](https://www.dtmg.co/diversity-equity-inclusion) - [Terms of Use](https://www.dtmg.co/terms-of-use) - [Privacy Policy](https://www.dtmg.co/privacy-policy) - [Press Room](https://www.dtmg.co/press-room) - Manage Privacy Options Manage Privacy Options - [Sitemap](https://www.digitaltrends.com/sitemap/) Digital Trends Media Group may earn a commission when you buy through links on our sites. ©2026 [Digital Trends Media Group](https://www.dtmg.co/), a Designtechnica Company. All rights reserved.
Readable Markdown	For most new Mac users — especially if they’re coming from Windows — one of the first questions they need to ask is how to take a screenshot on a Mac? There’s no dedicated Print Screen key like there is on a PC, but there is keyboard shortcut, along with some great screenshot apps you can use. Here’s how to take a screenshot on [MacOS](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/macos-update-everything-you-need-to-know/) in a few different ways. Recommended Videos ## How to take a screenshot using keyboard shortcuts [MacOS keyboard shortcuts](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/mac-keyboard-shortcuts/) are the quickest ways to take screenshots, whether you’re capturing the entire screen or just a portion. By default, Apple’s methods save your screenshot to the desktop, but if you want to copy the screenshot to the clipboard, there’s a keyboard shortcut you can use instead. ### How to capture a selected area ![An Apple keyboard with certain keys highlighted.](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tachyon/2018/02/applecompactkeyboardusb-2.jpg?resize=720%2C720) Digital Trends Press the Command + Shift + 4 keys simultaneously. With your pointer now turned into a crosshair, click and drag to draw a box around the region you want captured. When you let go of the mouse button, the screenshot saves to your desktop. ### How to capture a single window ![](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tachyon/2023/07/macos-big-sur-safari-screenshot-window.jpg?resize=720%2C720) screenshot / Digital Trends Step 1: Press the Command + Shift + 4 keys simultaneously so that your pointer becomes a crosshair. Step 2: Press the Spacebar. The pointer changes to a camera icon. Step 3: Any window you hover over is highlighted with a light blue overlay. Click on the window you want to capture, and the image saves to your desktop. This method doesn’t just capture windows — you can save the desktop, the menu bar, the dock, or even an open menu by itself. ### How to capture the entire screen ![Apple keyboard with keys marked.](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tachyon/2018/02/applecompactkeyboardusb-capture1.jpg?resize=720%2C720) Digital Trends Press and hold Command + Shift + 3 keys simultaneously for an instant capture of your desktop. This will include the Dock, Menu Bar, and everything else on the screen. You’ll hear the screenshot sound and the preview will appear in the bottom-right corner of your screen, giving you quick access to editing tools. The image you save consists of the window and its shadow against a transparent background (PNG). If you don’t want the shadow, press and hold the Option key (or Alt) as you click to save the image. ### How to take a screenshot using the Touch Bar If you have one of the older [MacBook Pro models with a Touch Bar](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/macbook-pro-13-buyers-guide/), these options appear on the OLED strip. Another Touch Bar exclusive is taking a screenshot of the Touch Bar display, which can be done by hitting Shift + Command + 6. ## How to take a screenshot using the native Mac app ![Launchpad has a Utilities folder that contains Screenshot and other useful apps.](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tachyon/2022/08/1-Launchpad-has-a-Utilities-folder-that-contains-Screenshot-and-other-useful-apps..jpg?resize=720%2C720) Digital Trends Keyboard shortcuts work well for programmers, but a point-and-click user interface is easy for everyone to use. That’s why Apple also includes a Screenshot app, and it gives you even more control over screenshots. The app also lets you take screenshots after a five-second or 10-second delay, allowing you time to open a menu or do some other setup that might not be possible with the keyboard shortcut before capturing an image on your display. There are three ways (shown in steps 1 to 3 below) to find the Screenshot app. - Open your Mac’s Launchpad and scroll through or type in the search box at the top to locate the Screenshot app, then double-click to open it. - You can also hold Command + Spacebar to start a Spotlight Search. Begin typing “Screenshot,” and the app will soon appear in the results. Select Screenshot from the top section of the search results to open the app. If you see Screenshot lower in the results, that will start a web search for “screenshot” as a search term, so make sure to choose a result near the top. - Open the Finder by choosing the smiling, blue face icon at the bottom-left of the Dock, then select Applications from the left sidebar. Next, open the Utilities folder, scroll down to find the Screenshot app, and open it. If you think you’ll use the Screenshot app frequently, you can keep it in the Dock by right-clicking the app icon and selecting Keep in dock from the Options menu. ## How to take a screenshot with the screenshot menu ![The Screenshot toolbar appears at the bottom of a Mac screen with an arrow pointing to the Capture button.](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tachyon/2022/08/4-The-Screenshot-toolbar-appears-at-the-bottom-of-a-Mac-screen-with-an-outline-around-the-type-and-an-arrow-pointing-to-the-Capture-button..jpg?resize=720%2C720) screenshot / Digital Trends The Screenshot app looks like a floating toolbar near the bottom of the screen with buttons that look like the type of screenshot that they capture. At the far left is full-screen capture, then window and partial-screen capture. In the next section, full- and partial-screen recording buttons appear, followed by an Options menu. and a Capture button. Choose one of the screenshot buttons, then Capture to grab a save of what’s on the screen. The Screenshot toolbar won’t be included in the capture. If something needs to be set up, such as a menu opened to show its contents in the screenshot, select the 5 seconds or 10 seconds delay from the Options menu. You can also pick a different [default save location for your screenshots](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-change-where-screenshots-are-saved-on-a-mac/) or send screenshots to another app like Mail or Messages. If you want to see the mouse pointer arrow in the screenshot, enable Show mouse pointer in the Options menu. The Floating Thumbnail option is enabled by default, but when taking multiple screenshots in a row, the thumbnail might be captured in some of the images since it appears on-screen. Switch Floating thumbnail off in the Options menu when you are taking quick screenshots. ## How to print screen on Mac using Preview ![The Preview app can capture three types of screenshots.](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tachyon/2022/08/15-The-Preview-app-can-capture-three-types-of-screenshots..jpg?resize=720%2C720) screenshot / Digital Trends Step 1: Preview is the default tool that allows you to open everything from photos to [PDF files](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-split-and-combine-pdfs-on-mac-using-preview/) (and here’s [how to print PDFs](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-print-pdf-on-a-mac/)). It has plenty of lesser-known features, such as annotating documents and images by selecting the Markup icon in the upper-right. Preview captures screenshots, too. Start by opening the image by double-clicking it in the folder or opening it in Preview in Spotlight by using the Command + Space key command. Step 2: In the Preview app, open the File menu and the Take screenshot submenu, then choose the selection mode depending on your preference. Step 3: The keyboard shortcut method is far quicker, and the Screenshot app is easier, but Preview lets you name the file before saving it to your preferred location. ## Where to find screenshots on Mac So, you took your screenshot, but now you might be wondering where to find it. Your screenshots are saved, by default, to your desktop, which can be accessed through Finder under Desktop or just by accessing the desktop directly. However, that can lead to a very messy desktop. If you have macOS Mojave or later, the default location of screenshots can be changed in the Screenshot app. In terms of file format, the default for saved screenshots is PNG. To change this, open up Terminal. Ignoring the quotation marks, type in the following command: “defaults write com.apple.screencapture type” — followed by space and the file format you want, whether that’s JPG, PDF, or some other image format. Finally, hit the Return key. ## How to add annotations to a screenshot The macOS Markup capabilities are built into the Screenshot app. That means you can easily add highlights to text, draw arrows to point out details, make freehand sketches, add your signature, and much more to any screen capture. ![A screenshot of using Markup in the Preview app.](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tachyon/2022/09/Mac-Preview-Markup-Sign-Button.jpg?resize=720%2C720) screenshot / Digital Trends Step 1: To see the Markup toolbar, just select the thumbnail that appears in the bottom-right corner after taking a screenshot. Step 2: After you select the screenshot’s thumbnail, it opens in a window with a Markup toolbar at the top. This is a system utility window that appears above all other windows and lacks the usual maximize, minimize, and sizing options of an app window. There are several drawing tools, a text tool, a signature option that lets you sign on your trackpad or take a photo of an ink and paper signature with a webcam or iPhone, and more. Step 3: Perfect squares and circles are possible when using the Shapes tool, but the Sketch tool at the top-left is quite helpful at correcting wobbly, hand-drawn shapes, including boxes, stars, triangles, ovals, and arrows. Step 4: It’s also easy to edit your drawings and annotations — Preview is the [best Paint equivalent on macOS](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/paint-equivalent-for-mac/). Deselect the current tool so the cursor becomes an arrow and choose any annotation to adjust its size, position, and color. Hit the Delete key to remove that sketch, text, or signature. Step 5: When you’re satisfied with marking up the screenshot, choose the Done button at the upper right to save the image. [You can also use the Share menu to AirDrop](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-share-files-other-people-mac/) and send to another app, or simply trash the screenshot if you’ve decided you don’t want it. ## Screenshot tips and tricks There are a few tricks that use the Mac keyboard to change how a screenshot works. These tips work no matter whether you started the screenshot with a keyboard shortcut, the Screenshot app, or the Preview app. Press and hold the Control key while capturing a screen grab to copy it to the clipboard instead of saving it as a file. The \=Option* key is quite useful for Mac screenshots as well. Hold Option when you’re taking a screenshot of a window to remove the shadow that will otherwise surround the window in the image. If you hold down Option while changing the dotted outline in a partial screenshot, dragging an edge or corner makes the same movement on the opposite corner or edge. It’s a handy way to keep the center in place while resizing the area of the screen that will be captured. ## How to take screenshots on other devices If you own other Apple devices, you might also be wondering [how to take a screenshot on an iPhone](https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/how-to-take-a-screenshot-iphone/). It’s simple enough, though it depends on what generation of device you have. If you have an older iPhone that still has a Home button, it’s as easy as holding the Home button and the Power button at the same time. On newer devices without a Home button, hold the Volume up button and the Power button at the same time. The same method applies when [taking a screenshot on an iPad](https://www.digitaltrends.com/tablets/how-to-take-a-screenshot-ipad/). Learning [how to take a screenshot on a Windows PC or laptop](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-pc/) can be tricky if you’re more familiar with MacOS. There are still a number of keyboard shortcuts involving the Print Screen key that’ll do the trick, as well as the built-in Snipping Windows application. This same method applies when [taking a screenshot on a Microsoft Surface](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-a-microsoft-surface/) device or any other Windows tablet or 2-in-1. [Chromebooks have their own unique way of handling screenshots](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-a-chromebook/), too.
Shard	94 (laksa)
Root Hash	386433295579149494
Unparsed URL	com,digitaltrends!www,/computing/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-a-mac/ s443