How do I take a screenshot on my Mac?

Overview

Learn how to take various types of screenshots on your macOS device.

Take a screenshot of the entire screen:

Press Command+Shift+3. This will place an image file on your desktop. Double-click on the file to open it in Preview.

Take a screenshot of just a portion of the screen:

1. Press Command+Shift+4. When the cursor changes to a cross-hairs, click and drag over the area that you want.
2. An image file will be placed on your desktop.
3. Double-click on the file to open it in Preview.