Capturing Screenshots and Videos on a Mac: Your Ultimate Guide
Engage with your Mac's versatile screenshot and recording features to capture individual images, define specific windows, or record tutorials with ease. This guide walks you through various methods for using and personalizing your Mac's built-in snap function, as well as recommending third-party alternatives to unlock advanced capabilities.
Basic Snap Shortcuts
Your Mac is equipped with numerous shortcuts for swiftly capturing screenshots:
- To snap the entire screen, press Command + Shift + 3.
- To capture a specific section, use Command + Shift + 4, then drag your mouse to select the desired area and release to capture the resulting image. Prefer moving the selection around? Press and hold the Spacebar while clicking and dragging.
- To capture a selected window or menu, press Command + Shift + 4 then click and hold the Spacebar. The pointer will transform into a camera icon, enabling you to click the targeted window or menu. Pressing and holding the Option key while clicking will help exclude any drop-shadow effect.
Opening the Snap Toolbar
Alternatively, you can utilize the Mac snap toolbar to take screenshots and control various capture settings. To do so, use the shortcut Command + Shift + 5. This action will display a floating window, allowing you to select between three snap types (Entire Screen, Selected Portion, Selected Window) and two screen recording options (Entire Screen, Selected Portion). Additionally, click on the Options menu for further control over handling screenshots.
Third-Party Snap Apps
Your Mac's built-in snap tool is powerful, but it might lack essential features such as scrolling snapshots, text extraction from images, and advanced editing tools. Consider using third-party apps like Shottr (free) or Cleanshot X ($29 for an initial license) to overcome these limitations.
Screen Recording on Mac
The Mac snap tool includes a recording feature that allows you to record the entire screen or just a portion. To start recording, use the Command + Shift + 5 shortcut, and select either Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion. Press Record to begin, and stop at your leisure by reopening the tool or using the Command + Control + Esc shortcut. You can also control the audio input for your recording via the Options > Microphone menu.
Setting a Snap Timer on Mac
To provide yourself with extra time to set up your screen before capturing a snap, enable the snap timer by pressing Command + Shift + 5, selecting the Options button in the floating menu, and configuring your Timer settings between "Off," "5 Seconds," and "10 Seconds." The selected delay will be displayed as a countdown in the floating menu.
Saving Snapshots on Mac
By default, snapshots are saved to your desktop. However, frequent snapshot use can lead to a cluttered desktop. To avoid this, change the snapping location by using the Command + Shift + 5 shortcut, clicking on the Options button, and selecting a folder or location from the Save to section, or selecting the Other Location option for a newly selected location. Alternatively, save snapshots to your clipboard or directly paste them into apps like Messages or your photo editor using the Command + Control + Shift + 3 (entire screen) or Command + Control + Shift + 4 (select part of the screen) shortcuts.
Visibility of Mouse Cursor in Mac Snapshots
The mouse cursor is typically hidden in Mac snapshots. However, utilize the Options menu in the capture tool to customize this feature. Press Command + Shift + 5 and uncheck the Show Mouse Pointer option at the bottom of the menu if you wish to hide the cursor in the future.
Bonus Tips
For additional screen capture capabilities and advanced editing tools, explore third-party apps like CleanShot X, Movavi Screen Recorder, and Capto.
For Better Snaps on iPhone, Windows, and Android
Explore our guides on "Taking Snaps on an iPhone: A Step-by-Step Guide," "Various Methods to Capture Screenshots on Windows Devices," and "Multiple Strategies for Snapping Shots on Android Phones" for further snapping tips on other platforms.
