How to Screenshot and Screen Record on Mac: Quick Guide

Want to capture your screen on a Mac, whether it’s a quick screenshot or a full video? Here’s how to do both using built-in macOS tools and shortcuts.

How to Screenshot on Mac

1. Entire Screen

Shortcut: Command (⌘) + Shift + 3

• Instantly captures the whole screen.

2. Selected Portion

Shortcut: Command (⌘) + Shift + 4

• Turns your cursor into a crosshair. Click and drag to select.

3. Specific Window

Shortcut: Command (⌘) + Shift + 4, then tap Spacebar

• Captures just one window. Cursor changes to a camera.

4. Use the Screenshot Toolbar

Shortcut: Command (⌘) + Shift + 5

• Brings up a visual toolbar with all capture and recording options.

5. Touch Bar (MacBook Pro)

Shortcut: Command (⌘) + Shift + 6

• Captures the Touch Bar as an image.

Where Screenshots Are Saved

By default, screenshots are saved to your Desktop. You can change this via the Screenshot Toolbar > Options.

How to Screen Record on Mac

Option 1: Use Screenshot Toolbar

Shortcut: Command (⌘) + Shift + 5

• Choose between recording the entire screen or just a portion.

• Click Record to start. Use the stop button in the menu bar to end recording.

Option 2: Use QuickTime Player

1. Open QuickTime Player

2. Go to File > New Screen Recording

3. Choose microphone input (if needed) and click record

Where Screen Recordings Are Saved

• Saved to Desktop by default unless you choose a different location in Options.

Bonus: Edit Right After Capture

After a screenshot or recording:

• A thumbnail preview appears in the corner.

• Click to crop, annotate, or share instantly.

Final Thought

Screenshots or screen recordings, Mac makes it simple with just a few keystrokes. Mastering these saves time and boosts productivity.

Need to send what you captured securely?
Try Plox — share screenshots or recordings with viewer analytics and access control.