Screenshots
2 min read
Press ⌥⇧4 to capture part of the screen, or ⌥⇧3 to capture all of it. A preview card appears in the corner, where you can copy, save, edit or drag the image straight into another app.
Take a screenshot
Press ⌥⇧4
The screen dims and freezes. A magnifier follows your pointer so you can position it precisely, and the size of your selection is shown as you drag.
Drag a rectangle, or click a window
Move the pointer over a window to highlight it, then click to capture that window on its own, with its rounded corners and shadow. Drag instead to capture any rectangle.
Release the mouse button
The preview card appears. Press ⎋ at any point before this to cancel.
The preview card
The card shows the image and stays on screen for a few seconds. The ring around the Mochi character shows the time remaining. Move the pointer over the card to keep it open.
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drag the image | Drops the file into Mail, Slack, Finder or any app that accepts files |
| Edit | Opens the screenshot editor |
| Copy | Copies the image to the clipboard |
| Save | Saves it to the folder set in Settings > Screenshots > Save location |
| Delete | Discards it. Click once to confirm, then again to delete |
Annotation tools
| Tool | Use it to |
|---|---|
| Arrow, line | Point at something |
| Rectangle, ellipse | Draw a box around something |
| Text, callout | Add a label. A callout is text with a pointer |
| Numbered steps | Add numbered markers. Numbering updates as you add and remove them |
| Blur, pixelate | Hide an address, a token or a name |
| Highlight, spotlight | Emphasise one area and dim the rest |
| Freehand, erase | Draw and rub out freely |
| Magnifier | Show a small detail enlarged, in place |
Each annotation stays a separate object. You can select it, move it, restyle it or delete it at any time. Use ⌘Z to undo, ⌘C to copy the finished image, and ⌘S to save it.
Screenshot settings
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Auto-save to disk | Saves every capture to your save location automatically |
| Copy to clipboard | Copies every capture to the clipboard as well |
| Save format | PNG or JPEG |
| Save location | The folder captures are saved to |
Finding a screenshot later
Your Mac reads the text inside each screenshot locally. You can then find the image by searching for text that appears in it, such as an error message or an invoice number.