Whether you’re a digital content creator sharing tutorials, an IT professional providing remote support, or just someone who wants to send a quick visual message, knowing how to take screenshots and screen recordings on your MacBook is invaluable. These digital snippets not only save time in explaining a task, but they also offer a level of visual clarity that words often can't match. TheGeekyThings will walk you through the various ways of capturing your screen and system actions, ensuring that you've mastered one of the most basic yet essential skills for any MacBook user.
Why Did You Need Screenshots?
Why you must wield screen capture technics? Think back to a time when a friend requested help with an app setup, or when a colleague needed visual proof of a software glitch. In such moments, sending a screenshot or recording would have made communication a breeze. Here, we'll discuss why you need to use these features in your everyday routine:
- Using precise screenshots and screen recordings in tutorials and documentation enhances clarity for educating on various topics, from coding to software navigation.
- Visual aids for technical support professionals expedite issue resolution by enhancing communication and clarity and reducing call durations.
- Capture and share memorable alerts and snippets for entertainment value with friends or on social media.
How to Make Screenshots on Mac
Unlike Windows, macOS is armed with an arsenal of screenshot capabilities, accessible at your fingertips. We deliver you tips that are suitable for macOS versions from macOS High Sierra for screenshots shortcuts, and from macOS Mojave 10.14 for screen recording.
Basic Screenshot
For a full-screen screenshot, simply press ⬆Shift + ⌘Command + 3. This command will instantly take a shot of the entire screen and save it as a file on your desktop by default.
Selective Screenshot
To take a selective screenshot, press ⬆Shift + ⌘Command + 4. Upon pressing these keys, you can select the area of the screen you want to capture by dragging the pointer with a crosshair over it.
Advanced Screenshot
If you need to capture just a window or the menu of a particular app? Use ⬆Shift + ⌘Command + 4, then press the Spacebar and a camera icon appears, allowing you to hover and click to snapshot. This is perfect for capturing app-specific content or interface elements.
Touch Bar Screenshot
MacBook Pro allows you to take Touch Bar screenshots with a simple tap. Just press ⬆Shift + ⌘Command + 6 to capture what's currently displayed on your Touch Bar.
Note: To capture any of your screenshots to the Clipboard, press and hold the ^Control key when taking the screenshot.
Open Screenshot App
To open the Screenshot app on a Mac, press ⬆Shift + ⌘Command + 5 on your keyboard. This will bring up the screenshot toolbar with various options for capturing your screen
How To Launch The Screen Recorder
Starting a screen recording on a macOS device is a straightforward process. Here's how you do it:
- Press ⬆Shift + ⌘Command + 5 on your keyboard. This will open the screenshot toolbar at the bottom of your screen.
- In this toolbar, you'll see three recording options: "Record Entire Screen", "Record Selected Portion", and "Capture Still Image". If you want to record the entire screen, click the "Record Entire Screen" button. If you want to record a certain part of your screen, click on the "Record Selected Portion" button and then adjust the size of the recording area as needed. In the "Options" section, you can change the timer time before starting the screen capture and see additional settings
- Once you've chosen your recording option, click the "Record" button on the right side of the toolbar or press Return/Enter.
- When you're ready to stop recording, click the ⏹ Stop button in the menu bar at the top of your screen.
- The recording will be automatically saved to your desktop. You can then view, edit, or share the recording as needed.
All these actions can be done directly through the default QuickTime App, having previously opened the program and selected "New Screen Recording"
Where To Find Your Screenshots?
By default, screenshots are automatically saved to your desktop with the filename "Screen Shot [date] at [time].png" on macOS Mojave or newer. To modify the default storage location for screenshots, access the Options menu within the Screenshot app (⬆Shift + ⌘Command + 5). Then select "Other Location" from the menu and choose the folder you need.
Instead of The Final
Regular practice is a key to mastering useful macOS shortcuts. See you later on TheGeekyThings Lifehacks posts.
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