Learn how to use the Snipping Tool on Mac with built-in features and smart shortcuts. Discover the best Mac alternatives to Snipping Tool for capturing, editing, and saving screenshots easily.
Switched from Windows to Mac and can't find the Snipping Tool? Many users struggle with snipping on macOS. This guide shows how to use Snipping Tool on Mac, including shortcuts, built-in tools, and powerful alternatives, to help you capture and edit your screen with ease.
While Mac doesn't have a native app called "Snipping Tool", it offers multiple built-in keyboard shortcuts that work even better for quick screenshots. Below are the top five snipping-style shortcuts every Mac user should know.
This is the simplest and fastest way to grab a full screenshot on Mac. It's especially useful for users who need to capture an entire webpage, desktop layout, or full-screen app view in one click.
🚩Here is how to snip on Mac with Shift + Command + 3 keyboard:
Step 1. Make sure the content you want to capture is fully visible on your screen.
Step 2. Press Shift + Command (⌘) + 3 simultaneously.
Step 3. The screenshot will automatically be saved to your desktop by default, usually as a PNG file named like Screen Shot [date] at [time].png.
1. If you only want to save screenshot to clipboard, press Control + Shift + Command + 3.
2. For multiple monitors, each screen is captured separately.
3. Click the floating thumbnail after capture to annotate or crop quickly.
4. All the built-in snipping tools on Mac cannot take scrolling screenshots. You'll need a professional Mac screenshot tool.
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This shortcut is ideal when you only need to grab a specific section of your screen, like a chart, image, or text snippet, without capturing the whole desktop. It gives you much more flexibility than full-screen screenshots and is widely used for quick, selective snips.
🚩Here is how to snip on Mac with Shift + Command + 4 shortcut:
Step 1. Make sure the content you want to capture is visible on the screen.
Step 2. Press Shift + Command (⌘) + 4.
Step 3. Your cursor will change to a crosshair.
Step 4. Click and drag to select the area you want to capture.
Step 5. Release the mouse or trackpad button to take the screenshot. The image will automatically save to your desktop.
1. Hold spacebar to move the selection box while dragging.
2. Press Escape to cancel selection.
3. Use the floating thumbnail to annotate or crop instantly.
This shortcut is a hidden gem for professionals, content creators, and anyone preparing visual documentation. Unlike full-screen or freehand selections, this method cleanly captures an entire window, perfect for showcasing app interfaces, error messages, or dropdown menus. The added shadow also makes the screenshot look more professional by default.
🚩Here is how to snip on Mac with Shift + Command + 4 + Space Bar:
Step 1. Press Shift + Command (⌘) + 4.
Step 2. Then immediately press the Space Bar.
Step 3. The crosshair cursor will change into a camera icon.
Step 4. Hover your cursor over the window or menu you want to capture; it will highlight in blue.
Step 5. Click the highlighted window or menu to capture it. The screenshot will be saved to your desktop as a PNG file.
1. Hold Option while clicking to remove the shadow.
2. Open menus before capturing dropdowns.
3. Great for creating clean tutorial images.
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This is the most powerful built-in screenshot tool on macOS. When you press Shift + Command + 5, a toolbar appears at the bottom of the screen with multiple capture and recording options. It's ideal for users who want to customize their screenshot experience or need to record their screen without third-party apps.
🚩Here is how to snip on Mac with Shift + Command + 5:
Step 1. Press Shift + Command (⌘) + 5 to bring up the Screenshot toolbar. Choose from the five options:
Step 2. Click Options to set a timer, select save location, show/hide mouse pointer, or use the floating thumbnail.
Step 3. Click Capture or Record to proceed with your chosen action.
Step 4. If you recorded the screen, press Stop in the menu bar when finished.
1. Custom save locations: Use the Options menu to change where screenshots/recordings are saved (e.g., Desktop, Documents, Clipboard).
2. Timed screenshots: Useful for capturing dropdowns or hover states; set a 5 or 10-second delay under Options.
3. Built-in screen recording: No need to use QuickTime; this shortcut includes native recording with audio input selection.
This shortcut is a niche but handy tool for those still using older MacBook Pros with a Touch Bar. Whether you're documenting a tutorial, capturing media controls, or showing app-specific Touch Bar options, this method gives you a clean, precise image of the full Touch Bar layout.
🚩Here is how to snip on Mac with Shift + Command + 6:
Step 1. Make sure your Touch Bar is showing the buttons or controls you want to capture.
Step 2. Press Shift + Command (⌘) + 6.
Step 3. The system will instantly take a screenshot of the entire Touch Bar.
Step 4. The image will be saved to your desktop as a horizontal PNG file.
1. Rare but useful: While most modern Macs no longer include the Touch Bar, this shortcut is still valid for older models.
2. Good for developers/designers: Great for capturing and documenting Touch Bar states when building or testing apps.
3. Cannot select part of the Touch Bar: It captures the whole thing; cropping must be done manually later if needed.
4. No Touch Bar? No effect: If your Mac doesn't have a Touch Bar, pressing this shortcut won't do anything.
By default, all screenshots save to your desktop as PNG files with names like Screen Shot [date] at [time].png. Using the Shift + Command + 5 toolbar, you can customize the save location to folders like Documents, Clipboard, or Preview via the Options menu. If you hold Control while capturing, the screenshot copies to the clipboard instead of saving a file.
To quickly paste a screenshot without saving, add the Control key to any shortcut. For example, Control + Shift + Command + 4 lets you capture a selected area and copies it to the clipboard, ready to paste with Command + V into emails, documents, or chats. This speeds up sharing and reduces desktop clutter.
After capturing a screenshot, click the floating thumbnail in the bottom-right corner to open the quick editor. Use the crop tool to adjust the image, then save or share it directly. Alternatively, open the screenshot in Preview, select the desired area, crop, and save. These built-in tools make cropping fast and easy without extra software.
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Knowing how to use Snipping Tool on Mac is essential for anyone who wants quick and efficient screenshot capabilities. While macOS offers powerful built-in shortcuts and tools to capture and edit your screen, sometimes you need even more flexibility and features.
That's where EaseUS RecExperts comes in; it's a versatile screen capture and recording tool designed specifically for Mac users who want advanced options like multi-format exports, annotation, and easy sharing. Whether you're a professional or casual user, combining Mac's native snipping methods with EaseUS RecExperts can take your screenshot and screen recording experience to the next level.
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