# How to Take a Screenshot on MacBook Pro

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Source: https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/blog/screenshot-macbook-pro/
Source observed: 2026-10-08T01:32:24.566Z
Last checked: 2026-10-29T01:54:30.103+00:00
Indexed: 2026-10-08T01:37:53.618+00:00

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# How to Take a Screenshot on MacBook Pro

**May 15, 2026 · LazyScreenshots Team**

MacBook Pro uses the standard Mac screenshot shortcuts, with model-specific details for Touch Bar systems, notched displays, Retina dimensions, external monitors, file formats, and troubleshooting. This guide covers 2016 Touch Bar models through the 2025 M4 Max.

## Method 1: Capture the entire screen

Press `Cmd+Shift+3`. The screen flashes, a thumbnail appears at bottom right, and macOS saves a PNG to the Desktop.

### Notched displays

On 2021 14-inch and 16-inch models, 2023 M2 Pro/Max models, 2024 M3/M4 Pro/Max models, and 2025 M4 Max models, full-screen screenshots do not show a notch cutout. macOS fills that area with a solid black bar and captures the full display resolution.

### MacBook Pro screen resolutions

| MacBook Pro model | Display | Screenshot size |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 13-inch (M1/M2, 2020–2022) | 2560 × 1600 | 2560 × 1600 px |
| 14-inch (M1 Pro/Max, 2021) | 3024 × 1964 | 3024 × 1964 px |
| 16-inch (M1 Pro/Max, 2021) | 3456 × 2234 | 3456 × 2234 px |
| 14-inch (M2/M3/M4 Pro/Max, 2023–2025) | 3024 × 1964 | 3024 × 1964 px |
| 16-inch (M2/M3/M4 Pro/Max, 2023–2025) | 3456 × 2234 | 3456 × 2234 px |

macOS captures at 2x logical display resolution. A 14-inch 3024×1964 capture is typically a 3–6 MB PNG. Resize it for smaller Slack, documentation, or web images.

## Method 2: Capture a selected area

Press `Cmd+Shift+4`, drag a rectangle, and release.

- Watch the pixel dimensions beside the crosshair.
- Hold `Space` while dragging to move the selection without resizing.
- Hold `Shift` to lock one axis.
- Hold `Option` to resize from the center.
- Press `Escape` to cancel.

## Method 3: Capture a window

Press `Cmd+Shift+4`, then `Space`. Hover over a window and click. Hold `Option` while clicking to omit the default drop shadow.

We capture, annotate, and beautify MacBook Pro screenshots in one step: [Try LazyScreenshots Free](https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/).

## Method 4: Screenshot toolbar

Press `Cmd+Shift+5` to open the toolbar.

| Button | Function |
| --- | --- |
| Capture Entire Screen | Same as `Cmd+Shift+3` |
| Capture Selected Window | Same as `Cmd+Shift+4`, then `Space` |
| Capture Selected Portion | Drag a resizable selection box |
| Record Entire Screen | Full-screen video recording |
| Record Selected Portion | Record a specific area |

**Options** controls the save location, a 5- or 10-second timer, the floating thumbnail, and whether the mouse pointer appears.

## Method 5: Capture the Touch Bar

On 2016–2021 MacBook Pro models with a Touch Bar, press `Cmd+Shift+6`. The result is a narrow PNG, usually 2170×60 pixels, showing the Touch Bar state.

| Model | Touch Bar | `Cmd+Shift+6` works? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2015 and earlier | No; function keys | No |
| 2016–2019, 13- and 15-inch | Yes | Yes |
| 2020–2021, 13-inch Intel/M1 | Yes | Yes |
| 2021, 14- and 16-inch M1 Pro/Max | No; function keys | No |
| 2023–2025 M2/M3/M4 | No; function keys | No |

On models without a Touch Bar, the shortcut does nothing.

## Method 6: Copy to the clipboard

Add `Ctrl` to copy instead of saving:

- `Cmd+Ctrl+Shift+3`: full screen.
- `Cmd+Ctrl+Shift+4`: selected area.
- `Cmd+Ctrl+Shift+4`, then `Space`: window.

This is useful for Slack, email, GitHub pull requests, and AI coding assistants.

## External displays

Depending on the chip, MacBook Pro supports up to three or four external displays. With multiple displays, `Cmd+Shift+3` saves each display as a separate file. Use `Cmd+Shift+4` to select one monitor, or `Cmd+Shift+5` and choose a screen in **Capture Entire Screen** mode.

## Change the save location

1. Press `Cmd+Shift+5`.
2. Click **Options**.
3. Under **Save to**, choose a location or **Other Location**.

You can also use Terminal:

```bash
mkdir -p ~/Pictures/Screenshots
defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/Pictures/Screenshots
killall SystemUIServer
```

## Change the screenshot format

Screenshots default to PNG. Use JPG for smaller files:

```bash
# Switch to JPG
defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg
killall SystemUIServer

# Switch back to PNG
defaults write com.apple.screencapture type png
killall SystemUIServer
```

On macOS Tahoe with HDR-capable displays, screenshots may default to HEIC. See our [macOS Tahoe HEIC fix guide](https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/blog/macos-tahoe-screenshot-heic-hdr-fix/).

## Troubleshooting

If shortcuts do nothing:

1. Check **System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Screenshots** and enable them.
2. Check whether Karabiner-Elements, Alfred, or BetterTouchTool intercepts the shortcut.
3. Test without an external keyboard.
4. Check whether the target app blocks screen capture; DRM apps such as Netflix and Apple TV+ may show black.
5. Restart the Mac if the `screencaptureui` service is unresponsive.

For more help, use [Screenshot Not Working on Mac: How to Fix It](https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/blog/screenshot-not-working-mac-fix/).

## Quick reference

| Shortcut | Action |
| --- | --- |
| `Cmd+Shift+3` | Capture entire screen |
| `Cmd+Shift+4` | Capture selected area |
| `Cmd+Shift+4`, then `Space` | Capture a window |
| `Cmd+Shift+5` | Open Screenshot toolbar |
| `Cmd+Shift+6` | Capture Touch Bar on 2016–2021 models |
| Add `Ctrl` | Copy instead of saving |
| `Escape` | Cancel the capture |

## Related

- [How to Take a Screenshot on MacBook Air](https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/blog/screenshot-macbook-air/)
- [Mac Screenshot Keyboard Shortcuts: The Complete Cheat Sheet](https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/blog/mac-screenshot-keyboard-shortcuts/)
- [Screenshot Not Working on Mac? How to Fix It](https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/blog/screenshot-not-working-mac-fix/)
- [How to Take a Screenshot on Mac with Multiple Monitors](https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/blog/screenshot-multiple-monitors-mac/)

We also provide comparisons for [CleanShot X](https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/vs-cleanshot/), [Shottr](https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/vs-shottr/), [Snagit](https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/vs-snagit/), [Xnapper](https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/vs-xnapper/), [Monosnap](https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/vs-monosnap/), [macOS Built-in](https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/vs-macos/), and [all comparisons](https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/compare/).

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