# How to Include the Mouse Cursor in Mac Screenshots www.lazyscreenshots.com publishes a public search API over its indexed pages; the guide is at https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/agent-access. Source: https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/blog/screenshot-with-cursor-mac/ Source observed: 2026-09-19T03:00:30.133Z Last checked: 2026-09-19T17:04:17.051+00:00 Indexed: 2026-09-19T03:07:09.727+00:00 --- # How to Include the Mouse Cursor in Mac Screenshots **April 17, 2026 · LazyScreenshots Team** macOS normally removes the cursor from screenshots made with **⌘ + Shift + 3** and **⌘ + Shift + 4**. This guide covers the built-in toolbar option, Terminal commands, screen-recording extraction, Preview, cursor highlighting, automation, and troubleshooting. ## Method 1: Screenshot.app — Show Mouse Pointer option 1. Press **⌘ + Shift + 5** to open the Screenshot toolbar. 2. Click **Options**. 3. Check **Show Mouse Pointer**. 4. Capture the entire screen, a window, or a selected portion. The setting persists for future toolbar captures until you turn it off. It does not affect **⌘ + Shift + 3** or **⌘ + Shift + 4**, which continue to hide the cursor. ## Method 2: Terminal — `screencapture` with cursor flag The `-C` flag includes the cursor: ```bash # Capture entire screen with cursor screencapture -C ~/Desktop/with-cursor.png # Capture with cursor after a 3-second delay screencapture -C -T 3 ~/Desktop/with-cursor.png # Interactive selection mode with cursor screencapture -C -i ~/Desktop/with-cursor.png # Capture a specific window with cursor screencapture -C -w ~/Desktop/window-with-cursor.png ``` Combine `-C` with `-T` for a delay, `-i` for interactive selection, or `-w` for window capture. This is useful for scripted documentation and testing. ## Method 3: Screen recording — single-frame extraction Screen recordings include the cursor. Use this workaround when other methods fail: 1. Press **⌘ + Shift + 5** and choose **Record Entire Screen** or **Record Selected Portion**. 2. Position the cursor. 3. Stop recording. 4. Open the recording in QuickTime Player. 5. Scrub to the required frame. 6. Press **⌘ + C** to copy the frame, then paste it into Preview or another image editor. ## Method 4: Preview — capture with cursor via menu 1. Open Preview. 2. Choose **File > Take Screenshot**. 3. Choose **From Entire Screen** with a timed delay, or **From Selection**. Preview includes the cursor by default for **From Entire Screen**, opens the result for editing, and supports cropping, annotation, and export. ## Which screenshot modes support cursor capture | Method | Cursor included | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | | ⌘ + Shift + 3 | Never | Always strips cursor | | ⌘ + Shift + 4 | Never | Always strips cursor | | ⌘ + Shift + 5 | Optional | Enable via Options > Show Mouse Pointer | | `screencapture -C` | Yes | Works with all modes | | Preview > Take Screenshot | Yes | Entire screen mode only | | Screen recording | Always | Extract frame from video | ## Highlighting the cursor for tutorials and presentations - **Accessibility zoom and pointer size:** Use **System Settings > Accessibility > Zoom** for Hover Text, or **System Settings > Accessibility > Display > Pointer** to increase Pointer size. - **Custom cursor color:** In macOS Monterey and later, use **System Settings > Accessibility > Display > Pointer** to change pointer outline and fill colors. - **Click visualization:** Some third-party tools add click ripples, cursor trails, or highlight circles. Keycastr is described as a free, open-source option for showing keystrokes and mouse clicks in recordings. ## Automating cursor screenshots with a Shortcut 1. Open Shortcuts. 2. Create a new Shortcut. 3. Add a **Run Shell Script** action. 4. Enter: ```bash screencapture -C -T 2 ~/Desktop/cursor-screenshot.png ``` 5. Assign a keyboard shortcut in System Settings. This creates a one-key capture with a two-second positioning delay. Adjust or remove `-T` as needed. ## Troubleshooting: cursor not appearing - **The cursor vanishes in certain apps:** Some games, design tools, and video editors draw a custom cursor. `-C` and the Screenshot toolbar capture only the system cursor; use screen recording for custom cursors. - **The cursor is offset:** Multi-monitor setups with different scaling, such as Retina and non-Retina displays, can offset the cursor. Try `screencapture -C -D 1`, replacing `1` with the display number. - **Show Mouse Pointer is greyed out:** Reset the screenshot configuration, then reopen **⌘ + Shift + 5**: ```bash defaults delete com.apple.screencapture showsCursor killall SystemUIServer ``` - **Cursor appears in fullscreen but not window capture:** The toolbar option primarily affects fullscreen and region captures. For window capture, use: ```bash screencapture -C -w ``` ## When cursor screenshots matter most Cursor-inclusive captures are useful for software tutorials and onboarding, hover-state bug reports, UX testing and heatmap documentation, and accessibility audits involving focus indicators and pointer targets. 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