macOS · Screenshot the whole screen
Screenshot
Windows · Linux
Not on this systemMac
Cmd+Shift+3Captures the whole screen and saves it as a file; the default place is the desktop, and you change that in the Cmd+Shift+5 panel.
- Group
- Screenshot
- Keys held
- 3
Cmd sits where Windows puts Ctrl. Text movement is the exception: end of line is Ctrl+A/E or Cmd+←/→, not a Cmd version of the Windows key.
Reading the key names
- Keys joined by + are pressed together: Ctrl+Shift+P means hold Ctrl and Shift, then P.
- On a Mac, Cmd is ⌘, Option is ⌥ (labelled Alt on some keyboards), Control is ⌃ and Shift is ⇧.
- Windows Ctrl usually becomes Cmd on a Mac, but not always — this reference lists both combinations separately.
- With a Korean, Japanese or Chinese input method active, shortcuts built on letter keys may not fire. Switch to Latin input and try again.
- When a combination does nothing, another program has often claimed it as a global shortcut first.
Common questions
Q. What is the shortcut for Screenshot the whole screen in macOS?
Captures the whole screen and saves it as a file; the default place is the desktop, and you change that in the Cmd+Shift+5 panel. It is — on Windows and Cmd+Shift+3 on a Mac.
Q. Is it the same on Windows and Mac?
No — — on Windows, Cmd+Shift+3 on a Mac.
Q. How many keys is that?
3 pressed together. The combination sits under Screenshot in macOS.