# How to Take a Screenshot on MacBook Pro

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Source: https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/blog/screenshot-macbook-pro/
Source observed: 2026-09-15T21:51:23.775Z
Last checked: 2026-09-15T21:51:23.775+00:00
Indexed: 2026-09-15T21:53:45.784+00:00

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# How to Take a Screenshot on MacBook Pro

*May 15, 2026 · LazyScreenshots Team*

We provide this guide to capturing screenshots on every MacBook Pro generation, from 2016 Touch Bar models through the 2025 M4 Max. The core macOS shortcuts are the same across Macs, while MacBook Pro-specific considerations include Touch Bar availability, display notches, Retina image dimensions, large PNG files, and external displays.

## Capture the entire screen

Press **Cmd+Shift+3** to capture everything visible on the MacBook Pro display. The screen flashes, a thumbnail appears in the bottom-right corner, and macOS saves the screenshot to the Desktop as a PNG file.

### Display notch behavior

On models with a display notch—2021 14-inch and 16-inch models, 2023 M2 Pro/Max, 2024 M3/M4 Pro/Max, and 2025 M4 Max—full-screen screenshots do not show a notch cutout. macOS fills the notch area with a solid black bar, producing a clean rectangle. The image dimensions include the full display resolution; the notch is part of the menu-bar region.

### MacBook Pro screen resolutions

macOS captures at full Retina resolution, which is 2× the display’s logical resolution.

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

A 14-inch MacBook Pro screenshot at 3024×1964 pixels is typically a 3–6 MB PNG. Resize captures for Slack, documentation, or the web when smaller files are needed.

## Capture a selected area

Press **Cmd+Shift+4**. The pointer becomes a crosshair. Click and drag over a rectangular area, then release to capture the selection.

For precise selections:

- Watch the pixel dimensions shown beside the crosshair while dragging.
- Hold **Space** while dragging to move the entire selection without resizing.
- Hold **Shift** while dragging to lock one axis, either width or height.
- Hold **Option** while dragging to resize from the center.
- Press **Escape** to cancel.

## Capture a specific window

Press **Cmd+Shift+4**, then press **Space**. The pointer changes to a camera icon. Hover over a window and click to capture it.

macOS adds a drop shadow by default. Hold **Option** while clicking to capture the window without the shadow, which is useful for documentation and presentations.

We also offer [LazyScreenshots](https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/), which captures, annotates, and beautifies MacBook Pro screenshots in one step.

## Use the Screenshot app

Press **Cmd+Shift+5** to open the Screenshot toolbar. Its capture and recording controls are:

| Button | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| 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 |

Select **Options** to change the save location, set a 5- or 10-second timer, show or hide the floating thumbnail, and show or hide the mouse pointer in captures.

## Screenshot the Touch Bar

On a 2016–2021 MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar, press **Cmd+Shift+6** to capture the entire Touch Bar as a separate image. The result is a long, narrow PNG—2170×60 pixels on most models—showing what is displayed on the Touch Bar at that moment. This is useful for documenting custom Touch Bar layouts or troubleshooting display issues.

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

On models without a Touch Bar, **Cmd+Shift+6** produces no error or feedback and captures nothing.

## Copy screenshots to the clipboard

Add **Ctrl** to a screenshot shortcut to copy the capture to the clipboard instead of saving a file:

- **Cmd+Ctrl+Shift+3** — copy the full screen
- **Cmd+Ctrl+Shift+4** — copy a selected area
- **Cmd+Ctrl+Shift+4**, then **Space** — copy a window

This lets you paste directly into Slack, email, GitHub pull requests, or AI coding assistants without creating a Desktop file.

## Use external displays

MacBook Pro supports up to three or four external displays, depending on the chip. With multiple displays connected, **Cmd+Shift+3** captures every display as a separate file. For example, the MacBook Pro screen plus two external displays produces three screenshot files.

To capture one display, use **Cmd+Shift+4** and drag a selection on the desired monitor. Alternatively, open **Cmd+Shift+5**, choose **Capture Entire Screen**, and click the specific screen.

## Change the save location

Screenshots save to the Desktop by default. To choose another location:

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

You can also use Terminal:

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

## Change the screenshot format

MacBook Pro screenshots default to PNG. To 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 MacBook Pro displays, screenshots may default to HEIC. See our [macOS Tahoe HEIC fix guide](https://www.lazyscreenshots.com/blog/macos-tahoe-screenshot-heic-hdr-fix/) if the format changed after a macOS update.

## Troubleshoot screenshots that do not work

If screenshot shortcuts do nothing:

1. Open **System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Screenshots** and make sure the shortcuts are enabled.
2. Check that third-party apps such as Karabiner-Elements, Alfred, or BetterTouchTool are not intercepting the key combination.
3. Try the shortcut without external keyboards connected to isolate the issue.
4. Check whether the app blocks screen capture. Some DRM-protected apps, including Netflix and Apple TV+, show a black capture.
5. Restart the Mac. The screenshot service, `screencaptureui`, can hang and may need a fresh start.

For a full walkthrough, see [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 the Touch Bar on 2016–2021 models |
| Add Ctrl to any above | Copy to the clipboard instead of saving |
| Escape | Cancel a screenshot in progress |

## Related guides

- [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/)

---

## Related searches on www.lazyscreenshots.com

Each link returns Markdown search results.

- [How to Take a Screenshot on MacBook Pro](https://lazyscreenshots.mudpie.ai/s/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-macbook-pro.md?trace=t_6dc436eaaf66)
- [Screenshots on MacBook Pro: what’s different from other Macs](https://lazyscreenshots.mudpie.ai/s/screenshots-on-macbook-pro-what-s-different-from-other-macs.md?trace=t_6dc436eaaf66)
- [Method 1: Capture the entire screen](https://lazyscreenshots.mudpie.ai/s/method-1-capture-the-entire-screen.md?trace=t_6dc436eaaf66)
- [What happens with the notch](https://lazyscreenshots.mudpie.ai/s/what-happens-with-the-notch.md?trace=t_6dc436eaaf66)
- [MacBook Pro screen resolutions](https://lazyscreenshots.mudpie.ai/s/macbook-pro-screen-resolutions.md?trace=t_6dc436eaaf66)

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