---
title: "Command + Shift + 3: the whole screen"
url: "https://screenshot-laptop.com/macbook/command-shift-3/"
platform: "macOS"
section: "MacBook"
updated: "2026-09-15"
license: "CC-BY-4.0"
attribution: "screenshot-laptop.com"
shortcuts:
  - "Cmd + Shift + 3"
  - "Cmd + Ctrl + Shift + 3"
---

# Command + Shift + 3: the whole screen

*The fastest capture on macOS. Three keys, no aiming, file on the desktop before you've let go.*

URL: https://screenshot-laptop.com/macbook/command-shift-3/

## The short answer

- `Cmd` + `Shift` + `3` — Whole screen, saved as a file
- `Cmd` + `Ctrl` + `Shift` + `3` — Whole screen to clipboard instead

## What it captures

Everything currently on the display: your menu bar, the Dock if it's visible, every open window, and your wallpaper. There's no selecting and no confirmation — you hear a shutter sound and the file exists.

## Multiple displays get separate files

With an external monitor connected, one press produces one file per display, numbered `Screenshot ... .png` and `Screenshot ... (2).png`. macOS never merges them into one wide image, which is the opposite of what Windows does.

The order isn't always intuitive — it follows the display arrangement in System Settings rather than which screen you were looking at. With three monitors, expect to open all three files to find the one you wanted.

## Retina resolution and file sizes

On a Retina MacBook the capture is taken at the backing resolution, not the logical one, which is why [a full-screen grab](https://screenshot-laptop.com/macbook/command-shift-3/) produces such a large file. A 14-inch MacBook Pro reporting 1512 × 982 points produces an image around 3024 × 1964 pixels.

That's why a single capture can be 3–8 MB. It's also why a Mac screenshot looks noticeably sharper than a Windows one when viewed at full size. If the size is a problem, switch the format to JPG or HEIC rather than scaling the image down. [Changing the save location](https://screenshot-laptop.com/macbook/change-save-location/).

## Sending it to the clipboard instead

Add `Ctrl`: `Cmd`+`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`3`. No file, no shutter, no thumbnail — the image sits on the clipboard for `Cmd`+`V`.

The four-key stretch is awkward. A common remap is to swap the two behaviours in System Settings › Keyboard › Keyboard Shortcuts › Screenshots, so the three-key version copies and the four-key version saves.

## When to use it, and when not to

**Use it for** documenting a sequence of steps, capturing a whole layout, or showing someone the state of their entire desktop for a support request.

**Don't use it** when you want part of the screen. You'll crop every capture, and on a Retina display you'll throw away 80% of a large file to do it. `Cmd`+`Shift`+`4` is the better tool. [Why area selection is usually better](https://screenshot-laptop.com/macbook/command-shift-4/)

## Silencing the shutter

The sound follows your system volume, so muting the Mac silences it. To keep audio but lose the shutter, turn off *Play sound on screenshot* in System Settings › Sound, or use the `Cmd`+`Shift`+`5` toolbar's Options menu.

Of the three numbered shortcuts this is the bluntest; [the MacBook overview](https://screenshot-laptop.com/macbook/) explains when each one fits.

## Questions

**Does Command Shift 3 capture the cursor?**

Not by default. Turn on *Show Mouse Pointer* in the `Cmd`+`Shift`+`5` Options menu and it appears in every subsequent capture, including this one.

**Can I capture just one of two monitors?**

Not with this shortcut — it always takes them all. Use `Cmd`+`Shift`+`5`, choose Capture Entire Screen, then click the display you want.

**Why do my screenshots have rounded corners on newer MacBooks?**

Models with a notch have rounded display corners, and the capture reflects the actual screen shape. The corners are transparent rather than white, which shows up as a checkerboard in some editors.