Coming from Windows?
Snipping Tool
for Mac.
A Mac has no app called Snipping Tool. The built-in equivalent is Shift + Command + 4: drag across the area you want, and the snip saves to your desktop. For the whole Windows habit of snip, mark up and copy, SnapApp is a free native Mac app that opens every snip straight in its editor.
macOS 14 Sonoma or later · Apple silicon & Intel · Currently free · No account
The built-in Mac snip, at a glance
- Snip an area
- then drag
- Snip a window
- Snip the whole screen
- Copy instead of saving
- Timer, save location and screen recording
- opens the Screenshot toolbar
⌃ Control · ⇧ Shift · ⌘ Command. From Apple’s screenshot guide.
Everything Snipping Tool does, on a Mac.
Each Snipping Tool habit, with the built-in Mac way and the SnapApp way side by side.
Snip an area
- On Windows
- Windows + Shift + S, then Rectangle
- Built into macOS
- then drag
- With SnapApp
- then drag. The screen freezes first, so open menus stay put.
Snip a window
- On Windows
- Window mode
- Built into macOS
- With SnapApp
- Drag around the window, or use the built-in keys.
Snip the whole screen
- On Windows
- Full screen mode
- Built into macOS
- With SnapApp
- Use the built-in keys.
Freeform snip
- On Windows
- Freeform mode
- Built into macOS
- Not built in
- With SnapApp
- Not available. Snips are rectangles.
Wait before snipping
- On Windows
- Delay
- Built into macOS
- then Options and a timer
- With SnapApp
- Use the Screenshot toolbar.
Draw on the snip
- On Windows
- Pen, Highlighter and Shapes
- Built into macOS
- Click the floating thumbnail to use Markup
- With SnapApp
- Arrows, lines, boxes, ovals, pen, text, numbered steps and highlights, in Formal or Doodle style.
Copy text from it
- On Windows
- Text actions
- Built into macOS
- Open it in Preview and select the text with Live Text
- With SnapApp
- Extract copies the recognized words. Recognition runs on your Mac.
Hide private details
- On Windows
- Quick redact in Text actions
- Built into macOS
- Draw over it with Markup
- With SnapApp
- Redact covers an area or recognized words in solid black.
Copy the image
- On Windows
- Copy from the Snipping Tool window
- Built into macOS
- copies instead of saving
- With SnapApp
- Press Command + C in the editor. It copies and closes.
Find it later
- On Windows
- Saved to your Screenshots folder
- Built into macOS
- Saved to the desktop, or where you choose in the toolbar Options
- With SnapApp
- Saved as a PNG in Pictures, in a SnapApp folder, named after the app and window you snipped.
Record the screen
- On Windows
- Windows + Shift + R
- Built into macOS
- With SnapApp
- Not included.
Live Text in Preview is described in Apple’s Preview guide.
Snip on a Mac with SnapApp.
- 01
Press the shortcut
Or record your own in Settings. SnapApp waits in your menu bar and Dock. - 02
Drag across the area
The screen freezes the moment you press the shortcut, so menus and hover states stay exactly as they were. - 03
Mark it up
The editor opens at once with the arrow ready. Add a box, text, numbered steps or a highlight, or cover private details with Redact. - 04
Paste it anywhere
Press Command + C to copy and close, or drag the thumbnail into a chat, an email or Finder. Every snip also saves as a PNG.
Watch: three free ways to snip on a Mac
Which one fits you
The built-in tools are enough when
- You need the whole screen, a window with its shadow, or a timer.
- You want to record your screen.
- You rarely add more than a quick mark.
SnapApp fits when
- You snip to explain something: a bug, a setting, the next step.
- Most snips get an arrow, a box or a note.
- You paste snips into chats, tickets and docs all day.
Snipping on a Mac, answered.
Is there a Snipping Tool for Mac?
Not by that name. A Mac captures with keyboard shortcuts and the Screenshot app: Shift + Command + 4 snips an area, Shift + Command + 3 the whole screen, and Shift + Command + 5 opens a toolbar with a timer and screen recording. SnapApp is a free native app that opens every snip in an editor.
What is the Mac shortcut for Snipping Tool?
Shift + Command + 4 is the closest match to Windows + Shift + S: drag to select an area. Press Space after it to snip a window instead. In SnapApp the default is Command + Shift + 2, and you can record your own.
How do I snip and copy on a Mac?
Add Control to the shortcut, for example Control + Shift + Command + 4, and the snip is copied instead of saved as a file. In SnapApp, press Command + C in the editor to copy the marked-up image.
Where do snips go on a Mac?
Built-in screenshots save to the desktop unless you choose another location in the Screenshot toolbar Options. SnapApp saves every snip automatically as a PNG in Pictures, in a SnapApp folder, named after the app and window you captured.
Can I draw on a snip?
Yes. After a built-in screenshot, click the floating thumbnail to use Markup. SnapApp opens each snip directly in its editor with arrows, shapes, text, numbered steps, highlights and redaction.
Is SnapApp free?
The download is currently free and needs no account. It runs on macOS 14 Sonoma or later, on Apple silicon and Intel Macs.
Does SnapApp upload my snips?
No. Capturing, marking up and text recognition happen on your Mac, and snips are never uploaded automatically. You decide where to paste or send them.