HandyCubHow to Take a Scrolling Screenshot on Mac
Updated November 2, 2026
A scrolling screenshot (also called a long or full-page screenshot) captures more than fits on your screen: a whole web page, a long chat, a settings list or a document. Here's the honest answer for Mac users, then the methods that work.
Can a Mac take a scrolling screenshot natively?
No. The built-in Screenshot tool captures the whole screen, a window or a selected portion. Apple's guide to taking screenshots on Mac doesn't include a scrolling or full-page option, and you won't find one in the ⇧⌘5 toolbar.
Here's what the built-in shortcuts do cover:
| Shortcut | What it captures |
|---|---|
| ⇧⌘3 | The entire screen |
| ⇧⌘4 | A portion you drag to select |
| ⇧⌘4, then Space | A window or the menu bar |
| ⇧⌘5 | Opens the Screenshot toolbar (screenshots and recordings) |
| Add ⌃ (Control) | Copies to the clipboard instead of saving a file |
So for anything taller than your screen, you need one of the methods below.
Method 1: Save a web page as a PDF (free, any browser)
If what you want is a long web page, the simplest free option is to save it as a PDF. In Safari, Chrome and most Mac apps:
- Open the page.
- Choose File > Print.
- Click the PDF button (or the PDF pop-up menu) and choose Save as PDF (Apple Support).
Pros: free, built in, and text usually stays selectable. Cons: the result is split into pages and follows the site's print layout, so it often looks different from what you see on screen. It's a document, not an image.
Method 2: Chrome DevTools full-size screenshot (free, web pages only)
Chrome's developer tools can capture an entire page as a single image:
- In Chrome, open DevTools with ⌥⌘I (Command-Option-I).
- Click Toggle device toolbar at the top of DevTools to turn on device mode.
- Open the More options menu in the device toolbar and choose Capture full size screenshot (Chrome for Developers).
Chrome saves the whole page, including the parts outside the window, as one image.
Pros: free, one long image of the page. Cons: web pages only, a few technical steps, and you're capturing in a simulated device viewport, so set the width you want first.
Method 3: Stitch screenshots by hand (free, any app)
For a chat or a long list in a desktop app, you can take several ⇧⌘4 screenshots while scrolling and combine them in an image editor. It works anywhere, but lining up the overlaps is slow and fiddly. It's fine once in a while; for regular use, a dedicated tool saves a lot of time.
Method 4: Use a screenshot app with scrolling capture
Several Mac apps capture scrolling content in any app, not just browsers, and stitch it automatically. Prices below were checked on each official site on November 2, 2026:
| App | Scrolling capture | Price |
|---|---|---|
| KoalaShot | Yes (⇧⌘7, you scroll, it stitches) | One-time purchase, $4.99; 7-day free trial |
| Shottr | Yes | Free to use; Basic $12 one-time |
| CleanShot X | Yes, vertical and horizontal | $35 one-time (1 year of updates) |
| Snagit | Yes | $39/user/year |
All of them work beyond the browser, which is the main advantage over Methods 1 and 2. For a fuller comparison, see the best screenshot apps for Mac.
How to take a scrolling screenshot with KoalaShot
KoalaShot is our screenshot and screen recorder app. Its scrolling capture works in any window you can scroll:
- Press ⇧⌘7 (you can change the shortcut in Settings).
- Drag to select the part of the window you want to capture, such as a chat panel or a web page area.
- Scroll down yourself at a normal pace. KoalaShot captures as you go and stitches the frames together. It recognizes fixed headers and footers so they don't repeat down the image.
- Press Return to finish.
The long image is copied to your clipboard and saved to Pictures/KoalaShot. A thumbnail appears in the corner: drag it into an email or chat, or click it to annotate (arrows, text, highlights, mosaic to hide private details).
A few tips for clean results:
- Select only the scrolling area. Leaving out sidebars and toolbars gives a neater image.
- Scroll steadily. Very fast flicks can skip content.
- Hide private info afterwards with the mosaic tool before you share.
What KoalaShot doesn't do: it captures vertical scrolling only, and it doesn't scroll for you automatically.
Which method should you use?
- One web page, once in a while: Save as PDF or Chrome's full-size screenshot.
- Chats, documents and lists in any app: a screenshot app with scrolling capture.
- You also need annotation, OCR or screen recording: an all-in-one app such as KoalaShot or CleanShot X.
Recording video instead? See how to screen record on Mac with internal audio.
Try KoalaShot free
KoalaShot adds scrolling screenshots, OCR, pinning and screen recording to your Mac, with no account needed. Try it free for 7 days; after that it's a one-time purchase of $4.99, no subscription.