Cued
How to take a screenshot during a video call on a Mac
By Harshit Maurya, maker of Cued · Updated 21 October 2026
On a Mac, Shift-Command-3 captures the whole screen, Shift-Command-4 a part of it, and Shift-Command-4 then Space bar a single window, such as the Zoom or Meet window. Add Control to copy the screenshot to the clipboard instead of saving a file. By default, screenshots save to your Desktop, which leaves them scattered and separate from the meeting. Cued's ⌥⇧S captures the screen silently, without Cued's own panels, and saves the image into the meeting that is in progress, next to its recording, transcript and files.
Why take screenshots during a call?
Because what is shared on a call is gone when the share stops. A slide with the numbers, the design someone walked through, a spreadsheet they scrolled past, an error message on a client's screen: a screenshot keeps the exact thing that was shown, which notes cannot. It is also the fastest way to capture a long link or a code that someone puts on screen.
What are the built-in Mac screenshot shortcuts?
| Shortcut | What it captures | Best for on a call |
|---|---|---|
| Shift-Command-3 | The entire screen | Everything, including your own notes and other windows |
| Shift-Command-4, then drag | A part of the screen you select | Just the shared slide or document |
| Shift-Command-4, then Space bar, then click | One window or menu (hold Option to leave out the shadow) | Only the Zoom, Meet or Teams window |
| Shift-Command-5 | The Screenshot app, with options | Changing where screenshots are saved |
| Add Control to any of these | Copies to the clipboard instead of saving | Pasting straight into notes or a chat |
After each screenshot, a thumbnail appears in the corner of the screen. Click it to mark it up, drag it into another app or folder, or wait and it saves.
Where do Mac screenshots go, and how do you change it?
To your Desktop by default, named 'Screen Shot' with the date and time. After a week of calls that is a Desktop full of files with no clue which meeting they came from. To change the folder:
- Open the Screenshot app. Press Shift-Command-5.
- Click Options. The menu lists places to save.
- Pick a folder. Choose a folder such as Documents, or another folder you made for calls.
That stops the Desktop clutter, but every screenshot still ends up in one folder, with a date for a name. To find the slide from last Tuesday's client call you still need to remember when the call was.
How do you file screenshots with the meeting using Cued?
- Press ⌥⇧S during the call. Or click the camera in the notch. No sound plays, and Cued's own panels are left out of the image.
- See it confirmed. A small notice in the notch shows the thumbnail and an Open button.
- Find it later. It is in that meeting's Files, the notch Files pane, and Recordings under Screenshots, next to the recording, transcript and summary.
- Search it. ⌘K search covers each meeting's images too, so you can find it with the other things from that call.
Screenshots need the Screen Recording permission. Cued needs a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 15 or later, and is designed for MacBooks with a notch.
Is it OK to screenshot a video call?
Zoom, Meet and Teams do not tell anyone when you take a screenshot with your Mac's own tools. That is a reason to be careful, not a licence. Capturing a shared slide for your own notes is normal in most work calls; capturing someone's face, a private document or anything marked confidential is different. Ask first when in doubt, and follow your company's or your client's rules.
Tips
- Capture the window, not the whole screen, so your own notes and tabs are not in the image.
- Use Control to copy straight to the clipboard when you only need to paste it once.
- Rename or file screenshots the same day, or let Cued file them with the meeting.
- Mark up the thumbnail right away to circle what mattered.
Questions
Does the other person know I took a screenshot?
Zoom, Meet and Teams do not notify anyone when you take a screenshot with your Mac's own tools. Still, ask before capturing someone's private material.
How do I screenshot only the Zoom window on a Mac?
Press Shift-Command-4, then the Space bar, then click the Zoom window. Hold Option while clicking to leave out the window's shadow.
Where do Mac screenshots go?
To the Desktop by default. Change it in the Shift-Command-5 Screenshot app under Options. Cued saves its screenshots into the meeting instead.
How do I copy a screenshot without saving a file?
Add Control to the shortcut, for example Control-Shift-Command-4, and the screenshot goes to the clipboard.
How much does Cued cost?
Cued is a one-time purchase with no subscription: $9 for the first 50 founding members, then $29 with a year of updates. Download it from getcued.pro and pay inside the app after a quick setup.
Try Cued on your next call. Your script in the notch, your call recorded and summarised on your Mac.
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