How To Print Screen On Apple

1. How To Print Screen On Apple Laptop
2. Print Screen On An Apple Computer

Last Updated on December 11, 2019

As there's no dedicated button for print screen on Apple products, there are a few different commands associated with screen capture on Mac that vary slightly depending on your setup. It makes sense to divide the world of how to take a screenshot on a Mac into pre and post-Mojave, since it was with this iteration of macOS that Apple really. See Save your Mac print settings to use later. Copies: Specify the number of copies you want. To print all pages of a document before the next copy prints, click Show Details, click the print options pop-up menu, choose Paper Handling, then select 'Collate pages.'. On your Mac, if the printer is on the network, choose Apple menu System Preferences, then click Printers & Scanners. Add the printer again to create a new printer queue. If you can print to the newly added printer queue, delete the old printer queue. Learn the Basic Commands on How to Print Screen on Mac; Windows print screen command is pretty simple, but it's also very basic. It captures the entire screen. If you want a screenshot of a particular window or section, you'll have to take a different kind of action. It's similar to Macs.

Did you just get your first Mac after using Windows for a long time? You'll be thrilled with the effectiveness of the macOS. It takes a simple command, and the system does what you want it to do.

Macs hold a reputation of being more user-friendly than any other type of computer. But when it comes to taking screenshots on Mac, you'll be puzzled.

On a Windows computer, you just hold Ctrl and Print Screen together. But you won't find the key print screen on Mac. The command is a bit different.

In fact, you'll need to learn a few different commands to start taking screenshots.

No problem; we've got you covered!

The good news is that it takes minutes to learn how to screenshot on Mac. Let's start with the tips.

Easy Tips: How to Take a Screenshot on Mac

1. Learn the Basic Commands on How to Print Screen on Mac

Windows print screen command is pretty simple, but it's also very basic. It captures the entire screen. That's it.

If you want a screenshot of a particular window or section, you'll have to take a different kind of action.

It's similar to Macs. The basic command gives you a full screenshot on Mac. Let's cover that, and then we'll progress to more specific actions.

You need to hold three keys to capture the entire screen on a Mac:

Command + Shift + 3

You'll instantly hear the 'photo-snapping' sound and you'll see a small window in the bottom right corner. That's your screenshot. Click on that window to expand it.

You can edit your screenshot right away. You can add colors, shapes, and text, draw something on it and crop it.

This command works on all Macs, including those with pre-Mojave operating systems.

1. Select the Area You Want to Capture

If you don't want to take a full screenshot on Mac and then crop it, you'll benefit from another command:

Command + Shift + 4

This command also works on pre-Mojave operating systems.

When you hold these keys, you'll see the cursor changed. It shows screen coordinates. When you press Space, you'll be able to choose the window you want to print screen on Mac. Then click on that window and you'll get your image.

1. Use the Most Versatile Command

If you run Mojave or Catalina on your Mac, you can still use the previous two commands. However, you can also shift to a more sophisticated one:

Media streaming software for mac. Command + Shift + 5

In fact, this is the only combination of keys you need to memorize if you want to take any kind of screenshot on Mac. It's versatile enough to cover all your needs, and it eliminates the need for a third-party app for most people.

Try pressing those keys now.

You'll see a highlighted section on the screen. You can move it around and resize it to capture any section. But you can also do the following:

• Capture the entire screen
• Capture a selected window
• Capture a portion of the screen
• Record the entire screen
• Record a portion of the screen

Now we're getting advanced.

With Command + Shift + 5, you can take all kinds of screenshots on Mac, but you can record the screen as well. Recordings are very useful if you're tutoring someone.

You can show them how to use an app or how to do something on the computer. Explaining with words and screenshots isn't as effective as screen recordings in such situations.

You'll see Options coming up after the icons for the above-listed functions. This enables you to choose where you want to save the screenshot on Mac. You can also set a timer for the recording.

Are you using a MacBook Pro with a touch bar? You'll see the same icons on your touch bar after pressing Command + Shift + 5, so you can guide the commands from there. This is one of those rare instances when you'll really appreciate having that touch bar.

1. Capture the Touch Bar

This command is only useful for those with MacBook Pros with a touch bar:

Command + Shift + 6

It will instantly capture the touch bar, no matter what it shows at the moment. You'll rarely use it, but it may come in handy if you're showing someone how to use an app.

1. Use an App for more Sophisticated Screenshots on Mac

For someone who needs more, even the Command + Shift + 5 option doesn't deliver enough functionality. Maybe you need to blur or annotate certain elements of the screenshot. MacOS gives you only basic editing features, so you'll need to rely on a third-party app to do that.

CleanShot is a nice one for taking and editing print screen on Mac in detail. If you want advanced screen recording features, you should try Capto. This one allows you to add voiceover to the recording, so you can explain what you're doing on the computer. It's pretty cool.

Don't Let Them Get Messy

Whenever you take a screenshot, your Mac will assign it with a title (the day and time it was taken), and it will save it to your desktop in a PNG file. This is the default situation, which you can manipulate however you choose.

If you frequently take screenshots, you don't want to rely on the default setting. You'll end up with a mess of files with names that mean nothing to you. When you need a particular screenshot, it will be impossible for you to find it.

Make the effort to name each screenshot and put it in a relevant folder. If you need to use it right now, do it and get rid of it. Zeus casino game free. If you know you'll need it later on, store it in the cloud. You can even use private Pinterest boards to organize your screenshots.

Just don't keep them on your Mac; they will clutter it.

You See? It's Easy to Take a Screenshot on Mac

How To Print Screen On Apple Laptop

You just got a new computer, hoping it would be easy to use. But you tried taking a screenshot and you had no idea what to do. That made you nervous, didn't it?

As with everything else in the macOS, things are easy. You just need to know the correct key combination. In most cases, Command + Shift + 5 works well. It enables you to take instant screenshots or screen recordings and edit them right away.

If you have bought new Mac or switched over to Mac in 2020, here is my beginners guide for new Apple fans on How to take a screenshot (print screen) on a Mac & MacBook Pro. Specially useful, if you are looking for the Print Screen button present on most of the standard keyboards designed for Windows OS.
If you look at any Laptop or Desktop with windows OS, you will always find a simple 'Print screen' button which allows to take a screenshot directly in combination to the Function key.
However when it comes to Mac or MacBook Pro, the PrintScreen button is simply missing!
Of-course you can take a full or partial screenshot on Mac, but with few combination of keys together. unfortunately its not intuitive on Mac as using a simple Print Screen button in Windows and slightly hard to memorize!
So I have prepared text guide as well as a info-graphics, which you can simply print and paste on your pin board for quick reference.
On Mac, you have an option to capture your entire screen or just a selected portion of it (partial screen).
Also you have an option to automatically save the screenshot to your desktop or to the clipboard.

How to Take Screenshots (Print Screen) on Mac or Macbook Pro?

Full Screen Shot — Hold down Command ⌘ + shift + 3 simultaneously
Partial Screen Shot — Hold down Command ⌘ + shift + 4 simultaneously
So while you wish to share your moments of your favorite videos, achievement of games, discussions on social networks like Twitter or Facebook, any bugs you want to report to Apple support, OR almost anything and everything you see on your screen, this step-by-step guide will help you. Also do refer to Info-graphics which will help you for quick print and reference.
Note : All methods prescribed in this article for taking a screenshot will work with OS Sierra, OS X El Capitan, OS X Yosemite, and most older versions of the modern Mac operating system.

1) How to take a screenshot of your entire screen?

1)Hold down Command ⌘ + shift + 3 simultaneously
2) You will hear a camera click sound.
Result : Mac will capture the entire screen and save it as a .png file on your desktop.
Note : [ File on Desktop will be named like 'Screen shot 2020-08-29 at 08.45.00 AM.png' ]
Tip : This process also works on MacBook Air
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2) How do I take a partial screenshot?

You can take screenshot of selected portion of your screen using following key combination –
1) Hold down Command ⌘ + shift + 4 simultaneously
2) Now your mouse pointer will change to a crosshair (+)
3) Move the crosshair (+) using the mouse or tackpad to the location where you want to start the screenshot, then drag to draw a rectangle which specifies 'what to capture'
– The crosshairs provide you a precise pixel count during dragging (see the image snap shot below), this helps you selecting a specific image size (or even to measure).
– You can hold down Option to change the lock point to the center of the area.
– Or you can hold down Shift to lock all sides but the one in the direction you're currently moving.
4) After you select desired area, simply, release your mouse or trackpad button to hear a camera click sound.
Note : [ If you wish to cancel the operation, press the Esc (Escape) key before you release the button. ]
5) The screenshot will be saved to your desktop.
Note : [ File on Desktop will be named like 'Screen shot 2020-08-29 at 08.45.00 AM.png' ]
Tip : This process also works on MacBook Air
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3) How to take a screenshot of a window?

1)Hold down Command ⌘ + shift + 4
2) Now your mouse pointer will change to a crosshair (+)
3) Press the Spacebarand the pointer changes to a Camera.
4) Move the camera over a window to highlight it. The window will tint blue to show your selection.
5) Now click your mouse or trackpad. You will get a confirmation camera click sound.
Note : [ If you wish to cancel the operation, press the Esc (Escape) key before you release the button. ]
6) The screenshot will be saved to your desktop.
Note : [ File on Desktop will be named like 'Screen shot 2020-08-29 at 08.45.00 AM.png' ]
Important note :Some apps, especially those designed to play copy-protected videos such as DVD Player, might not let you take screenshots of their windows.
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4) How to take a screenshot of a menu?

1) Click the menu to reveal its contents.
2)Hold down Command ⌘ + shift + 4
3) Now your mouse pointer will change to a crosshair (+)
4) Drag to select the menu.
5) Release your mouse or trackpad button.
Note : [ If you wish to cancel the operation, press the Esc (Escape) key before you release the button. ]
6) The screenshot will be saved to your desktop.
Note : [ File on Desktop will be named like 'Screen shot 2020-08-29 at 08.45.00 AM.png' ]
These steps capture the contents of a menu, but not its title:
1) Click the menu to reveal its contents.
2)Hold down Command ⌘ + shift + 4
3) Now your mouse pointer will change to a crosshair (+)
4) Press the Space bar. The pointer changes to a camera.
5) Move the camera over the menu to highlight it.
6) Click your mouse or trackpad.
Note : [ If you wish to cancel the operation, press the Esc (Escape) key before you release the button. ]
7) The screenshot will be saved to your desktop.
Note : [ File on Desktop will be named like 'Screen shot 2020-08-29 at 08.45.00 AM.png' ]
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5) How do I take a screenshot of the Touch Bar (MacBook Pro)?

If you have a Mac with a Touch Bar and macOS Sierra 10.12.2 or later then use the following key combination –
1) Hold down Command ⌘ + shift + 6
2) Your Mac captures the entire Touch Bar and saves it as a file on the desktop.
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6) How can I take a screenshot using Preview?

In case you don't remember keyboard shortcuts, then you also have an option of taking a screenshot on Mac using Preview.
Just for information, Preview is built-in image and PDF viewer in the macOS. You can view and print images and PDF files.
See the info-graphics below showing how to use Preview for taking a full or partial or window screenshot.
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7) Where are my Screenshots stored?

All your Screenshots are by default saved on the desktop in Mac OS X v10.6 and later as .png image format files.
The image file will be names as 'Screen Shot date at time.png.'
as an example 'Screen shot 2020-08-29 at 08.45.00 AM.png'
So you can look at the screenshot file on your desktop or alternatively from the Finder.
– Simply Double click on the screenshot file to open and share it with Preview.
– Right click the file and choose Open With
– or drag and drop the file, to open and share it with another app.
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8) How can I change screenshot file format to JPG or TIFF or GIF or PDF?

Yes, you can change the default file format PNG to other formats such as JPG, TIFF or GIF or PDF.
Well by default Mac uses PNG format to store the file on desktop, however sometimes you wish to change this default for various reasons.
As an example say you are using a MacBook Pro Retina or some other 4K monitor, the screenshots can be as large as 5 to 8 MB. And may cases if you wish to send it over email or upload to some government websites etc, you need lighter file sizes and wish to get the screenshots as JPG rather than PNG.
Tip : [ Go for JPG since that is a common type and will output smaller image size than default PNG. ]
So there are TWO options to do this.

Option 1 – Simple to execute

With Preview Option which I have explained earlier ( Click to jump there ) you get an option to save your screenshots in JPG, TIFF, PDF, and other file formats.

Option 2 – Difficult to execute, but changes image file format default permanently on Mac

Print Screen On An Apple Computer

You can change the default PNG format using a simple terminal command.

Step by Step guide

3) How to take a screenshot of a window?

1)Hold down Command ⌘ + shift + 4
2) Now your mouse pointer will change to a crosshair (+)
3) Press the Spacebarand the pointer changes to a Camera.
4) Move the camera over a window to highlight it. The window will tint blue to show your selection.
5) Now click your mouse or trackpad. You will get a confirmation camera click sound.
Note : [ If you wish to cancel the operation, press the Esc (Escape) key before you release the button. ]
6) The screenshot will be saved to your desktop.
Note : [ File on Desktop will be named like 'Screen shot 2020-08-29 at 08.45.00 AM.png' ]
Important note :Some apps, especially those designed to play copy-protected videos such as DVD Player, might not let you take screenshots of their windows.
Go to Index

4) How to take a screenshot of a menu?

1) Click the menu to reveal its contents.
2)Hold down Command ⌘ + shift + 4
3) Now your mouse pointer will change to a crosshair (+)
4) Drag to select the menu.
5) Release your mouse or trackpad button.
Note : [ If you wish to cancel the operation, press the Esc (Escape) key before you release the button. ]
6) The screenshot will be saved to your desktop.
Note : [ File on Desktop will be named like 'Screen shot 2020-08-29 at 08.45.00 AM.png' ]
These steps capture the contents of a menu, but not its title:
1) Click the menu to reveal its contents.
2)Hold down Command ⌘ + shift + 4
3) Now your mouse pointer will change to a crosshair (+)
4) Press the Space bar. The pointer changes to a camera.
5) Move the camera over the menu to highlight it.
6) Click your mouse or trackpad.
Note : [ If you wish to cancel the operation, press the Esc (Escape) key before you release the button. ]
7) The screenshot will be saved to your desktop.
Note : [ File on Desktop will be named like 'Screen shot 2020-08-29 at 08.45.00 AM.png' ]
Go to Index

5) How do I take a screenshot of the Touch Bar (MacBook Pro)?

If you have a Mac with a Touch Bar and macOS Sierra 10.12.2 or later then use the following key combination –
1) Hold down Command ⌘ + shift + 6
2) Your Mac captures the entire Touch Bar and saves it as a file on the desktop.
Go to Index

6) How can I take a screenshot using Preview?

In case you don't remember keyboard shortcuts, then you also have an option of taking a screenshot on Mac using Preview.
Just for information, Preview is built-in image and PDF viewer in the macOS. You can view and print images and PDF files.
See the info-graphics below showing how to use Preview for taking a full or partial or window screenshot.
Go to Index

7) Where are my Screenshots stored?

All your Screenshots are by default saved on the desktop in Mac OS X v10.6 and later as .png image format files.
The image file will be names as 'Screen Shot date at time.png.'
as an example 'Screen shot 2020-08-29 at 08.45.00 AM.png'
So you can look at the screenshot file on your desktop or alternatively from the Finder.
– Simply Double click on the screenshot file to open and share it with Preview.
– Right click the file and choose Open With
– or drag and drop the file, to open and share it with another app.
Go to Index

8) How can I change screenshot file format to JPG or TIFF or GIF or PDF?

Yes, you can change the default file format PNG to other formats such as JPG, TIFF or GIF or PDF.
Well by default Mac uses PNG format to store the file on desktop, however sometimes you wish to change this default for various reasons.
As an example say you are using a MacBook Pro Retina or some other 4K monitor, the screenshots can be as large as 5 to 8 MB. And may cases if you wish to send it over email or upload to some government websites etc, you need lighter file sizes and wish to get the screenshots as JPG rather than PNG.
Tip : [ Go for JPG since that is a common type and will output smaller image size than default PNG. ]
So there are TWO options to do this.

Option 1 – Simple to execute

With Preview Option which I have explained earlier ( Click to jump there ) you get an option to save your screenshots in JPG, TIFF, PDF, and other file formats.

Option 2 – Difficult to execute, but changes image file format default permanently on Mac

Print Screen On An Apple Computer

You can change the default PNG format using a simple terminal command.

Step by Step guide

1) To find the Terminal, Go to Applications -> Utilities. Or use search to find 'Terminal'.
2) copy/paste following command inside the terminal window and press enter (return)

defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg

Tip : If your Mac asks for user password, just go ahead and enter it.
3) Restart the system to get the changes applied.
3) Alternatively – In case you don't want to reboot the system, use following command in Terminal window and press enter (return).

killall SystemUIServer

4) You are done. Now all the further screen captures (print screen) will be saved to JPG format.
Note : In case you wish to change the image file format again, repeat steps above by changing the file format name in command line. as an example defaults write com.apple.screencapture type PNG
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9) How to copy the screenshot directly to clipboard instead of desktop save?

Sometimes you want to directly copy the screenshot directly to other application, so to avoid one step of picking up file from desktop, you have an option to directly copy the screenshot to your clipboard.
1) Hold down Cotrol key together with any of the combinations given above.
For an example,
Use Control + Command ⌘ + shift + 3
Instead of
Command ⌘ + shift + 3
2) Now the screenshot will be directly copied to the clipboard (instead of saving it as a desktop file).
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10) How to paste image from clipboard into a document or something?

Hold down Command ⌘ Button + V
This is similar to the Windows paste option using Control + V, here on Mac too, Command + V, pastes the screenshot on the clipboard directly into a document or image you are currently editing.
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11) How to take screenshots using the command line ('Terminal')?

1) To find the Terminal, Go to Applications -> Utilities. Or use search to find 'Terminal'.
2) copy/paste following command inside the terminal window and press enter (return)
First command will provide you screen capture

man screencapture
OR if you wish to introduce delay in screen capture, then use below command
screencapture -T 10 ~/Desktop/screenshot.png
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12) How to take screenshots in MacOS Mojave?

with the MacOS Mojave update. (Also get to know the new Stacks and dark mode.) you can use the new screenshot tool and keyboard shortcut.
Command ⌘ + shift + 5
Press Command ⌘ + shift + 5 which will bring up a small panel at the bottom of your display with screen capture options as shown in the above image. You can simply drag this screenshot panel at suitable location on the screen.
You will get Screenshot buttons, Video recording buttons, and an Option button with sub-options as given below –

• Screenshot Options
  • Capture the entire screen,
  • A window or
  • A selection of your screen
• Video-recording buttons
  • Record your entire screen or
  • A selection of it
• Options Button
  • Save your screenshot to
    • Desktop,
    • Documents,
    • Clipboard,
    • Mail,
    • Messages or
    • Preview
  • Set a 5-10-second delay

On the left of this control panel you will get an X button to close the panel, or alternatively just hit the Escape key to exit out from Screenshot menu.
From the options button you can choose location to save your screenshot – as Desktop, Documents, Clipboard, Mail, Messages or Preview, as well as set a 5-10-second delay when you want to capture a disappearing tool-tip or menu.
Once you capture the screenshot, you get a floating thumbnail at the bottom, in case needed you can switch-off this preview. If you Click this Floating Thumbnail, you will get a Markup View preview window with all of the markup tools. So you can annotate screenshots without needing to open Preview or delete it simply.
Tip: you can choose to show your mouse pointer in a screenshot or video. Chain link games.

How to Change Mojave's Default Screenshot Location?

Free online blackjack with other players. See image above for reference
Go to 'Options' button >> Change saving location using the toggle near the top of choices (Desktop / Documents / Mail / Messages / QuickTime Player / Other Location …)
Use above menu to change the place where you wish to save your screenshots, as an example click 'Other Location' from that list, to get open/save dialog box to select where you want future screenshots to be saved.
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13) How to edit screenshots?

You can open the screenshots with Preview, Safari, and other apps and then view them or edit too.

Step-by-step Guide to edit an image on Preview

1) Double click to open a screenshot with Preview.
2) Rotate :
Rotate button is indicated by a curved arrow and is located at the upper right part of the window.
You can Click the 'Rotate' button to rotate the screenshot orientation 90 degrees.
3) Adjust Size:
'Tools' is located in the top menu bar and will open a box with options to adjust the width, height or resolution.
Open the 'Tools' menu and select 'Adjust Size'.
4) Crop:
Click the 'Select' tool located in the upper toolbar, click and drag to select the area of the image that you wish to crop. Then select 'Crop' from the 'Tools' menu in the top menu bar.
5) Adjust Color:
Open 'Tools' and select 'Adjust Color'. A new pane will appear with sliders to adjust the exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, saturation, temperature, tint, or sharpness.
6) Annotation [pen tool, shapes, or text insert]
Annotation tools button is located in the upper right corner of the window. This gives you access to annotation tools, such as a pen tool, shapes, or text insert.
7) Save the edited screenshot:
Open the 'File' menu and select 'Save As' to save your changes. You will be prompted to name the screenshot and browse for a save location. Clicking 'Save' will confirm your changes.
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14) How to Customize Mac Screenshot Shortcuts? Hotkey!

I really get annoyed to press so many keys to get one screenshot! It is the most stupid thing to cross fingers to reach so many keys!! So thought on defining hot keys on mac which I like or feel more convenient for daily operations.
So here I suggest you to use the Mac's excellent keyboard hotkey mapping function to create your own screenshot shortcuts.

Step-by-step guide to customize screenshot keys on Mac

1) Go to System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts.
2) You will see list on the left hand side of screen (see image snap below), from the list select Screen Shots
3) Now you will see the Mac's screenshot options on right hand side of window (see image snap below) with their default keyboard shortcut combinations.
4) Select the screenshot command you want to modify and double click and press new combination as desired.
5) You are done 🙂 Close the System Preferences window and carry on with your screenshots!
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15) How to Fix Screenshot on Mac Not Working Error?

15.1 — Restart your Mac
Press the Power button (or press 'Control + Eject') and, when a dialog box appears, click the Restart button.
Choose the 'Apple key' and then click 'Restart'.
Press 'Control + Command + Eject' (or 'Control + Command + Power' button)
15.2 — Check the screenshot shortcuts
Go to 'System Preferences' > 'Keyboard & Mouse' > 'Keyboard Shortcuts' > check whether the shortcuts are activated or not under Screen Shots, and also check that they have not been assigned to something else.
15.3 — Use Grab to take a screenshot on Mac
Try using the pre-installed Grab on Mac to take a screenshot of a partial section of the screen, an individual window, or the entire screen.
Go to 'Applications' > 'Utilities' > find and open 'Grab' > 'Capture' > choose to take a specific screenshot
15.4 — Take a screenshot using Preview – This topic is already covered previously Jump to Topic
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16) How to transfer the screenshot from Mac to iPhone?

Once you take a screenshot, you can sync these new images to yout iPhone.
Best and easiest way is to use AirDrop to transfer screenshot from Mac to iPhone or vice versa.
1) Turn on AirDrop,
2) Turn on Bluetooth Wi-Fi connection on both iPhone and Mac,
3) Go to the Photos application on Mac, and then choose to share the specific screenshot with iPhone via AirDrop.
Read Apple official guide on How to use Airdrop?
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To write this article, I have taken an extensive reference from Apple official website ( Source)