Where Are Screenshots Saved On Mac (Change, Find, or Delete Them)

Screenshots are saved on Mac at the Desktop by default. Press Command + Shift + 3 or 4 to capture, then use Command + Shift + 5 → Options to change the save location to Documents, Clipboard, or a custom folder.

When you take a screenshot on a Mac, macOS handles the entire process automatically.

The key is knowing where those files go, how to change that location, and how to clean up old screenshots when they start piling up.

Where Are The Screenshots Saved on Mac?

Default Save Location (GUI Method)

On every modern macOS version, Mojave and later, your screenshots save straight to the Desktop as PNG files. macOS names them using this format:

Screenshot [date] at [time].png

To find them fast:

• Open Finder
• Select Desktop in the sidebar
• Your newest screenshot will be at the top if you sort by date

Older macOS versions behaved differently. Before Mojave, the old Grab utility often saved screenshots to the Documents folder.

If you’re running a legacy system, you may still see this.

Advanced Ways to Locate Screenshots

If the Desktop feels cluttered, or you’re unsure where screenshots are going, use these system level tools:

Check the current screenshot folder via Terminal:

defaults read com.apple.screencapture location

Find every screenshot on your Mac using Finder search:

1. Press Command + F
2. Choose This Mac
3. Search for: kMDItemIsScreenCapture:1

Run a Terminal search for all screenshots:

mdfind kMDItemIsScreenCapture:1

How to Change Where Screenshots Are Saved on Mac

Simple GUI Method (Recommended)

macOS gives you a built-in Screenshot toolbar for quick changes.

1. Press Shift + Command + 5
2. Click Options
3. Under Save To, pick a folder
4. Choose Other Location… if you want a custom directory

Every screenshot you take from now on goes straight to that folder until you update it again.

Advanced Terminal Method

If you prefer full control:

1. Create or choose your target folder (example: ~/Pictures/Screenshots)
2. Run:

defaults write com.apple.screencapture location "/Users/YourName/Pictures/Screenshots"
killall SystemUIServer

Replace the path with your own. Quotation marks are required if the folder name contains spaces.

To revert back to saving on the Desktop:

defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/Desktop
killall SystemUIServer

If macOS can’t access your chosen folder—for example, it was deleted or lives on an unmounted drive—it will automatically fall back to the Desktop.

How to Delete Screenshots on Mac

Standard GUI Method

Removing screenshots works the same as deleting any file:

• Select the file
• Press Command + Delete to move it to Trash
• Press Option + Command + Delete to bypass Trash and delete immediately

For bulk cleanup:

• Select multiple files using Shift-click or Command-click
• Press Command + Delete
• Empty the Trash to reclaim disk space

Advanced Deletion Tools

Finder search deletion:

Use the kMDItemIsScreenCapture:1 search filter, select everything, and move to Trash.

Terminal deletion:

mdfind kMDItemIsScreenCapture:1

Then use rm to remove files. Or target a folder directly:

find ~/Desktop -name 'Screenshot*.png' -type f -delete

Always double-check your paths before running delete commands.

Third-party utilities like system cleaners can also batch-delete screenshots.

How to Take Screenshots on Mac

Core Screenshot Shortcuts

• Entire screen: Shift + Command + 3
• Selected portion: Shift + Command + 4, then drag
• Window or menu: Shift + Command + 4 → Space → click
• Screenshot toolbar: Shift + Command + 5
• Touch Bar: Shift + Command + 6

By default, screenshots save as PNG files to the Desktop.
To copy instead of save, hold Control with any shortcut.

Advanced Screenshot Capture Methods

macOS includes a powerful command-line tool:

• Full screen:

screencapture ~/Desktop/shot.png

• Copy to clipboard:

screencapture -c

• Delay capture by 10 seconds:

screencapture -T 10 delay.png

• Silent capture:

screencapture -x silent.png

You can combine flags and set your own save paths as needed.

If you prefer custom shortcuts, head to: System Settings > Keyboard > Shortcuts > Screenshots

All modern macOS versions (Mojave through Sonoma) support the Screenshot toolbar and these commands.