Where to Find Screenshots on Mac

Have you ever taken a screenshot on your Mac, only to wonder where it went? Fret not—finding your lost screenshots is simpler than you might think. Screenshots often hide in unexpected folders or get buried among other files, but you’ll quickly locate them with the proper guidance. In this article, we’ll walk you through each step to find screenshots on Mac, then the best ways to organize and access them with ease.  

From using Finder tips to adjusting system settings, you'll discover every trick needed to keep your screenshots neatly and within reach. Plus, we'll show you how to customize their location so they’re always easy to find in the future. Get ready to reclaim your missing screenshots and streamline your Mac experience.

Before we start:

 

If you can't find the location of screenshots on your Mac, chances are there are loads of unused image files somewhere on your disk. Moreover, in case you’re noticing sluggish performance on your Mac or seeing your storage fill up too quickly, then duplicates might be the culprit.  

 

Here’s the simplest way to free up space using our MacKeeper app:

1. Download MacKeeper from our website and install it on your Mac.
2. Once installed, find and open MacKeeper on your Apple device, then select the Duplicates Finder feature from the left-side panel.
3. Click Start Scan to let our app search your user folders for duplicate files.
4. Once the scan completes, select the items you want to delete or tick the folder to select all items.
5. Click Remove Selected, and confirm with Remove and Finish for a clutter-free Mac in moments.

Where do screenshots usually go on Mac

Want to know where screenshots go on Mac? For macOS Mojave or newer, they land directly on your desktop after pressing Shift, Command, and a number key. In contrast, on older macOS versions, they’re saved in the Documents folder via the Grab app.  

A useful tip from our team: 

 

Looking for a faster way to capture and edit screenshots on your Mac? The Snip Tool for Mac is built right in. It’s super handy for quick snapshots and easy edits, letting you grab exactly what you need without any fuss.

How to find where a screenshot is saved on Mac

To locate a missing screenshot on your Mac, MacBook Pro, or Air, open Finder and go to Recents or search for “Screenshot” in the Finder search bar. If it’s not on your desktop, screenshots may be in the Documents folder or in another location set in the Screenshot app options.  

1. Search for screenshots using Finder

Sometimes it's even quite challenging to understand how to screenshot on Mac, let alone find the screenshots afterwards. Based on our tests, Finder is one of the most reliable tools for tracking down these stray files.  

To get started, open Finder and follow our guidance:

1. Click on your desktop, then choose File > Find from the Finder menu, or simply press Command + F for a shortcut.  
2. Look for the Search: option near the window’s toolbar, then click This Mac to search your entire startup drive.
3. In the search bar, type kMDItemIsScreenCapture:1. This is a special flag applied to screenshots in macOS versions 10.8 and higher.
4. For a more targeted search, click Image in the Finder menu, then choose the file type you want (e.g., PNG, JPEG).  

2. Via Spotlight

Our team suggests using Spotlight is a quick and effective tool for finding screenshots on your device. However, this will only work when you don't have the issue of a screenshot not working on Mac.  

To search for screenshots via Spotlight, try going through these steps:

1. Click the Spotlight icon in the menu bar, or press Command + Spacebar to activate Spotlight from anywhere in macOS.
2. Type kMDItemIsScreenCapture:1 in the search field. Spotlight will instantly display all of your Mac screenshots. To quickly navigate, use the arrow keys to highlight files.
3. Hold the Command key to reveal each file’s full path at the bottom of the Spotlight overlay. Press Enter to directly open the highlighted file.
4. Use additional commands to narrow results. For instance, search by a specific month with the name: 2024-10 kMDItemIsScreenCapture:1 to find October 2024 screenshots. Limit results to image files by typing kind: image kMDItemIsScreenCapture:1.

An extra hint from our experts: Spotlight is incredibly versatile, allowing searches by format, name, or date to track down specific screenshots without too much effort. We determined that using filters like kind: PNG or name: [date] improves your search precision, especially when searching across extensive files.  

3. Using Terminal

We discovered that using Terminal can be a powerful way to locate screenshots on your Mac, especially for users comfortable with typing command-line functions.  

To locate screenshots via Terminal, follow these steps:

1. Access Terminal from the Applications > Utilities folder, or quickly locate it through Spotlight.
2. Type mdfind kMDItemIsScreenCapture:1 into the Terminal window. This command leverages macOS metadata to identify and display screenshots. Terminal will list the names and file paths of all the screenshots stored on your Mac.

A warning from us: For further customization, mdlist and mdfind commands allow searches with specific metadata criteria. Keep in mind that Terminal’s search ignores files saved in folders excluded from Spotlight’s index.  

4. Check the app preference settings

Where are screenshots saved on Mac? Our team suggests reviewing your app’s preference settings to locate your screenshots. Mac apps store user configurations in special "plist" files, which manage default settings and can be adjusted as needed.

For the screenshot tool, the configuration file is labeled com.apple.screencapture, and it holds default preferences for screenshot storage. You can view its current settings by using Terminal and typing the following command: defaults read com.apple.screencapture.  

Once you've changed the settings, you may also want to find duplicate files on Mac to free up more storage for new screenshots.  

How to change screenshot location on Mac

To change your screenshot location on a Mac, follow our below instructions:

1. Press Shift + Command + 5 to open the screenshot toolbar (for macOS Mojave or later).
2. Click Options in the toolbar at the bottom of your screen.
3. Under Save to, choose a default location or select Other Location to set a custom folder.

Conclusion

Finding screenshots on your Mac doesn’t have to be complicated, right? Using Finder, Spotlight, and Terminal, you can quickly find, organize, and manage your screenshots. However, if duplicates clutter your storage, use MacKeeper’s Duplicates Finder to simplify your cleanup by detecting and removing redundant screenshots in seconds.

To use Duplicates Finder in MacKeeper:

1. Open MacKeeper and select Duplicates Finder from the sidebar.
2. Click Start Scan to identify duplicate screenshots and similar files.
3. Review results and click Remove Selected to instantly clear space.

With this step-by-step guide from MacKeeper, you’ll be all set to keep your Mac clean and organized. Enjoy using our Duplicates Finder to take the hassle out of managing storage, ensuring your Mac stays optimized and performing at its best.