Where Do macOS Screenshots Get Saved by Default?
The default folder for Cmd+Shift+3/4/5 screenshots on macOS, and the one Terminal command that lets you change it.
Last updated
Out of the box, every screenshot you take with Cmd+Shift+3 (full screen), Cmd+Shift+4 (selection) or Cmd+Shift+5 (the screenshot toolbar, which also handles screen recordings) lands directly on your Desktop as a PNG named "Screenshot [date] at [time].png".
If your Desktop is getting cluttered, the save location is one of the few macOS defaults you can change with a single Terminal command instead of digging through System Settings.
Where macOS stores this, by platform
~/Desktop
To change it: open Terminal and run defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/Pictures/Screenshots then killall SystemUIServer to apply it. The Cmd+Shift+5 toolbar also has an "Options" menu with a quick location picker, no Terminal required.
Frequently asked questions
How do I change the screenshot format from PNG?
Run defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg in Terminal (swap jpg for pdf, tiff, etc.), then killall SystemUIServer.
Can I copy a screenshot straight to the clipboard instead of saving a file?
Yes. Hold Control while taking any of the screenshot shortcuts (e.g. Cmd+Ctrl+Shift+4) and it copies to the clipboard instead of saving a file to disk.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.