To change where Mac saves screenshots, run:

defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/Pictures/Screenshots && killall SystemUIServer

Replace ~/Pictures/Screenshots with whatever folder you want.

Step by Step

1. Create the folder first

mkdir -p ~/Pictures/Screenshots

The -p flag creates parent folders if needed.

2. Set the new location

defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/Pictures/Screenshots

3. Apply the change

killall SystemUIServer

This restarts the system process that handles screenshots. Takes about a second.

4. Test it

Press Command + Shift + 3 to take a screenshot. Check your new folder - it should be there.

Popular Screenshot Locations

Location Command
Pictures folder defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/Pictures/Screenshots
Documents folder defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/Documents/Screenshots
Downloads folder defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/Downloads
iCloud Drive defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/Library/Mobile\ Documents/com~apple~CloudDocs/Screenshots
Dropbox defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/Dropbox/Screenshots

Don't forget to run killall SystemUIServer after changing the location.

Reset to Default (Desktop)

To go back to saving screenshots on your Desktop:

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

Or delete the setting entirely:

defaults delete com.apple.screencapture location && killall SystemUIServer

Check Current Screenshot Location

To see where screenshots are currently saved:

defaults read com.apple.screencapture location

If you get an error like "does not exist," it means you're using the default (Desktop).

Other Screenshot Settings

Change the file format

Default is PNG. You can change it to JPG, PDF, or others:

defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg && killall SystemUIServer

Options: png, jpg, gif, pdf, tiff

Remove the shadow from window screenshots

When you screenshot a window (Command + Shift + 4, then Space), it normally has a drop shadow. To remove it:

defaults write com.apple.screencapture disable-shadow -bool true && killall SystemUIServer

To bring the shadow back:

defaults write com.apple.screencapture disable-shadow -bool false && killall SystemUIServer

Change the default filename

Screenshots are named "Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 10.30.45 AM.png" by default. To change the prefix:

defaults write com.apple.screencapture name "Capture" && killall SystemUIServer

Now they'll be named "Capture 2024-01-15 at 10.30.45 AM.png".

Screenshot Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut What it captures
Command + Shift + 3 Entire screen
Command + Shift + 4 Selection (drag to select area)
Command + Shift + 4, then Space A specific window
Command + Shift + 5 Screenshot toolbar with more options

Why Change the Location?

  • Cleaner Desktop: Screenshots clutter quickly. A dedicated folder keeps things tidy.
  • Cloud sync: Put them in iCloud or Dropbox for automatic backup.
  • Project organization: Screenshots for a project can go directly in that project's folder.

Keep Learning

Customizing macOS defaults is one way Terminal gives you control over your Mac. The free course covers more ways to make your Mac work the way you want.

Check it out at Mac Terminal for Humans.