How To Delete Screenshots On Mac? [Step by Step Guide]

How to Delete Screenshots on Mac?

To delete screenshots or any files from your Mac, first, select the file(s) you want to remove, then press the Command + Delete keys.

Taking screenshots, capturing images of your screen, is a common practice for various purposes. Whether it’s to remember something or to provide guidance to others, screenshots serve a useful function.

However, accumulating a large number of screenshots over time can consume valuable storage space on your Mac, especially if you’re using a low-capacity MacBook. In such cases, it’s advisable to delete unnecessary screenshots to free up disk space.

If you’re wondering how to delete screenshots on a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, rest assured that the process is the same for both types of laptops. In this article, we’ll focus on deleting screenshots on a MacBook Air.

How To Delete Screenshots On Mac (Macbook Air or Macbook Pro)

To delete a file, including a screenshot, on your Mac, you can press the Command and Delete keys simultaneously after selecting the file(s) you want to remove.

Alternatively, you can delete one or more files by right-clicking on the Screenshot stack or folder with two fingers, or by selecting multiple files and then clicking “Move to Bin.”

After performing these actions, the next step is to empty the Bin to permanently delete the files.

Screenshots on your Mac can consume significant storage space, especially as you accumulate more pictures over time. Therefore, it’s essential to clear them periodically to free up space. However, manually finding and deleting screenshots stored in various locations can be time-consuming. In such cases, you can use a Cleaner app to streamline the process.

Here’s how to use a Cleaner app to delete screenshots efficiently:

Step 1: If you don’t already have the app, download and install it from the App Store. Once installed, open the Cleaner app.
Step 2: Navigate to the Screenshots section and select all screenshots.
Step 3: Click on the “Review and Remove” button.
Step 4: If necessary, choose which screenshots you want to keep.
Step 5: Click on “Remove” to delete the selected screenshots in one go.
Step 6: Finally, check the trash bin and clear it to permanently delete the screenshots.

By following these steps, you can successfully delete all screenshots from your MacBook in one sweep.

How To Take Screenshot On Mac?

How to Take Screenshots on Mac Using Shortcut Keys?

Taking a screenshot on a Mac is just as easy as it is on Windows. All you need to do is follow three simple steps:

Step 1: Navigate to the image or webpage that you want to capture. Step 2: Adjust the size or content for better screenshot clarity. Step 3: Press SHIFT + COMMAND + 3, and your screenshot will be captured instantly.

After taking a screenshot, a thumbnail preview will appear in the bottom right corner of the screen. You can easily access and manage these screenshots on your desktop.

If you need to capture only a portion of the screen and want to save time on cropping later, you can use specialized screenshot apps. These features are available in the latest macOS versions such as Mojave and Catalina.

Here are the keyboard shortcuts for taking screenshots on Mac:

• Shift + Command + 3: Capture the entire desktop screen.
• Shift + Command + 4: Capture a specific area of the desktop screen.
• Shift + Command + 4 + Space: Capture a specific window on the desktop. This shortcut can also be used to capture a webpage screenshot on your Mac.

How to Take Screenshots on Mac Using Screenshot App?

When you open Launchpad on your Mac and search for “Screenshot,” you will find the Screenshot app icon as shown in the screenshot below. Click on it to launch the app.

Once launched, the app will display various options at the bottom of your screen, allowing you to take screenshots of the entire screen, specific windows, selected areas, or even record your screen.

While hovering your cursor over each option provides a brief description of its function, I will explain them in more detail here:

• Capture Entire Screen: This option captures the entire screen in a screenshot.
• Capture Selected Window: This option captures a screenshot of the selected window.
• Capture Selected Portion: This option allows you to select and capture a specific area of the screen.
• Record Entire Screen: This option records a video of the entire screen.
• Record Selected Portion: This option records a video of the selected area on the screen.
• More Options: This option provides additional settings and options for capturing screenshots or recording videos.
• Start Recording: This option immediately begins recording everything displayed on the screen.

How To Remove Screenshots From Mac Desktop Without Deleting?

When you take screenshots by pressing Command+Shift+3, they are saved on your Desktop, which can clutter your desktop when many screenshots are saved. To organize them, you can create a folder named “Screenshots” and move all the screenshots into it. However, to avoid the hassle of continuously moving screenshots into this folder, you can change the default saving location for screenshots to this folder. Here’s how:

Step 1: Create a folder on your desktop named “Screenshots.” This folder will serve as the location to save and access all your screenshots.

Step 2: Right-click on the “Screenshots” folder to access a set of options.

Step 3: Choose “Get Info.”

Step 4: In the new tab that opens, find the “Where” information.

Step 5: Copy the path information displayed in the “Where” section and save it for later use.

Step 6: Press Command+Space and type “Terminal,” then hit Enter to open the Terminal app.

Step 7: In the Terminal window, enter the command: defaults write com.apple.screencapture location

Step 8: Open the notes where you saved the “Where” information and copy it.

Step 9: Paste the copied path after the command entered in the Terminal. Make sure to include a space after “location” before pasting the path.

Step 10: Add “/Screenshots” after the pasted path, then press Enter.

Note: Alternatively, you can drag the “Screenshots” folder directly into the Terminal window, and it will automatically input the path for you, combining steps 8, 9, and 10.

Step 11: Enter killall SystemUIServer and press Enter again. This command ensures that the changes you made take effect.

Now, any new screenshots you capture will be automatically saved in the “Screenshots” folder, streamlining the organization process for your desktop.

Conclusion

Here you have it! You now understand how to take a screenshot on Mac and also how to remove screenshots from the Mac desktop without actually deleting them. While deleting them is easy, retaining them can be quite challenging. Therefore, removing them from the desktop without deleting them entirely is a preferable option. Nevertheless, we have provided detailed steps for both processes, allowing you to choose whichever suits your preference.