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

How to Delete Screenshots on Mac?

Choose the file(s) you wish to remove, then use Command + Delete keys to delete screenshots or any files from your Mac.

There’s plenty more to learn about capturing and erasing screenshots on Mac. I’ll delve into the details. Keep reading…

Capturing screen images, known as taking screenshots, serves various purposes—from preserving information to guiding others. Yet, accumulating numerous screenshots can clutter your computer with unnecessary files. On Mac laptops, particularly entry-level MacBooks, storage space can be limited. Deleting redundant screenshots becomes a practical choice.

This article will outline How to Delete Screenshots on Mac and explore related aspects.

When your Mac accumulates numerous unused screenshots, it’s wise to delete them to free up disk space. I’ve received inquiries on Quora about deleting screenshots on MacBook Pro or MacBook Air. The method for both laptop types remains the same. However, in this post, the screenshots are taken on a MacBook Air.

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

To delete a file, including a screenshot, simultaneously press the Command and Delete keys on your keyboard after selecting the file(s).

Alternatively, using two fingers to click on the Screenshot stack or a single file and selecting multiple files, then clicking “Move to Bin” will delete one or more files.

Afterward, navigate to the Bin and empty it to complete the deletion process.

Each screenshot on your Mac consumes storage space, and accumulating numerous images can occupy substantial memory. Periodically clearing them out is essential to save space. Manually searching for screenshots across different locations can be time-consuming. In such cases, using a Cleaner app streamlines the task by locating all screenshots from various folders at once.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to using a Cleaner app:

Step 1: If you don’t have the app, install it from the App Store. Once installed, open the Cleaner app.
Step 2: Access the Screenshots section and select all screenshots.
Step 3: Click on “Review and Remove.”
Step 4: Choose the screenshots you wish to keep, if necessary.
Step 5: Click “Remove” to delete all selected screenshots.
Step 6: Check the trash bin and clear them from there as well.

Following these steps, you’ll successfully delete all screenshots from your MacBook in one go.

How To Take Screenshot On Mac?

How to Take Screenshots on Mac Using Shortcut Keys?

Capturing a screenshot on a Mac is just as simple as on Windows, requiring three keys.

Step 1: Go to the picture you want to capture.

Step 2: Adjust the size for better reference later.

Step 3: Press SHIFT+COMMAND+3, and your screenshot is taken.

Upon capturing, a small preview box appears at the bottom right of the screen.

You can easily access these screenshots on your desktop.

For specific screen areas, saving time on later cropping, you can use specialized screenshot apps available in recent Mac versions like Mojave and Catalina.

Keyboard Shortcuts for Taking Screenshot on Mac

• Shift + Command + 3 – Captures a screenshot of the entire Desktop screen.
• Shift + Command + 4 – Captures a screenshot of a selected area on your Desktop screen.
• Shift + Command + 4 + Space – Captures a screenshot of a specific window on the Desktop. This shortcut can also be used to take a screenshot of a website on your Mac.

How to Take Screenshots on Mac Using Screenshot App?

When you access Launchpad on your Mac and search for “Screenshot,” you’ll see the app’s icon displayed as shown in the screenshot below. Click on it to launch the app.

Upon launching, the app presents various options at the bottom of your screen, allowing you to capture screenshots of the entire screen, specific parts, or even record your screen.

Though hovering over each option provides a brief description of its function, I’ll elaborate on each numbered option from 1 to 7:

• Captures the Entire screen.
• Captures the Selected Window.
• Captures a selected area.
• Records the Entire Screen as a video.
• Records a selected area as a video.
• Displays additional options.
• Immediately starts recording everything.

How To Remove Screenshots From Mac Desktop Without Deleting?

When you take screenshots using command+shift+3, they clutter your Desktop. To tidy up, create a folder named “Screenshots” on your Desktop and move all the screenshots into it.

But constantly moving screenshots into this folder can be cumbersome. Instead, you can change the default saving location for screenshots to this folder.

Here’s how:

Step 1: Create a folder named “Screenshots” on your Desktop to save and organize all your screenshots.
Step 2: Right-click on the folder to access options.
Step 3: Select “Get Info.”
Step 4: Find the “Where” information in the new tab.
Step 5: Copy this information into the Notes app on your device for later use.
Step 6: Press COMMAND+SPACE, type “Terminal,” and hit enter to open the terminal app.
Step 7: In the terminal window, enter ‘defaults write com.apple.screencapture location’.
Step 8: Open the Notes app, copy the “where” information.
Step 9: Paste this copied text after the code previously entered, ensuring a space after ‘Location’ and then paste the path.
Step 10: Type “/Screenshots” after the code and press enter.
(Note: Alternatively, you can drag the folder directly into Terminal to automatically insert its path, combining steps 8, 9, and 10.)

Step 11: Enter “killall SystemUIServer” and press enter to ensure the changes take effect.

Now, copy and paste the older screenshots from the Desktop into that folder. New screenshots will automatically be saved in that folder as the default storage location for screenshots has been changed.

Conclusion

There you have it! You’ve learned how to take screenshots on Mac and also how to remove screenshots from the Mac desktop without actually deleting them.

While deleting is easy, retaining them on the desktop can be tricky. Hence, removing them without deletion is a preferable choice. We’ve provided detailed steps for both processes, allowing you to choose the option that suits your preference.