If you're anything like me, screenshots are one of those things you take constantly without giving them much thought. A quick grab of an application window, something useful you've spotted online, or a picture to send somebody when you're trying to explain why their computer isn't behaving itself.
Before you know it, your Mac's desktop resembles a digital dumping ground. By default, macOS saves screenshots to your desktop. It's convenient at first, but after a few weeks of collecting images with increasingly unhelpful filenames, things can get rather messy.
Fortunately, Apple has included a simple way to take control of the situation, and you don't need to install anything.
Give Your Screenshots Their Own Home
First, create a folder somewhere sensible. I like the idea of a dedicated Screenshots folder inside Documents.
Now press Shift + Command (⌘) + 5 on your keyboard.
You'll see the macOS Screenshot toolbar appear. Click Options, look for Save to, and choose Other Location.
Navigate to your new Screenshots folder and select it.
That's it. From now on, your usual screenshot shortcuts, including Shift + Command (⌘) + 3 for the entire screen and Shift + Command (⌘) + 4 for a selected area, will save images to your chosen location. Your existing screenshots won't move automatically, but at least the desktop won't continue filling up with new ones.
Why Not Skip Saving Altogether?
Here's another little trick I particularly like. Sometimes you don't actually need a screenshot saved as a file. You just want to paste it into an email, a document or a message.
Instead of using your normal screenshot shortcut, hold down Control as well.
For example:
Control + Shift + Command (⌘) + 4
Select the part of the screen you want, and macOS copies the image directly to your clipboard instead of saving another file.
Now press Command (⌘) + V wherever you want to paste it.
No extra image on your desktop, no unnecessary file to delete later.
One Less Bit of Digital Clutter
If you regularly work with screenshots, you can even drag your Screenshots folder into the right-hand side of the Dock for easy access.
And that's the beauty of this little trick. It's not particularly glamorous, and Apple isn't going to dedicate an entire keynote to it, but it makes everyday life with a Mac that little bit tidier.
Sometimes the best Mac improvements are the ones you can make in thirty seconds.
