Support

Last updated: June 21, 2026 · ● BETA

Got a question, some feedback, or something acting up? This page covers what Shotbox is, how to get started, the questions we hear most, and a few fixes for when things go sideways. Can't find your answer? Email us — we're happy to help.

What is Shotbox?

Shotbox is a passive macOS save layer that sits under every screenshot tool you already use — the system screenshot, CleanShot, Shottr, WeChat, whatever. You keep screenshotting however you like; Shotbox quietly picks each one up, runs on-device OCR, gives it a title, sorts it into a category, dedupes it, and makes it searchable. Later you search in plain words and it hands back the original image, the text inside it, and where it came from.

It's a Mac-only app, it's free, and it's local-first: OCR, titling, and categorizing all run on your device. Your screenshots never leave it — no account, no signup, no cloud, no upload. Most screenshots you take the usual way are saved automatically; the few it can't catch, it tells you (more on that below).

System requirements

• macOS 12 or later
• Works on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs
• No account and no internet connection required — everything runs locally

Install

1. Download the app: grab the .dmg installer (Shotbox is distributed as a direct download, not through the App Store).
2. Drag to Applications: open the .dmg and drag Shotbox into your Applications folder.
3. Open it: launch Shotbox once. It lives quietly in your menu bar — there's no main window to keep open and nothing to fiddle with day to day.

How to use it

1. Screenshot as usual: press ⇧⌘4 to grab a region to your desktop, or use any screenshot tool you already love. When the image lands in a watched folder (your desktop by default), Shotbox saves it automatically — no extra step.
2. Or use the built-in hotkey: Shotbox ships with its own customizable hotkey for one-click region capture, so you can grab and file a shot without leaving your flow.
3. It files itself: each shot gets OCR'd, titled, and categorized on-device. You don't have to name, tag, or sort anything.
4. Search it back later: open Shotbox from the menu bar and type what you remember in plain words. It searches the OCR text and titles and returns the original image plus the text and source.

Permissions

Shotbox asks for as little as possible:

• Passive desktop saving needs nothing. Screenshots that land on your desktop (or any watched folder) are picked up with zero permissions required.
• One-click capture needs one grant. The optional built-in "one-click region capture" hotkey needs a one-time Screen Recording permission — the same grant every screenshot tool asks for. You only need it if you use that hotkey.

What it can't catch

Shotbox catches a screenshot once it's saved to disk in a folder it watches. A few kinds of shots never reach disk, so it's honest about its boundary — these slip through:

• Editor-only shots that never hit disk — captured straight into a tool's editor and discarded without ever being saved as a file.
• Pure cloud-direct uploads — sent straight to a cloud service without a local copy being written.
• Clipboard-only shots never pasted — copied to the clipboard and then thrown away without being saved or pasted anywhere.

This is a known boundary, not a bug. Most screenshots you take the usual way are saved automatically; the few it can't catch, it tells you. You can add or remove watched folders in Settings to control exactly where Shotbox looks.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to change how I take screenshots?

No. That's the whole point — Shotbox sits under your existing tools. Keep using ⇧⌘4, CleanShot, Shottr, WeChat, or anything else. As long as the shot is saved to a watched folder, Shotbox picks it up automatically.

Does Shotbox upload my screenshots?

No. OCR, titling, and categorizing all run on your device. Your screenshots never leave it. There's no account, no signup, no cloud, and no data upload of any kind. See the Privacy Policy for details.

Is it really free?

Yes. Shotbox is free and distributed as a direct .dmg download.

Where does Shotbox keep my shots?

It watches folders you choose (your desktop by default) and keeps everything local. You can add or remove watched folders any time in Settings.

Why isn't it on the App Store?

Shotbox is distributed as a direct .dmg download rather than through the App Store. Just download, drag to Applications, and open.

It missed a screenshot — why?

Shotbox catches shots once they're saved to a watched folder. It can't catch editor-only shots that never hit disk, pure cloud-direct uploads, or clipboard-only shots that are never pasted. When a shot can't be caught, Shotbox lets you know rather than silently dropping it.

Troubleshooting

• A screenshot didn't get saved: check that it actually landed in a watched folder — open Settings and confirm the folder your tool saves to is in the list. Editor-only, cloud-direct, and clipboard-only shots can't be caught (see "What it can't catch").
• The one-click capture hotkey doesn't work: this is almost always the Screen Recording permission. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording and make sure Shotbox is allowed, then relaunch it. Passive desktop saving doesn't need this — only the capture hotkey does.
• No text was recognized in a shot: make sure the image is sharp and the text isn't too small, too dark, or heavily compressed — that can throw off OCR. A higher-resolution capture usually fixes it.
• A shot won't turn up in search: search covers the OCR text and titles, so try a word that actually appears in the image. If that shot's text wasn't recognized, a clearer capture will help.
• Shotbox isn't running: it lives in the menu bar, not the Dock. Look for its icon up top; if it's gone, relaunch it from your Applications folder.

Privacy

Shotbox is fully local. OCR (Apple Vision), titling, and categorizing all run on your device, and your screenshots never leave it — no account, no cloud, no upload. To learn exactly how your data is handled, see the Privacy Policy.