CopyslateThe Mac screenshot thumbnail: use it, turn it off, or copy instead
Every screenshot on a Mac first appears as a small floating preview at the bottom right of the screen. It stays for a few seconds, then slides away and the screenshot is saved as a file. The preview is useful once you know what it can do, and easy to turn off if you find it in the way.
What the thumbnail can do
Drag it into a document, a message or an email to use the screenshot without opening Finder. Click it to open Markup, where you can crop, draw on it, or copy it with ⌘C. Swipe it to the right with the trackpad to dismiss it and save immediately. Right-click it for options such as saving to a different place or opening in an app.
Turn it off
Press ⌘⇧5, open Options and uncheck "Show Floating Thumbnail". Screenshots then save straight away with no preview. The same Options menu sets where screenshots are saved and whether the pointer is included.
Copy instead of saving
Hold ⌃ while taking any screenshot and it goes to the clipboard instead of a file. If you want both, the file and a copy ready to paste, Copyslate copies each screenshot to the clipboard the moment macOS saves it. The thumbnail and the file behave exactly as before; you just also get to press ⌘V. The guide to pasting screenshots goes through all the options.
Questions
How do I stop the screenshot preview on my Mac?
Press ⌘⇧5, open Options and uncheck Show Floating Thumbnail.
Why does the thumbnail disappear before I can drag it?
It stays only a few seconds. Either grab it right away, or skip the race: copy with Control held, or let Copyslate put every screenshot on the clipboard.
Where do screenshots go after the thumbnail?
To the Desktop by default. Change the folder under Options in the ⌘⇧5 toolbar.