Searching your screenshots

How search works

You can find a screenshot in three ways, all from the same search field:

• The words in it. Search for a name, a price, an error message, or a line from a chat.
• What you remember. You don’t need the exact wording. A search for “flight confirmation” can find a screenshot that says “Your trip is booked.”
• How it looks. Screenshots with little or no text can still be found by what they show, like “map”, “chart”, or “dog”.

Results appear as you type.

Writing good searches

• Use the words you’d expect to see. “invoice March”, “wifi password”, or “boarding pass” work well.
• Or describe it. “receipt from a coffee shop” or “screenshot of a calendar” can find things when you can’t remember any words.
• Too many results? Add another word you remember, like a name, a place, or the app it was in.
• Nothing found? Try fewer words, a different word for the same thing, or describe what the screenshot showed.

To clear a search, empty the field.

Where results come from

ScreenFolio searches the screenshots in your Photos library and in any folders you add. Use the sidebar to choose what to search:

• All Screenshots searches everything.
• iCloud Photos searches only screenshots from your Photos library. The search field shows an iCloud label so you know.
• A folder under Folders searches only that folder. Its name appears beside the search field.

To add a folder, click Add Folder… in the sidebar, or drag a folder into the window. To remove one, Control-click it and choose Remove Folder…. The files on disk are not deleted.

From Photos, ScreenFolio brings in screenshots from the last two years at first. To go further back, click Load Previous 30 Days or Load All under iCloud Photos in the sidebar.

For screenshots saved to a folder you’ve added while ScreenFolio is running, it can also note the app and window you were in, so you can search for those too.

Page titles and addresses from your browser

When you take a screenshot of a web page and it’s saved to a folder you’ve added, ScreenFolio notes the page’s title and address. You can then search by them, and they appear in the screenshot’s Info panel. This works with Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Arc, Brave, Opera and Vivaldi. It doesn’t apply to screenshots from your Photos library.

The first time, macOS asks whether ScreenFolio may control that browser. This is the standard Automation prompt, and it appears once for each browser. Allowing it lets ScreenFolio read the title and address of the page in front; it doesn’t read the page itself or anything else in the browser. The details stay on your Mac, and the private parts of an address, such as sign-in details and query settings, are removed before it’s saved.

If you’d rather not, choose Don’t Allow. Everything else in ScreenFolio works the same. You can change your answer later in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Automation.

Opening a screenshot

Click a result to open it. While it’s open:

• Press the Left and Right arrow keys to step through the other results.
• Copy Text copies the text ScreenFolio found in the screenshot.
• Share opens the standard Mac share menu.
• Info shows when it was captured, where it’s stored, and its size.
• Similar shows screenshots taken around the same time (“Same sitting”) and ones that look alike (“Looks alike”).
• If you see a Source panel, it can look for where the screenshot came from on the web. Nothing is sent until you ask. See our privacy policy.

Press Escape or click the close button to go back to your results. You can also Control-click any thumbnail for Open, Copy Text, Share…, and, for screenshots in folders, Show in Finder.

If you have exact copies of the same screenshot, ScreenFolio shows one of them. Click Show duplicate screenshots below the results to see every copy.

Hiding screenshots

To keep a screenshot out of your library and search results without deleting it, Control-click its thumbnail and choose Hide from Library. In the viewer, click the More Actions button (…) and choose Hide from Library.

To bring one back, click Show hidden results below the results. Hidden screenshots appear dimmed with a crossed-out eye. Control-click one and choose Show in Library.

When new screenshots become searchable

ScreenFolio picks up new screenshots on its own and prepares them for search in the background. A new screenshot is usually searchable shortly after you take it.

The first time you set up ScreenFolio, it has to go through your whole library, which can take a while for a large one. You can search as soon as some screenshots are ready. Until setup finishes, the search field says Search while setup continues..., and more results may appear for the same search as it catches up.

Keyboard shortcuts

• Option-Shift-F opens ScreenFolio with the search field ready, from any app. To change it, go to Settings › Search › Focus search shortcut.
• Return runs the search right away.
• Left and Right arrows step through results in the viewer.
• Escape closes the viewer or panel, or deselects screenshots.
• Command-R refreshes the screenshots on screen.
• Command-N opens the ScreenFolio window.
• Command-Comma opens Settings.

I can’t find it

• Check the sidebar. If a folder or iCloud Photos is selected, you’re only searching there. Choose All Screenshots.
• Is it old? Photos screenshots older than two years aren’t brought in until you click Load All.
• Is it in a folder you’ve added? Screenshots elsewhere on your Mac aren’t searched. Add the folder, or drag the screenshot into the window.
• Did you hide it? Click Show hidden results below the results.
• Is setup still running? If the field says Search while setup continues..., give it some time and try again.
• Try other words. Use a word you’re sure appears in it, or describe what it shows instead.
• Press Return to run the search right away.

Still stuck? Choose Contact Support in the app, or email support@screenfolio.app.