Privacy summary
BetterScreenShot is local-first.
Core screenshot capture, recording, screenshot editing, Studio editing, OCR, QR recognition, Quick Access, floating references, History, backup, Recovery Center, and local automation use files and application data on the Windows PC.
BetterScreenShot does not operate a publisher-hosted capture cloud or BetterScreenShot account server.
In v0.5.47 and above, a user can explicitly upload one selected rendered screenshot, GIF, or recording directly to the user's own Google Drive and create a view-only anyone-with-the-link permission for that selected file.
The website and application do not use behavioral advertising or product analytics.
Data BetterScreenShot handles locally
Depending on the features you use, BetterScreenShot may handle:
- Captured image pixels.
- Screen and application-window video.
- Microphone and computer audio.
- Camera video.
- Pointer positions and clicks recorded as project metadata.
- Deliberately enabled keystroke-overlay events.
- Imported images, video, GIF, and audio.
- Editable image and media project state.
- OCR and QR results.
- Optional local native speech-recognition draft data.
- History names, tags, favorites, thumbnails, paths, timestamps, duration, and availability state.
- Local settings, shortcuts, presets, recent colors, and UI state.
- Recovery, backup, diagnostics, and automation state.
- Google Drive connection and managed-link metadata when the optional integration is used.
This data exists to provide the feature you requested.
Local files and retention
BetterScreenShot separates temporary working data from normal saved files.
History
History is a local working catalog. Retention can be limited by age, item count, storage cleanup, and favorite protection. Deleting a History item can remove its app-managed source, thumbnail, and internal project.
Saved files
A normal file created through Save, Save As, automatic saving, or export remains in the chosen Windows folder. Removing the separate History copy does not delete that normal saved file.
Editable projects
Internal projects support autosave and recovery. Exported .bssproj files are portable editable packages that the user stores in a normal folder.
Recovery Center
Recovery Center can surface interrupted recordings, exports, scrolling captures, and image autosaves. Review and save important recovery items before clearing History, resetting, or reinstalling.
Screen capture and recording
A capture or recording processes the source the user selects. BetterScreenShot cannot determine whether the user is authorized to capture that content.
The app attempts to exclude its own area boundary, recording controls, camera preview, Quick Access, and other protected BetterScreenShot surfaces where Windows supports capture exclusion. Operating-system, driver, source, and rendering limitations can still expose a surface. Inspect sensitive output before sharing.
Protected media, DRM content, secure desktop screens, and restricted rendering surfaces may appear black, incomplete, or unavailable. BetterScreenShot does not bypass those protections.
Microphone, computer audio, and camera
Microphone and camera use require the user's selected devices and Windows permissions. Computer audio uses the selected or current Windows output path when supported.
Only enable inputs the recording needs. Make a short test before an important session and review the finalized result.
Pointer and keystroke overlays
Pointer location and click timing can be stored locally with a recording project for click effects and Auto Zoom. The raw video remains separate from the non-destructive zoom project.
Printable-key overlays are off unless deliberately enabled. Overlay events are processed for the visible recording workflow and are not written to a general keystroke log.
Do not enable printable-key overlays while entering passwords, payment information, private messages, access codes, or confidential data. BetterScreenShot does not automatically know which fields are sensitive.
Local OCR and QR recognition
OCR uses bundled Tesseract data and Windows OCR fallback where available. QR recognition processes image pixels locally.
Recognition can be wrong. Review passwords, account numbers, legal text, medical text, and other critical content manually. BetterScreenShot displays a recognized link before opening it and allows only HTTP or HTTPS destinations.
Optional native transcript draft
Studio can ask an installed Windows native speech recognizer for a local draft. Temporary analysis audio is created locally and removed after the recognition attempt.
The current native transcriber can be inaccurate. Treat the result as an optional draft, review every word, and do not rely on it as the sole record for critical content.
Browser extension
The optional browser extension uses activeTab, nativeMessaging, scripting, and storage. It has no broad host permission.
After a user requests capture, the extension may temporarily inspect page layout, scroll the selected page or content region, pause animations, hide repeating fixed or sticky elements, capture visible frames, restore the page, and transfer the completed image, page title, and page URL to the installed desktop app through local native messaging.
The extension does not send captured page content to a publisher server. Browser-protected pages, extension pages, store pages, and other restricted surfaces may reject capture.
Optional Google Drive sharing
Google Drive sharing is not required for core features.
When a user connects Google Drive, BetterScreenShot:
- Uses the system browser and OAuth with PKCE.
- Requests the limited
drive.filescope. - Reads basic connected-account identity so the app can show which account is connected.
- Encrypts the reusable refresh credential with Windows-protected safe storage.
- Creates or reuses a private app-managed Drive folder.
- Uploads only the explicitly selected supported result.
- Can add a view-only anyone-with-the-link permission to that uploaded file.
- Stores local metadata needed to show and manage BetterScreenShot-created links.
Edited screenshots are flattened into PNG. Edited recordings and GIFs are rendered with current Studio settings before upload. Editable projects, separate source tracks, unrelated captures, the complete History database, and diagnostics are not uploaded through this workflow.
Disconnecting clears the locally stored connection and attempts revocation. It does not delete uploaded Drive files and does not automatically remove existing anyone-with-the-link permissions.
Use Make all shared links private before disconnecting when privacy is the goal.
Read Google Drive Data Use and the Google Drive Sharing Guide.
Diagnostics
BetterScreenShot stores diagnostic logs locally and uses bounded retention. Diagnostics can include application version, Windows and runtime information, settings summaries, performance counters, operation state, and privacy-reduced path information needed for troubleshooting.
A diagnostic ZIP is created only when the user exports it. BetterScreenShot does not automatically upload that package.
By default, a diagnostic export excludes:
- Captures and recordings.
- Microphone, camera, and computer audio.
- OCR or transcript content.
- Keystrokes and clipboard contents.
- Google OAuth credentials and security tokens.
- Complete private file paths.
Review a diagnostic package before sending it. Add a sample only when the smallest sanitized sample is necessary for support.
Local backup
A local backup includes settings, presets, shortcuts, recent colors, and History state. The user can optionally include app-managed captures and editable projects.
Backups exclude credentials, caches, thumbnails, diagnostics, crash dumps, and update files. Store the backup in a user-controlled location and protect it according to the content it contains.
Local automation
The command-line companion uses an authenticated per-user Windows named pipe. Commands and parameters are validated by the running application.
The betterscreenshot:// protocol requires visible approval for externally initiated capture requests where required. Reject unexpected prompts.
Google Drive upload is deliberately unavailable through the automation protocol.
Microsoft Store, Windows, Google, and browser services
BetterScreenShot can interact with third-party platform services when the user requests them:
- Microsoft Store for installation and updates.
- Windows permissions, sharing targets, clipboard, file dialogs, secure credential storage, and native speech recognition.
- Google OAuth and Drive APIs for optional user-initiated sharing.
- Chrome-family browser marketplaces for extension distribution.
- Websites opened after the user confirms a recognized HTTP or HTTPS link.
Those services process information under their own terms and privacy policies.
User controls
You can:
- Choose capture and recording sources.
- Turn microphone, computer audio, camera, pointer, click, and keystroke options on or off.
- Choose whether results enter History or save automatically.
- Change retention and delete app-managed items.
- Save normal files and export editable projects.
- Export and restore a local backup.
- Review, recover, keep, or discard Recovery Center items.
- Choose whether to install or remove the browser integration.
- Choose whether to connect Google Drive.
- Choose the individual result to upload.
- Make one or all managed Drive links private.
- Delete uploaded files in Google Drive.
- Disconnect and revoke Google access.
- Export and review a diagnostic package before sending it.
- Uninstall BetterScreenShot and remove local app data through normal Windows controls.
Before sharing sensitive output
- Review the full image or complete media timeline.
- Confirm blur, pixelation, masks, crop, and timed overlays cover every required frame.
- Check audio, camera, pointer, click, and keystroke overlays.
- Confirm the destination and account.
- For Google Drive, understand that anyone with the link may be able to view the file.
- Remove the link permission or delete the file when access should end.
Reporting a security or privacy concern
Email bss@guneykaragoz.com with the subject Security report - BetterScreenShot or Privacy question - BetterScreenShot.
Include the affected version, feature, plain-language impact, safe reproduction steps, and whether the issue is already public. Do not send passwords, tokens, destructive proof-of-concept data, or private captures in the first message.