General
What is BetterScreenShot?
BetterScreenShot is a local-first Windows app for screenshots, annotations, screen recording, OCR, QR recognition, presentation backgrounds, History, projects, and browser full-page capture.
Which operating systems are supported?
BetterScreenShot supports 64-bit Windows 11 and Windows 10 version 1903 or later. It is not currently a macOS, Linux, Android, or iPhone app.
Do I need an account?
No. BetterScreenShot does not use a user account for local capture, editing, recording, or History.
Does BetterScreenShot upload my captures?
Not automatically. Core screenshot, recording, OCR, QR, editing, Studio, History, backup, and recovery processing is local.
In v0.5.47 and above, you can explicitly share one selected rendered screenshot, GIF, or recording to your own Google Drive. BetterScreenShot uploads that result directly to Google's Drive API and can create a view-only anyone-with-the-link permission. It does not operate a publisher-hosted capture cloud.
What does "v0.5.47 and above" mean on this website?
The workflows and privacy behavior documented here apply to BetterScreenShot v0.5.47 and later compatible releases. The Microsoft Store can publish updates at different times by device or market, so confirm the installed version in Settings > About.
Why does Task Manager show several BetterScreenShot processes?
BetterScreenShot is built with Electron, which separates the main app, interface, graphics, and media work into multiple processes. This is normal. Investigate sustained high CPU/GPU, growing memory, poor responsiveness, or incorrect output rather than the process count alone.
Why does BetterScreenShot stay running after I close the window?
Closing the main window normally hides the app to the Windows system tray so global shortcuts remain active. Choose Quit from the tray menu to exit completely.
Screenshots
Which capture modes are available?
Area, Previous Area, Window, Current Display, All Displays, Timer, desktop scrolling capture, and browser full-page capture.
Can I resize an area selection without visible corner squares?
Yes. Drag the invisible interaction zone along an edge or corner. The selection remains adjustable without drawing resize handles into the screenshot.
Why does Win+Shift+S open Windows Snipping Tool?
Windows owns that shortcut on many computers. BetterScreenShot can report whether registration succeeded, but cannot always replace it. Use a configurable BetterScreenShot shortcut instead.
Can BetterScreenShot capture protected video or secure desktop screens?
No application should bypass Windows secure desktop or protected media restrictions. A protected surface can appear black or unavailable.
Can I capture a full webpage?
Yes. The BetterScreenShot browser extension handles normal document scrolling and large nested content scrollers in supported browsers.
Why did a scrolling capture repeat a toolbar?
Sticky headers, animations, virtualized lists, and changing content can confuse desktop stitching. For webpages, use browser full-page capture. For desktop apps, pause animations and use a stable scroll region.
Quick Access and clipboard
What is Quick Access?
Quick Access is the compact result overlay shown after a capture. It can offer Copy, Save, Annotate, Float, drag-to-app, and close actions according to your settings.
Why did Quick Access disappear?
It can close automatically after the configured delay. Hovering it or moving keyboard focus into it pauses the close timer.
Why can I paste into one app but not another?
Applications accept different clipboard formats. BetterScreenShot provides image pixels and a named image file where supported. If the target still rejects paste, save the image and attach the file.
History, files, and deletion
Is History the same as saving a screenshot?
No. History is temporary local workspace and recovery storage. Save creates a normal permanent file in your configured folder or a location you choose.
Where are my permanently saved screenshots?
Open Settings > General > Save Locations to see the configured screenshot folder. The normal default is your Pictures folder under a BetterScreenShot subfolder.
Where are my recordings?
Open Settings > General > Save Locations to see the configured recording folder. The normal default is your Videos folder under a BetterScreenShot subfolder.
Does deleting from History delete my saved file?
No. It removes the selected app-managed History copy, thumbnail, and internal project. A separate saved file, exported .bssproj, or external original is preserved.
Why is deletion blocked?
The item may be used by Quick Access, a floating reference, the media editor, an active recording, or recovery. Close or finish the relevant surface and try again.
What is a .bssproj file?
It is a portable editable BetterScreenShot project. Use it when you want to keep annotation objects and required project assets instead of only a flattened image.
Can I back up my settings and History?
Yes. Open Settings > Advanced > Local Backup & Restore. You can include settings, History state, and optional managed captures and projects.
How do I recover work after a crash?
Open Recovery Center when BetterScreenShot restarts. Recover the item before clearing History, resetting settings, reinstalling, or deleting temporary data.
Editing
Can I edit text after placing it?
Yes. Text remains an editable annotation object. Select it to move, resize, restyle, or edit it.
What font sizes are supported?
Text annotation supports 8 to 400 pixels, which allows readable text on large screenshots.
Is black available in the color picker?
Yes. Black is a normal preset. You can also sample a color from the image or screen with the eyedropper.
Can I add a background without changing the original screenshot?
Yes. Presentation backgrounds and document styling operate on the editable document. The original source remains separate.
Does OCR send the image online?
No. OCR and QR recognition are local. Results still need human review for accuracy.
Screen recording
What can I record?
An area, one display, or one application window.
Which recording formats are available?
WebM, MP4, and GIF. GIF is silent.
Which frame rates are available?
10, 15, 24, 30, 50, and 60 FPS. Thirty FPS is a practical default for most tutorials.
Can I record microphone and computer audio together?
Yes. Choose a microphone and the current Windows output in Audio & input options.
Can I add my webcam?
Yes. Enable Camera bubble, choose the camera and shape, and configure Mirror or Click to expand.
Does BetterScreenShot hide passwords automatically?
No. If sensitive information is visible in the recorded area, it may be recorded. BetterScreenShot cannot reliably identify every password field or revealed secret in another application.
Are keystrokes logged?
No. Optional keystroke overlays process key events transiently for display and do not write a keystroke log. Printable keys require a privacy acknowledgement.
Why is resource use higher while recording?
Frame capture, audio, camera, effects, and encoding use CPU, memory, GPU, and disk. Usage should settle after recording stops and finalization finishes.
What should I do if recording finalization fails?
Keep BetterScreenShot open and check Recovery Center. Do not uninstall, clear History, or delete application-data folders before recovering or preserving the project.
Studio and Auto Zoom
What is Studio?
Studio is the non-destructive editor for BetterScreenShot recordings and editable GIFs. It supports timeline cuts, clip speed, composition, backgrounds, overlays, camera layouts, audio controls, Auto Zoom, and local export.
Does Auto Zoom change the raw recording?
No. BetterScreenShot records local pointer and click timing as project metadata. Studio uses that data to create editable zoom suggestions. The raw video remains unchanged.
Can Auto Zoom follow the recorded pointer?
Yes. You can enable pointer following and adjust hold and dead-zone behavior. Disable it or increase the dead zone when small pointer movements create distracting focus changes.
Does Studio create transcripts?
Studio can request a local draft from an installed Windows native speech recognizer. Current accuracy can vary significantly, so this is a supporting draft feature rather than a headline workflow. Review and correct every word before using captions or chapters.
Google Drive sharing
Do I need Google Drive to use BetterScreenShot?
No. Google Drive is optional. Core capture, editing, recording, Studio, OCR, History, backup, recovery, browser capture, and local automation work without connecting Google Drive.
What Google Drive access does BetterScreenShot request?
It requests the limited drive.file scope. BetterScreenShot uses that access for files created and managed through its sharing workflow, not to browse an unrelated Drive library.
What does BetterScreenShot upload?
Only the selected supported result. Edited screenshots are flattened into PNG. Edited recordings and GIFs are rendered using current Studio settings. Editable projects, separate source tracks, unrelated captures, History, and diagnostics are not uploaded through this workflow.
Is the BetterScreenShot Drive folder public?
No. The app folder remains private. The selected uploaded file can receive a view-only anyone-with-the-link permission with file discovery disabled.
What happens when I disconnect Google Drive?
BetterScreenShot clears the locally stored connection and attempts token revocation. Disconnecting does not delete uploaded files and does not automatically remove existing anyone-with-the-link permissions. Make managed links private first when privacy is the goal.
Can I make every BetterScreenShot link private?
Yes. v0.5.47 adds Make all shared links private with an exact-count confirmation. Files are processed sequentially, cancellation is supported between files, and completed permission removals remain completed if later files fail.
Can automation upload to Google Drive?
No. Google Drive upload is deliberately unavailable through the CLI and URI automation protocol. Sharing requires a visible action inside BetterScreenShot.
Browser extension
Which browsers are supported?
BetterScreenShot supports local browser integration for Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Brave. Install the extension from the official Chrome Web Store or Microsoft Edge Add-ons listing. Brave can use the Chrome Web Store listing.
Does the extension monitor my browsing?
No. It operates after you start a capture and handles the active page only for that capture. It does not maintain a browsing-history database or use analytics.
Why can the extension not capture a browser settings page?
Browsers prevent extensions from accessing protected internal pages, marketplace pages, and some other restricted surfaces.
Updates and support
How do I check for updates?
Open Settings > About > Check now, open the Microsoft Store page, or check the Microsoft Store Library. Store availability and installation timing depend on Microsoft Store settings and policy.
Will an update install for everyone immediately?
After Microsoft publishes an update, it becomes available according to its rollout choice, Store settings, device eligibility, region, and policy. Availability does not guarantee every computer installs it at the same moment.
What should I send to support?
Send your BetterScreenShot version, Windows version, expected and actual behavior, short reproduction steps, the time of the issue, and a privacy-reviewed diagnostic ZIP when available.
How do I contact support?
Email bss@guneykaragoz.com. Never send passwords, private keys, confidential documents, or unrelated recordings.