Find an old screenshot fast

You took it weeks ago and now you need it. Here’s how to dig it out, from quickest to most thorough.

Sort your screenshot folder by date

Open the folder your screenshots save to (the Desktop by default), switch to List view with ⌘2 and click the Date Created column. If you remember roughly when you took it, scroll to that day.

Flip through with Quick Look

Select the first likely file and press Space. Use the arrow keys to move through the files while the preview stays open. It’s the fastest way through a pile of similar names.

Search by what’s in the picture

Spotlight can find text inside many images. Press ⌘Space and type a word you remember from the screenshot, like a company or a person’s name.

Make a Smart Folder of every screenshot

1. In Finder choose File › New Smart Folder.
2. Click + and set Kind is Image.
3. Add another rule: Name contains Screenshot.
4. Click Save and add it to the sidebar.

Ask Terminal

macOS tags screenshots with a hidden marker. This lists every one it knows about:

mdfind "kMDItemIsScreenCapture == 1"

The real fix: names you can search

All of these are workarounds for one problem: the names say nothing. When a screenshot is called “Lisbon Flight Booking”, typing “flight” in Spotlight finds it in a second. That’s what Snaptitle does for every new screenshot, on your Mac. See also Spotlight vs Finder search.