First Launch and Setup

What happens on first launch

The first time you open ScreenSnap Pro, the editor window opens with a short setup. On a Mac it has six steps: license, permissions, menu bar icon, keyboard shortcuts, cloud links and screenshot folder. On Windows the permissions and menu bar steps do not apply, so you go from the license straight to shortcuts. Use Back to return to a step. From the second step on you can click Skip to close the setup right away: what you set so far is kept and the remaining steps keep their defaults. Everything can be changed later in Settings.

Step 1: Activate your license

The license step is the only one you cannot skip. Continue stays disabled until your key is active, and activation needs an internet connection.

1. 1Copy the license key from your purchase receipt email.
2. 2Paste it into the Enter your license key field.
3. 3Click Activate License. When it succeeds, the button changes to ✓ License Activated.
4. 4Click Continue.

Step 2: Permissions (Mac only)

This step shows four cards: Accessibility Permission, Screen Recording Permission, Microphone Permission and Camera Permission. Screen Recording is required to capture your screen, and the app uses Accessibility for global keyboard shortcuts. Microphone and Camera are marked Optional because you only need them to record your voice or show your webcam in recordings. Click a card's button, for example Allow Screen Recording, allow access in the macOS prompt or in the System Settings window that opens, then come back and continue.

Step 3: The menu bar icon (Mac only)

ScreenSnap Pro is a menu bar app, so it has no Dock icon by default. The ScreenSnap Lives in Your Menu Bar step points you to its icon at the top of the screen, where you start captures, open recent screenshots and return to the editor. Turn on Show Dock Icon if you also want the app in the Dock while the editor window is open.

Step 4: Keyboard shortcuts

This step lists three global shortcuts. Quick Screenshot (default Cmd + Shift + 1 on Mac, Ctrl + Shift + 1 on Windows) lets you select an area and saves it to a file and the clipboard. Screenshot & Edit (default Cmd + Shift + 2 on Mac, Ctrl + Shift + 2 on Windows) opens the capture in the editor. Screen Recording has no shortcut until you set one.

1. 1Click the shortcut box you want to change. It shows Press keys... (ESC to cancel).
2. 2Press the new key combination, or press Esc to cancel.
3. 3Wait a moment. The shortcut saves on its own. If one of the other two shortcuts on this screen used the same combination, it is cleared there.

Step 5: Cloud shareable links

Turn on Enable Cloud Upload if you want an Upload to Cloud button on the Quick Preview that gives you a link for quick sharing. Leave it off to keep every capture only on your computer. You can change this any time in Settings > Cloud.

Step 6: Screenshot folder

Screenshots are saved to a ScreenSnap Pro folder on your Desktop unless you choose another one. Click Browse to pick a different folder, then click Get Started. After a short You're All Set! screen the setup closes. You can change the folder later in Settings > General > Save Folder.

Take your first screenshot

With setup done, try the default shortcut.

1. 1Press Cmd + Shift + 1 on Mac or Ctrl + Shift + 1 on Windows.
2. 2Drag over the part of the screen you want. Press Esc to cancel.
3. 3A Quick Preview appears in the bottom right corner. The screenshot is already on your clipboard and saved in your screenshot folder.
4. 4Paste it anywhere, drag the preview into another app, or hover over it and click Edit to open it in the editor.