Screenshot Shelf

A small native macOS menu bar app for grabbing recent screenshots.

Hold ⌘⇧S → drag a screenshot → release to close.

The shelf stays visible only while Command, Shift, and S are held. Releasing any of them hides it immediately. If you have already started a drag, keep holding the mouse button and finish dropping the file after the shelf disappears.

Install

Requires macOS 13 or newer. Universal downloads support Apple silicon and Intel Macs.

1. Download the DMG from Releases.
2. Open it and drag Screenshot Shelf.app into Applications.
3. Launch the app. Click its photo icon in the menu bar for settings.
4. Hold ⌘⇧S to view your recent screenshots.

The downloadable build is ad-hoc signed and not Apple-notarized. macOS may require explicit approval in System Settings → Privacy & Security before opening it. Building locally is also supported.

If macOS asks for Desktop access, allow it to load screenshots, or use Choose Screenshot Folder… from the menu bar. Enable Launch at Login there if desired. The source installer enables it automatically.

How it works

• Shows up to 30 screenshots, newest first, from the macOS screenshot save location (Desktop by default), or a folder you choose.
• Dragging supplies a real file URL and permits copying; the original stays in place.
• Release S, Command, or Shift to close the shelf. Esc or clicking outside also dismisses it until the next press.
• The menu bar icon opens settings, including folder selection, Launch at Login, and Quit.
• Arrow keys select screenshots while the shelf is open. Return or double-click opens the selected file. Right-click a thumbnail for additional actions.
• Scans refresh every two seconds while visible. Thumbnails are cached and refreshed when files change.

Screenshots are recognized by macOS metadata or common screenshot filename prefixes. The app reads only the selected folder, without subfolders. Renamed images without screenshot metadata and screenshots saved only to the clipboard are not included.

⌘⇧S belongs to Screenshot Shelf while it runs, superseding app shortcuts using the same keys. If another global shortcut already owns it, the app reports the conflict and offers Retry Shortcut in the menu.

Privacy

Everything runs locally, without accounts, analytics, uploads, or a server. The app does not move or delete screenshots. It uses macOS's registered-hotkey API and briefly checks the current shortcut state only while it is held; it does not record typed text. No Accessibility or Input Monitoring permission is requested by the app. Folder access is required for previews.

Build and develop

Install Apple command line tools or Xcode, then:

git clone https://github.com/KanishkVashisht/screenshot-shelf.git
cd screenshot-shelf
./test.sh                 # Discovery and hold/release behavior tests
./build.sh                # App for the current Mac architecture
./build.sh --universal    # Apple silicon + Intel app
./install.sh              # Build, install to ~/Applications, launch at login
./package.sh              # Universal DMG, ZIP, and SHA256SUMS.txt in dist/

No third-party libraries or package manager are required. The source uses AppKit, Carbon hotkey events, ImageIO, CoreGraphics key state, and ServiceManagement. Build scripts accept SCREENSHOT_SHELF_SIGN_IDENTITY to use an available Developer ID certificate; otherwise they ad-hoc sign. Developer ID signing alone does not notarize the app.

Sources/HoldGesture.swift controls hold/release behavior. Sources/ShelfWindow.swift contains the shelf and drag source. Sources/ScreenshotStore.swift handles discovery and thumbnails. Sources/AppDelegate.swift wires up the menu, hotkey, and login item.

The tests cover sorting, thumbnail decoding and invalidation, limits, unavailable folders, each key's release, auto-repeat, dismissal, and hiding during a drag. ./test-drag.sh builds an optional native drag-and-drop fixture; open the resulting app and drag the thumbnail into its target. See release instructions for packaging and publishing.

Remove

Disable Launch at Login, choose Quit Screenshot Shelf, and move the app to the Trash. Your screenshots remain untouched.

License

MIT