How to send a screenshot instantly

You might need to take a screenshot on your Mac for a lot of different reasons. For example, if you buy something on an online store and want proof that you did so. Or when you need to show technical support what the error message is that you’re getting. While you probably know how to take screenshots on macOS, you might wonder how to share screenshots with others in the fastest possible way. Let’s figure it out. 

How to share screenshots 

The most common way to share screenshots on your Mac is to send them by Mail/Messages/AirDrop via the Share button. Simply right-click on the screenshot you want to share with someone, then choose Share, and click Mail/Messages/AirDrop/etc. If you choose Mail, the screenshot will be inserted into your email as an image.

Alternatively, you can go and create a new email and upload screenshot as an attachment. 

The procedure for an iPhone is very similar. Open the screenshot you want to share (Open Photos > Albums > Media Types > Screenshots), look for the iPhone share button (the left bottom corner of the screen), and tap on it. Then choose how you want to share the screenshot and follow further instructions. 

Now you know how to send a screenshot with native Mac and iPhone tools. Soon I’ll show you how to make a screenshot into a link. 

Meanwhile, if you want a screenshot tool for Mac that can do a little more, like capture a scrolling page, you know that the one that comes with Mac can’t do that. So you have to find a third-party app to help you. CleanShot X is the best in this case. The app is tailored for 50+ different changes, which makes it the best way to take a screenshot of a Mac. 

CleanShot X lets you record videos and GIFs and take screenshots of a window, the whole screen, an area, or even content that is scrolling. You can choose to hide all the stuff on your desktop and turn off desktop notifications while you are taking a screenshot. Once you have a clean screenshot, you can open it in the pop-up window and start making changes. CleanShot X will help you change almost anything. You can add notes, blur certain parts, or draw.

By the way, I created this GIF using CleanShot X. Easy as pie! 

My second favorite tool for taking and editing screenshots on a Mac is Xnapper. The app gives you a number of quick and easy ways to change your screenshots, including a useful tool called Balance. With its help, you can center your screenshot on a background with just one click. It’s even possible to change the padding, shadow, and border radius of the image. 

On top of that, the screenshot can be easily changed to fit different social media. Also, the vendor promises to add a new cool feature soon – upload screenshots to the cloud instantly. This will enable you to share links to your screenshots faster. 

How to create screenshot link

Sometimes, you might need a screenshot URL. For example, when you talk to a tech support representative via online chat but there is no option to attach a file. So you can upload the picture to cloud storage like Dropshare and send it to certain people. Follow the instructions below:

1. Drag your screenshot to the menu bar onto the Dropshare icon
2. Once the file is uploaded, click on the link button 
3. The link to the screenshot will be copied to the clipboard, so you can paste it wherever you need.

Tip. If you have Dropshare and want to compress a screenshot before turning it into a URL, use Clop. Once you copy the image to the clipboard, the app will compress it, and a thumbnail will appear in the corner of the screen. Right-click on it and choose Upload with Dropshare. The URL will be created automatically, and you can share it immediately.

Keep in mind that you can use Dropshare on iPhone too.

Now, how about another convenient way to turn a screenshot to URL?

You’re already familiar with the CleanShot X app I’ve mentioned above. With its help, you can also get a shareable link to your screenshot with a few clicks. Here’s how to link a screenshot with CleanShot X:

1. Open CleanShot X – you can install it via Setapp
2. Press Command + Shift + 3 simultaneously (for a screenshot of the entire screen) or Command + Shift + 4 (for a screenshot of a particular area)
3. Your screenshot will appear in the left bottom corner of the screen
4. Click the upload button 
5. Here you go! Your URL to screenshot  is copied. Now you can paste it wherever you want. 

Now you see why I like CleanShot X so much? 

The fastest way to share screenshots online 

If you want to share a screenshot with anyone on the internet, you can use Mac and iPhone native tools. However, that’s not the fastest and most convenient way. Also, sometimes, there’s no option to attach a file. For example, I once talked to a support representative via a support chat that didn’t have an attachment upload feature. CleanShot X’s cloud links came in extremely handy that day.

I’ve also mentioned Dropshare in this article. This is a great cloud service that saves me a lot of time too. If you want to get these tools, the best way to do that is by using Setapp – a platform with more than 240 apps for Mac and iPhone to solve almost any task.

In case you’re not sure if you need all the apps, you can start using the platform for free for one week and get the idea of how all of the Setapp tools can make your life easier. After all, your interaction with your Mac and iPhone doesn’t end with sharing screenshots, right? There are so many other things you can do: decluttering your devices to speed them up, using VPN to protect yourself or unlock your favorite content, scheduling tasks and reminders, moving files between a Mac and iPhone, etc. Setapp can help you with all these tasks. Give it a try today!