Screenshot save directory on a Mac, depending on your operating system. How to Change Where Screenshots are Saved on a Mac You can also right-click the floating thumbnail, which lets you save the screenshot to Documents or Clipboard. When you use keyboard shortcuts like Command + Shift + 3, your screenshots are automatically saved to the desktop. If you want to know how to change where screenshots are saved on a Mac, and the format they are saved in, just follow the steps below: Where Do Screenshots Go on a Mac? They are also saved as PNG files instead of the more widely used JPEG format. This is because Macs automatically save your screenshots on the desktop. If you take a lot of screenshots on a Mac, you might end up with a cluttered desktop.