Apple Introduces Simplified Screen Capture Feature in MacOS Mojave

As part of its new version of MacOS, Apple has introduced a simplified screen capture interface that is designed to bring together screenshot and screen recording features. Its goal is to make these features easier to access and more convenient for users.

The screen capture interface in MacOS Mojave can be accessed by pressing ‘Command + Shift + 5’ and will open up a palette that contains several options, separated into three sections.

The first section of the bar contains icons for screenshots that will enable users to capture the entire screen, a specific window, or select a part of their screen. Similarly the second section consists of icons for screen recording to record the entire screen or a selected part of it.

In the last section there is a dropdown ‘Options’ menu where users can specify where screenshots or recordings are saved to, set a timed delay of 5 or 10 seconds, and show or hide the mouse pointer. It also has an option to ‘Show Floating Thumbnail’, which if enabled will display the screenshot or recording in a thumbnail at the bottom corner of the screen once it is complete.

The floating thumbnail can then be clicked and will allow you to take the next step and save, delete, show the file, or open it up in Mail, Messages, and a host of other apps. It is possible to select ‘Markup’ as well, which will let you draw or add text to the image or video.

The floating thumbnail feature in MacOS Mojave may sound familiar to some users due to the fact that Apple has essentially lifted it directly from iOS. Overall it is a convenient way to access screenshots or recordings quickly after they’ve been captured, but the option to disable it is useful if you intend to capture multiple screenshots or recordings consecutively.

Apple’s decision to incorporate screen recording in the new interface appears to have been inspired by iOS as well. Recently Apple introduced screen recording in iOS 11, in a move that was met with a lot of excitement as it was the first time it was possible to use screen recording on iOS.

In contrast to iOS it was possible to use screen recording in MacOS previously, but it had to be done from within QuickTime. The new interface is not only faster, but simplifies screen recording significantly by comparison. Some users may still prefer third-party screen recorders to capture streaming video Mac or other video footage due to their expanded features, such as Movavi Screen Recorder.

As MacOS Mojave enters the final stages of its Beta, it is possible that the screen capture interface will be altered prior to its expected release in September or October this year. Considering the fact that it appears to have been well-received so far, it is unlikely that any major changes will be made to it however. Assuming all goes well, in a few months MacOS users will be able to capture screenshots and recordings much more easily.