Nothing is uploaded
Screenshots, extracted text and files stay on your Mac. There is no cloud upload and no history to sync.
Free and open source · macOS 14+ · 2.7 MB
The WeChat-style screenshot for Mac. No WeChat login needed.
Press ⌥A, drag to select, mark it up, press Return. wxShot works when WeChat is closed or signed out, and steps aside when WeChat is signed in.
- Free · MIT open source
- Signed and notarized
- Apple silicon and Intel
- Nothing leaves your Mac
Short answer: WeChat's built-in screenshot only works while WeChat is running and signed in. wxShot is a free, open-source Mac app that gives you the same ⌥A screenshot flow without logging in to WeChat, and it hands the shortcut back to WeChat automatically once WeChat is signed in.
Key facts
- Price
- Free, open source (MIT)
- Default shortcut
- ⌥A (Option+A), configurable
- Works on
- macOS 14 or later · Apple silicon and Intel
- Size
- 2.7 MB download
- Permission
- Screen Recording only
- Your data
- Screenshots, text and files never leave the Mac
- Trust
- Signed and notarized by Apple
- Version
- 0.1.0 · 2026-10-13
Set up in three steps, then press ⌥A
About a minute. The first launch opens a short welcome window.
- 1
Install
Download the DMG, open it and drag wxShot into Applications. Then open it once.
- 2
Allow Screen Recording
macOS asks for this for every screenshot app. In System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen Recording, switch wxShot on. macOS may ask you to quit and reopen the app.
- 3
Press ⌥A anywhere
Drag to select an area, mark it up if you like, then double-click or press Return to copy it. Esc cancels.
Why the WeChat screenshot stops working when you are signed out
The screenshot in WeChat is a feature of the WeChat app. It works while WeChat is running and signed in. If WeChat is closed, sitting on the login screen or signed out, there is nothing listening for the shortcut. That is a side effect of where the feature lives, not a fault in your Mac.
What you expect
Press ⌥A and get the familiar select-and-mark-up screenshot, whether or not you happen to be signed in to WeChat.
What wxShot does
It is a small background app that listens for ⌥A itself. With WeChat closed or signed out, wxShot takes the screenshot. Once WeChat is signed in, wxShot hands the shortcut back to WeChat by default, so you never think about it.
Private by design
A screenshot tool sees whatever is on your screen. So this one is built to keep it there.
Offline text extraction
The extract-text button uses Apple Vision on your Mac. The image is not sent to any server.
Minimal, optional pings
A few anonymous “still in use” pings in the first month: install id, version, system, language and whether WeChat is running. Switch them off in Settings.
Who gets ⌥A: WeChat or wxShot?
wxShot's default shortcut is the same ⌥A, so your habit carries over. This is how the two share it.
| Situation | The WeChat screenshot | wxShot |
|---|---|---|
| WeChat is not running | Not available. The shortcut belongs to the WeChat app. | Takes the screenshot. |
| WeChat is on the login screen or signed out | Needs a signed-in WeChat to work. | Takes the screenshot. |
| WeChat is signed in (default setting) | Works with its own shortcut. | Steps aside and hands the shortcut back to WeChat. |
| Setting: always use wxShot | Still responds to its own shortcut. | Takes the screenshot. If both use the same key, two screenshots can open, so change one shortcut. |
| Setting: let WeChat handle it whenever it is running | Handles it while running. | Stays out of the way while WeChat is running. |
The setting lives in wxShot Settings under “When WeChat is open”: automatic, always wxShot, or always WeChat. You can also change wxShot's own shortcut.
What it looks like
Real screenshots from version 0.1.0. The toolbar image is at the top of this page.
wxShot compared with other Mac screenshot options
Based on public information in October 2026. macOS changes over time, so tell us if something here is out of date.
| Feature | wxShot | macOS built-in (⌘⇧4, ⌘⇧5) |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | Yes, MIT | No, part of macOS |
| Works the same whether or not WeChat is signed in | Yes | Yes |
| Same ⌥A habit as the WeChat screenshot | Yes, by default | No, different shortcuts |
| Scrolling (long) screenshot | Yes | No |
| Text extraction inside the capture tool | Yes, offline with Apple Vision | No (Live Text works on images afterwards) |
| Scope | Screenshots only, by design | Screenshots and screen recording |
When people use it
WeChat is closed or signed out
You need a quick capture and do not want to open WeChat and sign in just for that.
A second Mac or a work Mac
A Mac where WeChat is not installed, or not allowed, but you still like ⌥A and the same markup tools.
Bug reports and tutorials
Select an area, add arrows and numbered markers, blur private details with mosaic, press Return and paste.
Long pages and chats
Use the long screenshot button, scroll inside the selection and watch the image stitch together live.
Copy text out of an image
Extract text on a selection, offline, when the text in a picture cannot be selected.
Keep a reference visible
Pin a capture so it stays on top of all your windows while you work.
What it will not do (and what to watch for)
A small tool should be honest about its edges.
- macOS only, version 14 or later.
- It needs the Screen Recording permission. Without it macOS cannot let any app capture the screen. It does not need Accessibility.
- If WeChat is signed in and you choose “always use wxShot” while both use the same shortcut, two screenshots can open. Change one of the two shortcuts.
- No screen recording, no GIF, no cloud upload and no capture history. That is deliberate.
- Long screenshots depend on the page. Sticky headers, animations or content that changes while scrolling can stitch badly.
- Text extraction accuracy depends on the image. Small, blurry or stylised text may be misread.
- Not available on the Mac App Store, and there is no Homebrew cask yet. Download the DMG from this site or GitHub.
Common questions
Why can't the WeChat screenshot work when I am not logged in?
The screenshot is part of the WeChat app and only works while WeChat is running and signed in. wxShot is a separate app with its own ⌥A shortcut, so it works when WeChat is closed or signed out.
What is the screenshot shortcut for wxShot?
⌥A (Option+A) by default, the same as the usual WeChat screenshot key. You can change it in Settings.
Does wxShot upload my screenshots?
No. Screenshots, extracted text and files never leave your Mac. The only network traffic is optional anonymous “still in use” pings that you can turn off in Settings.
Is it free?
Yes. wxShot is free and open source under the MIT license.
Open source, with credit
wxShot is a fork of capcap by realskyrin (MIT license). We removed upload, history and recording, and added the WeChat shortcut hand-off. The source is on GitHub.
Keep ⌥A working, signed in or not
Download wxShot, allow Screen Recording once, and your screenshot shortcut works whether or not WeChat is running.
Free · MIT open source · notarized by Apple · macOS 14+ · 2.7 MB