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wxShot

How wxShot works

wxShot is a small background app. It listens for one shortcut, draws a selection over your screen, and gives you the usual markup tools. Here is each step, and exactly how it decides who owns the shortcut when WeChat is around.

The four phases of a screenshot

1. Capture

Press ⌥A (or your own shortcut). The screen dims and you drag out a selection.

  • The first time, macOS asks for Screen Recording permission.
  • wxShot has no Dock icon and no menu bar icon by default. It simply waits for the shortcut.
  • Open the app again to reach Settings.

2. Snap

Move the pointer over a window and the selection can snap to it.

  • Click to take the snapped window, or drag to choose your own area.
  • The toolbar appears at the bottom-right of the selection.

3. Annotate

Mark the area up with the toolbar.

  • Rectangle, ellipse, arrow, pen, mosaic, text and numbered markers, with undo and redo.
  • Long screenshot: scroll inside the selection and the pieces are stitched live.
  • Extract text runs offline with Apple Vision. Pin keeps the image on top of all windows.

4. Copy or save

Finish the way that suits you.

  • Double-click or press Return to copy the image to the clipboard.
  • Use the save button to write a file, the confirm button to finish, the close button or Esc to cancel.

How wxShot knows WeChat is around

wxShot checks two things only: whether the WeChat app is running, and whether its main window exists. That is how it tells a closed or login-screen WeChat from a signed-in one. When WeChat is not running or is on the login screen, wxShot owns the shortcut. When WeChat is signed in, wxShot hands it back by default.

What it never touches

wxShot does not read WeChat's data, messages, contacts or files, and it does not log in to anything. The three modes in Settings are automatic, always wxShot, and always WeChat.

The honest limit

If WeChat is signed in and you choose “always use wxShot” while both apps use the same shortcut, two screenshots can open at once. Change either shortcut and the problem disappears. Long screenshots and text extraction also depend on what is on screen.

What is inside

A native macOS app, about 7 MB installed, universal for Apple silicon and Intel.

  • Screen capture through the macOS Screen Recording permission, nothing else.
  • Offline text extraction with Apple Vision.
  • Optional anonymous survival pings in the first month, off with one switch.

Where the code comes from

wxShot is a fork of the MIT-licensed capcap project by realskyrin. Upload, history and recording were removed, and the WeChat shortcut hand-off was added. Version 0.1.0 is the first release, so expect rough edges and please report them on GitHub.

Keep ⌥A working, signed in or not

Download wxShot (free)