Start with one screenshot.

01 · Install and set up

SnipPop 1.0 requires an Apple silicon Mac running macOS 13 or later. See the download section for the installer and availability. The Chrome extension is a companion tool, not the Mac app.

Open SnipPop, then click the gear on Home or in the editor, or press ⌘,. General contains appearance, language, login startup, and bubble dismissal. Source Folder contains source folders. License contains your trial, activation, and device management.

The app supports Simplified Chinese, English, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, or your system language. Quit and reopen SnipPop after changing the language. Open at Login receives screenshots in the background without opening the main window.

02 · Check where screenshots are saved

In Settings, open Source Folder and check the source folder and any access messages. SnipPop follows the system screenshot save location by default. If prompted, grant access to the folder where your screenshots are saved.

Press ⇧⌘5 and choose a save folder under Options. Saving only to the clipboard or another app does not create a screenshot file for SnipPop to receive.

For another screenshot tool, turn on Use Custom Folder and select its image folder. Turn this off to follow the system location again. This does not change where macOS saves screenshots or where SnipPop receives recordings. Drag existing PNG or JPEG images into Home, or choose Open Image….

03 · Take your first screenshot

Keep SnipPop running. Use ⇧⌘4 to capture an area or ⇧⌘5 to open the screenshot tool. A new screenshot saved to the source folder appears as a bubble on your desktop without opening the main window.

Images and recordings share a limit of fourteen bubbles. Unpinned bubbles dismiss after five idle minutes, discarding unsaved edits but keeping original files on disk. The timer pauses while hovering, editing, saving, or dragging out, then restarts.

Click the pin to keep a bubble and lock its position. Turn off Dismiss After 5 Minutes Idle in General to keep all bubbles until you close them. Turning it back on gives existing bubbles a fresh five-minute timer.

04 · Edit, compress, and drag out

Click the pencil on an image bubble to open the editor. Crop, draw ellipses or rectangles, add arrows and text, or cover details with the Pixelate brush. Choose a fine, medium, or thick brush. Rotation and horizontal or vertical flips move the image and its markup together; use Undo to reverse them.

Use the canvas controls or shortcuts to change the view: ⌘＋ zooms in, ⌘− zooms out, ⌘0 fits the window, and ⌘1 shows actual size. Zooming does not change the exported dimensions.

In the export area, choose PNG or JPEG, a width, and a per-image file size limit. Open Export Preview to check the encoded result. If the image cannot meet the limit, allow smaller dimensions, choose JPEG, or raise the limit. JPEG turns transparent backgrounds white. Save, use Save As, copy, or drag the image into Mail, Notes, another app, or a folder.

Choose Extract Text to recognize text in the current image on your Mac. Review and edit the result, then choose Copy All. Image editing, compression, and text recognition all happen locally.

05 · Multiple images and batch export

Select or drop several images at once, then use Previous Image and Next Image in the same editor. Close the current image to continue with the next. Each image keeps its own crop and markup.

Choose Batch Processing… from the File menu or context menu. Add images and select the ones to export. Click an image name to edit it; its checkbox only controls whether it is included in the batch export.

Set a shared maximum width, format, and per-image file size limit, then start processing. In a narrower window, switch between Edit Image and Batch Export. When processing finishes, drag out the copies or choose Save to Folder…. Batch export does not overwrite the originals. If you cancel, you can still save completed copies.

06 · Receive screen recordings

Press ⇧⌘5 to record with macOS. The system handles recording; SnipPop receives the video after the file finishes saving. Its bubble shows the duration and lets you open the system player, reveal the file in Finder, or drag out the original video.

Recordings always follow the system Screenshot app’s save folder, regardless of your custom image folder. Check Recording Folder in Source Folder, and reconnect or grant access if prompted.

SnipPop does not edit, compress, or recognize text in videos. Closing, hiding, or dismissing a bubble does not delete the video. While running, SnipPop replaces the system floating thumbnails. If the recording folder becomes unavailable, it restores system thumbnails and pauses automatic receiving to keep recordings accessible and avoid duplicate previews.

07 · Trial, activation, and moving to a new Mac

The website edition starts a continuous seven-day full-feature trial on first launch, with no automatic charge at the end. A one-time purchase lets you keep using the purchased version on 2 Macs for your own use. Future major-version upgrade terms will be announced separately. See the purchase page for checkout availability and payment methods.

After purchasing, save your activation code. Enter it in Settings → License and choose Activate This Mac. Initial activation requires internet access; everyday use works offline. When the trial ends, you can still view existing images, but new bubbles and edits require a purchase. An image being edited when the trial ends can finish its current save or export.

To switch Macs, choose Deactivate This Mac in the old Mac’s License settings, or open license management through Manage Activated Devices. Verify the license email you entered at checkout to deactivate an old device or retrieve your key. Once a slot is available, enter the same activation code on your new Mac.

Deactivation requires internet access and does not delete existing images. While the app is running and connected, it checks again about five minutes after each successful license check. Remote deactivation or a refund takes effect on the old Mac at its next successful check. An offline Mac or a failed check will not sync immediately, so deactivating on the website does not instantly disable that Mac.

08 · Bring a full web page into SnipPop

Use a browser or your preferred full-page capture tool to save a PNG or JPEG, then drag it into SnipPop to crop, mark up, compress, or extract text. Scroll through the page first to load images and main content. Capture endlessly loading pages in sections and import them separately.

The companion Chrome extension sends a full-page screenshot directly to SnipPop on your Mac. Keep the app running; the extension cannot save independently of it. See the Chrome capture setup and usage guide for installation, supported pages, and connection help.

09 · Screenshot not appearing?

1. Make sure SnipPop is running, bubbles are visible, and your trial or activation is valid in License settings.
2. Check the source and access messages in Source Folder. Confirm in Finder that the new screenshot is in that folder.
3. If the screenshot went only to the clipboard, choose a save folder in Screenshot Options and try again.
4. Check access to the recording save folder. A lost connection restores system thumbnails and pauses automatic receiving.
5. In the context menu, open Help and receive recent screenshots from the past five minutes. This cannot recover discarded, unsaved web captures or edits.

If you still need help, email the address in the footer with your Mac model, macOS version, app version, and the step that failed.

10 · Stop using SnipPop and return to system previews

Quit SnipPop from its menu to stop receiving captures and restore the system thumbnail setting from before it launched. Hiding bubbles only hides the cards; it does not quit the app. macOS still saves new screenshots and recordings while bubbles are hidden, but neither SnipPop previews nor system floating thumbnails appear.

To prevent launch at login, turn off Open at Login in General. After quitting, press ⇧⌘5 and check Show Floating Thumbnail in Options if you want macOS previews. Quitting does not delete original files already saved on disk.