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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.

  • The same toolbar as WeChat: rectangle, ellipse, emoji, arrow, pen, mosaic and text; translate, extract text and long screenshot; undo, save, pin, share, close and confirm. A ··· button holds numbered markers, redo and more drawing tools, and a gear opens Settings.
  • Long screenshot: click it, then scroll inside the selection and the pieces are stitched live.
  • Extract text and translate run on your Mac (Apple Vision and Apple Translation, macOS 15 or later for translation). Pin keeps the image on top of all windows. Share opens the macOS share sheet.

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 open source under the MIT license and built by NTFSTool. Version 0.1.2 is an early release, so expect rough edges and please report them in Settings > Feedback or on GitHub.

Keep ⌥A working, signed in or not

Download wxShot (free)