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Because Apple’s menu and simctl location statements come from a retired guide, treat them as documented behavior for that guide rather than a guarantee for every modern Xcode release. Check the current Simulator interface and run xcrun simctl io help on your Mac when behavior differs.
Quick location guide
| Capture method | Where to look | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Simulator menu: File > Save Screen Shot | Mac desktop | This destination is stated in Apple’s archived Simulator guide, which is marked retired and deprecated for Xcode 9 and later. |
xcrun simctl io booted screenshot |
The command’s current working directory by default | Give a filename or full path for a predictable destination. Confirm syntax with the installed tool’s help. |
| Device Hub Screenshot button | Desktop folder | Apple’s current Device Hub instructions specify Desktop and say the capture uses the device’s full resolution, independent of the Mac display resolution. |
| Xcode localization UI-test screenshots | Saved to disk for inclusion in exported localization material | This is a test/localization output workflow, not the normal folder for a manually saved Simulator image. |
Find a screenshot made from the Simulator menu
Check the Desktop first
With a Simulator window active, choose File > Save Screen Shot. Apple’s archived instructions put the resulting image on the Mac desktop. Sort the Desktop by date or search for recently modified PNG files if several simulators are running.
When the Desktop is empty
- Confirm that the Simulator window, rather than another app, had focus when you used the File menu.
- Search Finder for files created today and filter by common image types such as PNG.
- Check whether iCloud Desktop or a managed macOS profile redirects the Desktop folder; the visible Desktop may not be the local folder you expect.
- Use the command-line method below when you need an explicit path instead of relying on a UI default.
Use simctl when you need a known path
Capture the currently booted simulator
Apple’s archived command-line guidance describes the default destination as the current working directory. In Terminal, that means the directory shown by pwd when you run the command. The command below requests a specific file on your Desktop:
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xcrun simctl io booted screenshot ~/Desktop/simulator.pngThe booted selector targets a simulator that is currently running. The final argument is the destination filename; it can be a relative path or an absolute path. If shell expansion of ~ is not working in your particular invocation, replace it with an absolute path such as /Users/your-name/Desktop/simulator.png.
Make the current directory explicit
pwd
xcrun simctl io booted screenshot ./simulator.png
ls -l ./simulator.pngHere, pwd tells you where the file will land, and ls confirms that the output exists. Use a unique name when taking a series of captures so that a later screenshot does not overwrite an earlier one.
Verify the installed command’s options
xcrun simctl io helpThe archived guide is not a version-independent contract. This help output comes from the tools selected by your active Xcode installation and is the right reference if an option, image format, or destination rule has changed.
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Make sure Xcode command-line tools are selected
xcrun is provided with Xcode’s developer tools. Apple’s guidance requires Xcode to be installed and selected as the active developer directory before its command-line tools can be invoked. If Terminal reports that it cannot find xcrun or simctl, open Xcode and check its command-line-tools/developer-directory selection, then run xcrun simctl io help again.
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A command can also fail when no simulator is booted. Start the intended simulator in Xcode’s Simulator app, or inspect available devices with the Simulator tooling, then retry the booted command. If more than one device is running, selecting a specific device identifier may be safer than relying on booted; use the device-list and per-device syntax shown by your installed simctl help.
Device Hub captures
Apple’s current Device Hub documentation describes a Screenshot button that saves the image to the Mac’s Desktop folder. It also specifies full device resolution, so the file’s pixel dimensions do not depend on how large the Device Hub window appears on your display. This path is distinct from both the Simulator menu and the simctl current-directory behavior.
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Localization UI-test screenshots are different
If you are gathering screenshots for app localization, Xcode saves the test screenshots to disk so they can be included in exported localization folders. Those files belong to the localization export pipeline. They should not be expected in the ordinary Desktop location used by a manual menu capture or Device Hub screenshot. Locate them from the export operation and its generated folder structure rather than searching only the Desktop.
Choose the right method for your workflow
| Need | Recommended approach | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One-off visual capture | Simulator File > Save Screen Shot | Fastest UI path; documented destination is the Desktop in Apple’s archived guide. |
| Repeatable scripts or CI jobs | simctl with an explicit absolute path |
A fixed path avoids uncertainty about the shell’s current directory. |
| Full-resolution Device Hub image | Device Hub’s Screenshot button | Current Apple documentation specifies Desktop output and device-resolution capture. |
| Localized screenshots | Xcode localization UI-test export | Files are produced for inclusion in exported localization material. |
Troubleshooting missing or unexpected files
The command succeeds but you cannot see the image
Run pwd before the capture and inspect that directory with ls -lt. A relative destination is resolved from that directory, not necessarily from the project folder or Desktop. Re-run with an absolute path such as ~/Desktop/simulator.png.
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Xcode may be absent, or another developer directory may be selected. Install Xcode and select it as the active developer directory, then verify with xcrun simctl io help. Do not assume that installing standalone command-line tools alone provides the Simulator runtime.
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No device is booted
The booted target requires a running simulator. Launch the desired device first. If several devices are booted, use the device-specific form documented by your version’s help to eliminate ambiguity.
The file is overwritten
simctl writes to the filename you provide. Add a timestamp or build identifier to each name, for example simulator-2026-09-30.png, or write each run into a separate directory.
The image dimensions are not what you expected
Window size and capture interface matter. Device Hub documents full device resolution, whereas a visual workflow may show a scaled window. Check the image properties after capture and select the interface that matches your output requirement.
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Documentation and installed behavior disagree
The archived Simulator guide is explicitly retired and deprecated for Xcode 9 and later. Prefer the controls visible in your installed Simulator and the output of xcrun simctl io help. Record the Xcode version alongside scripts so a future tool update does not silently change your process.
Or skip the browser setup
If what you really need is a screenshot of a web page rather than an iOS Simulator screen, ScreenshotNeo returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF from one HTTP request. It accepts consent banners before capture and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each step can be disabled. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and response headers identify the page verdict and billing result. Its MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools for Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients.
cURL
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpPython
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js
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const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);See the ScreenshotNeo documentation for the complete parameter list, including full-page and selector captures, device presets, dark mode, retina scale, PDF settings, custom CSS and JavaScript, waits, request blocking, headers, cookies, geolocation, caching, signed links, asynchronous webhooks, bulk capture, and the usage API. The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. Create a free ScreenshotNeo account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change where the Simulator menu saves screenshots?
The documented menu workflow does not provide a destination picker. Use simctl with the path you want when a fixed folder is required.
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Use xcrun simctl io help on the installed Xcode version for supported format and option details; the retired guide’s location statement should not be treated as a complete specification for current releases.
Why do screenshots from localization tests not appear with my manual captures?
Localization UI-test images are generated for exported localization material, so they follow that export’s folders rather than the ordinary manual-capture destination.
The Bottom Line
For a predictable result, run xcrun simctl io booted screenshot with an explicit absolute filename. Use the Desktop locations only as interface-specific defaults, and verify current behavior with xcrun simctl io help because Apple’s older Simulator instructions are retired.
Quick Recap
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