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To change the prefix on new screenshot filenames, open Terminal and run defaults write com.apple.screencapture name "My Screenshots". Replace My Screenshots with your preferred prefix. New screenshots keep a date-and-time portion in their filenames; this command does not create a fully custom naming template.

Change the screenshot filename prefix

  1. Open Terminal from Applications > Utilities, or find Terminal with Spotlight.

  2. Enter the following command, replacing My Screenshots with the prefix you want, then press Return:

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    defaults write com.apple.screencapture name "My Screenshots"

    The command uses macOS’s defaults tool to write a preference. Apple documents the general preference-writing mechanism; the screenshot-specific key and example are documented by MacRumors.

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  3. Take a new screenshot to check the filename. Use Shift-Command-3 for the full screen, Shift-Command-4 to select an area, or Shift-Command-5 to open Screenshot.

The MacRumors guide gives the prefix command without a separate reload step. Apple’s general Terminal guidance says an app or process may need restarting for preference changes to apply where necessary, but the available documentation does not establish that a restart is required for this setting on every macOS version. Do not treat killall SystemUIServer as a mandatory step.

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What the command changes—and what it does not

Apple describes the default desktop filename as “Screen Shot [date] at [time].” The Terminal command changes the name prefix, but its example does not remove or let you customize the date-and-time portion. Apple’s screenshot guide documents capture controls and save-location options, not a graphical filename-prefix setting.

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To change where screenshots are saved without using Terminal, press Shift-Command-5, choose Options, and select a location. On supported Mac models running macOS Tahoe 26 or later, Screenshot also offers SDR (PNG) and HDR (HEIF) capture format choices. The save location and format are separate from the filename prefix.

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Reset the setting

MacRumors provides this command to restore the date in screenshot names:

defaults write com.apple.screencapture "include-date" 1; killall SystemUIServer

This reset command is documented by MacRumors, not by Apple’s screenshot support page. Apple’s Terminal guidance describes writing preferences and restarting a relevant process when needed; it does not document this screenshot-specific reset.

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How the two built-in options differ

Approach What it changes How to use it
Terminal Screenshot filename prefix Run the defaults write command above.
Screenshot Options Save location; capture format on supported Macs running macOS Tahoe 26 or later Press Shift-Command-5 and open Options. Apple does not document a prefix control in this menu.

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