FAQ

Privacy & your data

Does Sealshot send my screenshots anywhere?

No. Capture, recording, OCR, redaction, AI metadata, and search all run on your Mac. Nothing you capture is ever uploaded, there is no account, and there is no telemetry. Sealshot makes exactly three network requests and all three are downloads: the daily update check; a small public list of revoked licenses on launch, which Sealshot checks on your Mac without ever sending your license ID; and — only if you approve it — the optional enhanced redaction model. Your content never goes the other way, and the first two both follow Automatically check for updates, so turning that off stops them. See the privacy policy for the full picture.

Where are my captures stored?

In the folder set under Settings → General → Save location (default ~/Pictures/Sealshot), as .seal packages — captures and recordings alike. With Enhanced Security on, they’re encrypted at rest.

Is my library encrypted?

It can be. Turn on Enhanced Security to encrypt your captures, recordings, search index, and OCR text at rest and lock viewing behind Touch ID.

What if I lose my recovery key?

If you can still unlock (Touch ID or password), open Settings → Privacy & Security → Recovery code and View… it again or Generate New… to replace it — the recovery screen also offers Save Kit… and Print… so a copy can live outside this Mac, and Sealshot occasionally asks you to confirm you still have the code.

If you’ve lost your Mac’s unlock methods and the recovery code, the encrypted captures cannot be decrypted — there’s no account and no cloud copy, by design. The lock screen’s “I can’t unlock…” option lets you keep using the app: it moves the encrypted captures to a read-only Locked Archive (nothing is deleted) and turns encryption off. Find the code later and Restore… brings them back.

What happens to captures I delete?

They move to the Library’s Trash, where they wait (7 days by default, configurable 1–365 in Settings → General → Trash) before being purged. Restore them any time before that, undo an accidental delete with ⌘Z, or clear everything with Empty Trash. “Delete Forever” is immediate and permanent.

Compatibility & requirements

What does Sealshot run on?

macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later, as a universal binary for Apple Silicon and Intel. Some on-device AI extras use Apple Intelligence, which needs macOS 26 on Apple Silicon — on other Macs those features fall back to built-in on-device processing.

Does Sealshot work on Intel Macs?

Yes — capture, recording, the editor, OCR and search, Smart Redaction’s built-in detectors, and structured extraction all work the same on Intel. Two extras need newer hardware: the enhanced redaction model (Apple Silicon) and the Apple Intelligence features (macOS 26 on Apple Silicon). See Which Macs run what.

Is Sealshot on the Mac App Store?

No. Sealshot ships only as a signed, notarized direct download, and there is one build with every feature in it. Downloading outside the App Store also means Sealshot can update itself the moment a release is ready, and that sandbox limits never decide what it is allowed to capture.

Why does Sealshot need Screen Recording permission?

macOS requires it for any app that captures the screen. Sealshot uses it only when you take a capture or recording, and the pixels never leave your device. Microphone permission is only requested if you record your voice; Accessibility only if you use auto-scroll.

Buying, licensing & renewal

How does the free trial work?

Every install starts with a 14-day free trial — full-featured, no account, no card. When it ends, new captures and recordings pause, but everything you’ve already captured stays fully viewable, editable, and exportable. Your data is never held hostage.

Is Sealshot a subscription?

No. Buying Sealshot is a one-time purchase of a perpetual license — the app never stops working, and nothing renews automatically. Your purchase includes an update window (new versions released during it are yours forever); when it ends you can optionally renew to keep receiving updates, or simply keep using what you have.

What exactly do I get when I buy?

A license file, delivered instantly to your purchase email. It covers one user on three Macs, includes commercial use, and comes with an update window — every version released during that window is yours to keep. Current pricing and update-window terms are on the buy page.

The file names you: your name, billing address, and email appear in it as readable text, cryptographically signed along with the rest. That is what makes it yours rather than a key anyone could pass around — so keep it as you would a receipt, and don’t attach it to a public bug report.

What is the Founding license?

An offer for buyers before the 1.0 release: the same perpetual license, at a lower price and with a longer update window than the regular license. It’s a thank-you for early supporters, not a cut-down edition — see the buy page for the current figures while it lasts.

What happens to my Founding license when 1.0 ships?

Nothing. The price goes up for new buyers and the update window goes back to the regular length, but a license already bought is untouched: still perpetual, still covering the longer window you paid for, and never re-priced. There is no upgrade to buy at 1.0 and no action for you to take.

Can I still get the founding price after 1.0?

No — that’s what makes it a founding price. Once 1.0 is out, new purchases are at the regular price with the regular update window. If you’re on the trial and expect to buy, buying before 1.0 is the cheaper path.

How do I activate my license? Do I need an account or internet?

Open the license file from your purchase email, or drag it onto Settings → License. Activation is entirely offline — no account, no activation server, nothing to sign in to. That also means Sealshot works on Macs that never touch the internet.

I got a new Mac — how do I move my license?

Just activate the same license file on the new Mac (your license covers three). There’s nothing to deactivate first — there’s no activation server, so no seat to release. Keep the file (or the purchase email) somewhere safe, like any other important document.

My license file won’t open after updating — why?

Sealshot 0.7.3 changed the license-file format, and it is not compatible in either direction: a file issued before 0.7.3 won’t open in 0.7.3 or later, and a newer file won’t open in 0.7.2 or earlier. Write to [email protected] and we’ll reissue yours — your purchase and your update window don’t change.

What happens when my update window ends?

Nothing, until you want a newer version. The app — and every version released during your window — keeps working forever. Renewing from Settings → License (or the renewal page) is entirely optional and extends your window for another year of updates. Renewing early loses you nothing: unused time is added on top of what you have.

What if I install a version newer than my license covers?

New captures and recordings pause, and everything you’ve captured stays fully viewable, editable, and exportable. To keep capturing, either renew your updates or go back to the newest version your license covers.

Can I use an Individual license for work?

Yes — commercial use is included. The Business license exists for organizations that want contracted seat counts, one invoice, and volume pricing, not because individual licenses forbid work use.

How does business or volume licensing work?

Businesses get an offline organization license: a contracted seat count on one invoice, with per-seat volume discounts as the count grows. No accounts to provision and no activation server to allow-list — it works on managed and air-gapped Macs alike. See the buy page or contact us for a quote.

Capturing & editing

Can Sealshot record video?

Yes — the full screen, a window, or a region, with system audio and microphone, paused and resumed from a floating HUD. See Screen recording.

A capture shortcut isn’t working — why?

Most often another app already owns that key combo — global shortcuts are first-come, first-served on macOS. Rebind the command in Settings → Shortcuts (Sealshot itself won’t let two of its own commands share a combo). Also check the defaults in case the binding isn’t what you remember.

Do my edits and undo history survive a relaunch?

Yes. The editor’s undo/redo history is persistent across switching captures and relaunching, and so is undo/redo for deleting and restoring captures.

Files & sharing

What is a .seal file?

Sealshot’s native format: your original pixels (or video) plus annotations and metadata in one editable package. See The .seal format.

How do I share a capture securely?

Export it as an encrypted .sealshare package with a generated passcode — see Sharing & export.

Can people without Sealshot open what I send them?

Depends on the format. A flattened PNG or .mov/.mp4 export opens anywhere. A package exported as .zip opens anywhere too. A .sealshare package needs Sealshot (plus the passcode, if encrypted) — that’s the format to use when the recipient should get the full editable captures, safely.

Redaction & on-device AI

Can Sealshot automatically detect sensitive information?

Yes. Smart Redaction scans captures on your Mac — on demand, or automatically if you enable it — for emails, phone numbers, addresses, card numbers, IDs (SSNs, passport MRZ), and API keys/tokens, and proposes redactions for you to review. An optional on-device model extends detection to sensitive content by meaning. It detects sensitive text, not faces — use the blur tool for faces, logos, and other imagery.

Why does Sealshot offer to download a ~400 MB model?

That’s the optional enhanced redaction model, which recognizes sensitive content by meaning rather than pattern (and improves structured extraction too). It downloads only after you approve it, runs entirely on your Mac, and can be removed any time in Settings → On-Device AI. Decline it and the built-in detectors keep working.

Updates & support

How do I update Sealshot?

Direct downloads update themselves via Sparkle — you’ll be offered new versions automatically. Every release is also published on GitHub.

I found a bug / I want a feature

We want to hear it — use the feedback form.