4
exerceo
2y

Automatically copying screenshots to clipboard has never been a good idea to begin with.

The screenshot feature since Windows 8, the full-page screenshot feature from the Firefox developer tools, and many smartphones automatically copy screenshots to the clipboard, which usurps the existing content of the clipboard If there is a clipboard manager (like on Samsung smartphones since at least the early 2010s), it usurps existing entries since clipboard managers only hold a limited number of entries. On Samsung's keyboard, that's twenty.

Thankfully, some other tools like gnome-screenshot for Linux make it optional. There is a "copy to clipboard" button on the file naming dialogue, but it does not happen unsolicitedly. This is the user-friendly way to do it.

Most websites and mobile applications do not support pasting screenshots from the clipboard anyway, only attaching them as file through a file picker or drag-and-drop gesture, making it pointless to copy screenshots to the clipboard. If I want to send a screenshot, I will attach it as a file.

Comments
  • 1
    You can pry auto copy to clipboard from my dead corpse 🤣
  • 1
    The best thing is that it doesn't bloat your storage. (At least in my case)
  • 1
    @jonas-w depends on configuration. My screenshotting tool is configured to both storing as a file and adding to clipboard for immediate usage
  • 0
    @jonas-w If you don't want a screenshot file, you can simply delete it after posting it.
  • 0
    Text of the rant (except last paragraph) with errors fixed and improvements:

    ––––

    Automatically copying screenshots to clipboard has never been a good idea to begin with.

    The screenshot feature since Windows 8, the full-page screenshot feature from the Firefox developer tools, and many smartphones automatically copy screenshots to the clipboard, which usurps the existing content of the clipboard. If there is a clipboard manager, like on Samsung smartphones since at least the early 2010s, it usurps existing entries since clipboard managers only hold a limited number of items. On Samsung's keyboard, that's twenty.

    Thankfully, some other tools like gnome-screenshot for Linux make copying to clipboard optional. There is a "copy to clipboard" button on the file naming dialogue, but it does not happen unsolicitedly. This is the user-friendly way to do it.
  • 2
    I'd argue that I prefer stomping of my clipboard than having files be created on the system.

    After all, if I take a screenshot, it's because I want to do something immediate with it. It hardly is because I want to save something long term.

    However, in this case, I see how it could be a "there's no pleasing everyone" problem. I'd definitely hate having to delete temp files after dealing with my immediate screenshot need
  • 0
    @CoreFusionX For that, gnome-screenshot has a "copy to clipboard" button.
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