Taking a screenshot in Ubuntu Linux using the GNOME desktop environment is fast and simple. When you press the Print Screen (PrtScn) key, GNOME instantly captures your entire display and automatically saves the resulting PNG image directly into your user’s ~/Pictures/ folder.
While this is convenient for occasional users, it can be a nightmare for web developers or tech writers who take dozens of screenshots a day. If your Pictures folder is cluttered with family photos and wallpapers, dumping hundreds of random desktop screenshots into the exact same directory makes organization impossible.
If you prefer a clean workspace, you can force the GNOME screenshot utility to automatically save your captures to a dedicated “Screenshots” folder, or dump them directly onto your Desktop for quick dragging and dropping.
How to Change the Default Screenshot Directory
In modern versions of Ubuntu, this setting is controlled via the gsettings schema and cannot be easily changed from the GUI.
- First, create the new folder where you want your screenshots to live. For example, to create a dedicated folder on your Desktop, open your terminal (
Ctrl+Alt+T) and run:
mkdir ~/Desktop/Screenshots
- Next, use the
gsettingscommand to change the default directory path. Run the following command exactly as written, replacing the path with your new folder:
gsettings set org.gnome.gnome-screenshot auto-save-directory 'file:///home/YOUR_USERNAME/Desktop/Screenshots'
(Be sure to replace YOUR_USERNAME with your actual Ubuntu login name, and note the file:/// prefix which is required).
- The change takes effect immediately.
To test it, press the Print Screen key on your keyboard. Instead of cluttering your Pictures folder, the new PNG file will instantly appear inside your newly designated custom directory.