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Cropped on Linux (Beta)
The Linux Beta has the same Studio, Drop Zone and Annotate window as the Mac and Windows apps, with screenshots and screen recording. It's a Beta: everything below has been tested, but on fewer computers than the Mac and Windows apps, so tell us what you find.
What you need
- Ubuntu 24.04 or later with the standard GNOME desktop (Wayland or X11). This is what the Beta is tested on.
- An x64 (Intel or AMD) or ARM64 computer.
- Other GNOME desktops such as Fedora or Debian with GNOME should work, but haven't been tested yet. KDE and other desktops can open Cropped, but screenshots and recording depend on their screen sharing support.
Install
- Download the Linux Beta for your computer (x64 or ARM64) from cropped.app.
- Open the downloaded
.tar.gzfile and extract it, or runtar -xzfon it in a terminal. - Double-click installer in the extracted folder, or run
./installerin a terminal. - Open Cropped from your apps.
Cropped updates itself like it does on the Mac and Windows. See App updates.
Screenshots and recording
On Linux, your desktop's own tools choose what to capture:
- Area and Window open GNOME's screenshot tool. Drag an area or pick a window, then press Enter or click the capture button. Esc cancels.
- Full screen takes the screenshot straight away. The first time, Ubuntu asks whether apps may take screenshots: click Allow.
- Record asks which screen or window to share, then records it. Choose one and click Share. Pause, resume and stop work as usual, and the recording lands in the Drop Zone.
- Computer sound and your microphone can be recorded. Choose them under Sound in Preferences › Capture.
To stop a recording you can also click the screen sharing icon at the top right of the screen and choose Stop.
Shortcuts
Wherever this guide shows ⌘ Command, use Ctrl on Linux. ⌥ Option is Alt, and ↩ Return is Enter.
| Action | Linux |
|---|---|
| Capture an area | Ctrl + Shift + 8 |
| Capture the full screen | Ctrl + Shift + 9 |
| Start or stop recording | Ctrl + Shift + 0 |
| Optimize | Ctrl + Enter |
On GNOME, Cropped adds its capture shortcuts to Settings › Keyboard › Keyboard Shortcuts › Custom Shortcuts, so they work from any app. Change them in Preferences › Capture and Cropped updates GNOME's list. See Keyboard shortcuts for the full list.
What's different in the Beta
| Mac | Linux Beta | |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing an area | Cropped's own selection with a magnifier | GNOME's screenshot tool |
| Record an area | Yes | Record a whole screen or one window |
| Repeat the last area | Yes | Not available yet |
| Leave the Drop Zone out of recordings | Yes | The Drop Zone is recorded if it's on screen |
| Window shadow on window captures | Yes | The desktop decides |
| Copy a capture to the clipboard | Yes | Drag it from the Drop Zone, or use Show in Files |
| Capture menu in the menu bar | Yes | Use shortcuts and the Drop Zone buttons |
| Countdown timer and camera bubble | Yes | Not available |
| Video encoding | Apple's built-in encoder | NVIDIA or Intel graphics encoder when available, otherwise a built-in encoder |
Where files are saved
- Optimized files: Downloads/Cropped
- Settings and capture history: ~/.config/cropped
- Undo moves files to the Trash.
If something doesn't work
- Screenshots say permission was denied: open Settings › Privacy & Security › Screenshots (on some versions, Settings › Apps › Cropped) and allow Cropped, then try again.
- Recording says your desktop has no screen recording service: Cropped needs
xdg-desktop-portaland PipeWire, which Ubuntu includes. On other desktops, install your desktop's portal package (for examplexdg-desktop-portal-gnomeorxdg-desktop-portal-kde). - No microphone was found: connect one and check Settings › Sound › Input, or choose No sound in Preferences › Capture.
Send feedback
The Beta gets better with your reports. To report a bug or ask for a Linux feature, use Request a feature, or send us a message. Tell us your Linux version, your desktop (GNOME, KDE…) and whether you use Wayland or X11.
Still stuck? Click the ? button at the bottom left of the Cropped Studio to ask, send us a message, or request a feature.