For PC gamers, Steam is one of the most popular gaming platforms – known for offering thousands of games and features. One of the most notable features is that Steam allows you to capture screenshots while playing games. Whether you want to capture your impressive victory, save any memorable moment, or share your achievements with friends, it can be easily done in Steam.
However, many users eventually face problems finding these Steam screenshots on their device. If you’re wondering where are steam screenshots saved and what happens when they get deleted – don’t worry, you’re in the right place.
In this quick article, we’ll discuss where Steam screenshots are saved on Windows or macOS, and how to locate them through the Steam client. We’ll also discuss how to recover screenshots in case of unexpected deletion.
Where Are Steam Screenshots Saved?
By default, Steam screenshots are saved in a folder associated with your Steam account and the game from which the screenshot was taken. However, the exact location where these screenshots are saved depends on your device OS, Steam installation directory, account folder, and the game’s Steam application ID.
When you capture screenshot using Steam’s default shortcut (generally F12), it saves the image locally. You can also upload the image to your Steam Community profile if you choose to upload it.
It is important to note here that saving the screenshots locally or uploading them to Steam are two different aspects. Sometimes, it may be possible that the screenshot may appear on your computer without appearing online, or it may be accessible online even if the local file is deleted.
Default Steam screenshot location on Windows
On Windows PCs, Steam screenshots are stored in the following directory:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\<YourSteamID>\760\remote\<AppID>\screenshots\
Default Steam screenshot location on macOS
On macOS, the screenshot directory is typically located at:
~/Library/Application Support/Steam/userdata/<YourSteamID>/760/remote/<AppID>/screenshots/
However, you can also follow the below steps to open the relevant location on your Mac:
- Launch Finder, then select Go from the menu bar.
- Now, select Go to Folder.
- Enter ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/.
- Now, open userdata and continue through the account and game folders.
- The library directory is somehow hidden by default on your macOS device, so you can use Go to Folder as the easiest approach to find the files.
How do I Find Screenshots Using the Steam Client?
The easiest approach to find Steam screenshots is via Steam itself. This method can specifically help you to find Steam screenshots if you don’t know your Steam account folder, your game application ID, or the folder location where Steam was installed on your PC.
Follow the below steps to find where are steam screenshots saved on Windows 11/10 or macOS using the Steam client:
- Launch the Steam desktop application on your PC.
- Open the View menu, go to Recordings & Screenshots or Screenshots (depending on your Steam version).
- Browse through the games and choose the one you want to restore.
- Locate and select the screenshot you want to recover.
- Use the Show on Disk or Show on Disk Folder option to open the directory containing the screenshot files.
This method is useful because you do not need to know the game’s AppID or your Steam user ID beforehand.
Why Are Steam Screenshots Missing?
Now that you know where are steam screenshots saved on Windows 11/10 or macOS, if they are lost, try finding the exact reason. Steam screenshots can become difficult to locate for several reasons. Understanding the cause can help you select the right recovery method.
- Accidental deletion: You may have deleted screenshots while cleaning up your Steam folders or removing old game files.
- Incorrect directory: Screenshots are stored by Steam user ID and game AppID, so checking the wrong folder can make them appear missing.
- Steam reinstallation: Reinstalling Steam or changing its installation directory can make older user data harder to find, particularly if you removed the original folders.
- Local and online differences: Screenshots stored on your computer may not have been uploaded to your Steam profile.
- Different Steam accounts: Screenshots may belong to another account or user ID on the same computer.
- Drive or file-system issues: Storage errors, file-system corruption, or a failing drive can prevent screenshots from appearing normally.
How to Recover Deleted Steam Screenshots? [Quick Recovery]
Irrespective of the above reasons for Steam screenshot deletion on your PC, it’s important to immediately apply adequate recovery workarounds.
Before attempting recovery, avoid saving new files to the drive containing the deleted screenshots. On a traditional hard drive, deleted data may remain recoverable until overwritten. On SSDs, TRIM and other storage-management processes can reduce the chances of successful recovery.
Here are quick, free photo recovery workarounds that you can try to restore deleted Steam screenshots on your PC:
Method 01: Check the Recycle Bin or Trash Folder
Every deleted file on your device goes to the Recycle Bin or Trash folder before it is permanently erased. In such cases, it’s best to check these folders before you apply advanced photo recovery workarounds. All you have to do is:
- Launch the Recycle Bin or Trash folder on your device.
- Browse through deleted screenshots and select the one you want to restore.
- Right-click on the required image and select Restore (Windows) or Put Back (macOS).
This will save the selected files to their original location. However, this method will not help you to restore files permanently deleted using Shift + Delete, removed after emptying the Recycle Bin, or deleted through certain applications.
Method 02: Check Steam Cloud Profile or Online Screenshots
Steam’s local screenshot files and screenshots uploaded to your Steam account are not necessarily the same collection. A screenshot may be saved locally without being uploaded online. To check your online screenshots:
- Open Steam and sign in to the account used to capture the images.
- Visit your Steam profile and go to the Screenshots
- Check whether the missing screenshots appear in your uploaded images.
- If available, download or save a copy of the image to your computer.
You can also check your profile through the Steam Community website.
Method 03: Restore Steam Screenshots Using Photo Recovery Software
If you don’t have any backup of your lost Steam screenshots, try using a professional photo recovery software. Tools like Stellar Photo Recovery can help you restore deleted Steam screenshots in a few simple clicks. Whether your files are deleted accidentally, lost due to system error or for any other reason, this all-in-one photo recovery software works well when screenshots were deleted by accident, lost to a system error, or removed from a formatted or corrupted drive.
Key Features of Stellar Photo Recovery
- The Stellar Photo Recovery software can help you restore deleted Steam screenshots of various file formats, including JPEG, PNG, etc.
- It helps you to scan supported storage devices for deleted or missing image files, including screenshots that remain recoverable.
- The software supports data recovery in three simple steps, i.e., Select, Scan, and Recover.
- It also allows you to preview the recoverable photos before saving them on your device.
- It can also perform “Deep scanning” to help you restore files that were not identified during an initial scan.
Wrapping Up
Hope you are now familiar with where are steam screenshots saved on your device. But if you find those screenshots missing, don’t lose hope! Go with the aforementioned photo recovery methods one by one to get your deleted Steam screenshots back. Start by checking the Recycle Bin or Trash, the Steam Screenshot Manager, your online profile, and any available backups. If the images were permanently deleted, photo recovery software like Stellar Photo Recovery may help retrieve them, provided the original data remains recoverable.
To avoid losing important gaming moments, back up your favorite screenshots regularly and save additional copies outside the Steam installation folder. Taking these precautions makes it easier to preserve and recover your screenshots when something goes wrong.