ScreenKite can upload any screenshot to Google Drive and hand you a public share link in one click — without opening a browser or a separate upload tool.
Capturing a Screenshot
You can start a screenshot from two places:
Status bar menu — Click the ScreenKite icon in the menu bar and hover over Capture Screenshot. A submenu appears with four modes:
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Area | Drag across the screen; releases immediately on mouse-up |
| Display | Captures the entire display your cursor is on |
| Window | Click any window to capture it |
| Area with Controls | Opens the selection overlay with a size display and a Capture button — use this when you want to fine-tune the region before committing |
Recording Hub — Click the ScreenKite icon to open the Hub, then click Screenshot. A popover lists the same four modes: Capture Display, Capture Window, Capture Area, and Area with Controls.
The Screenshot Thumbnail
After every capture a floating thumbnail appears in the corner of your screen. Hover over it to reveal four action buttons:
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| Copy | Copies the image to the clipboard |
| Save | Saves the file to your designated folder |
| Edit | Opens the Screenshot Editor |
| Share | Uploads the image and copies the public link |
The thumbnail stays open while your pointer is over it. Move the pointer away to let it auto-dismiss (once any in-flight upload finishes).
Sharing from the Thumbnail
- Hover over the thumbnail to reveal the action row.
- Click Share.
- On first use, a confirmation dialog appears: "Share screenshot publicly?" — with the message "ScreenKite will upload this screenshot to Google Drive and create a public link that anyone with the link can view." Click Share Public Link to proceed (ScreenKite remembers your choice and won't ask again).
- The Share button cycles through states as the upload progresses:
| State | Button label |
|---|---|
| Ready | Share |
| Preparing the file | Prep |
| Uploading | N% (e.g. 42%) |
| Done | Copied |
| Upload failed | Retry |
When the upload succeeds the public link is copied to your clipboard automatically.
Sharing from the Screenshot Editor
Open the Screenshot Editor via the thumbnail Edit button (or from File → Open Image to Edit). The toolbar contains a Share button whose label mirrors the same state cycle: Share → Preparing → Sharing N% → Copied → Retry Share.
When the upload succeeds the Share Link Ready modal opens automatically:
- Copy Link — copies the URL to your clipboard (this also happens automatically on success)
- Open Share Page — opens the public share page in your default browser
- Manage Sharing — opens the sharing management page on the ScreenKite website
- Done — dismisses the modal
The public link is shown in full inside the modal and is selectable so you can copy it manually if needed.
Share Link Ready modal in the Screenshot Editor, showing Copy Link, Open Share Page, Manage Sharing, and Done buttons with the public URL displayed.
Setting Up Google Drive (First-Time)
Screenshot sharing requires a connected Google Drive account. If Google Drive is not yet connected when you click Share, ScreenKite opens the Connect Google Drive window automatically:
- Click Connect Google Drive — this opens the authorization page on the ScreenKite website in your browser.
- Sign in with Google and authorize access.
- Return to ScreenKite and click Share again.
If you need to manage an existing connection, click Manage Sharing in the same window.
Error States
If an upload fails the Share button shows Retry (or Retry Share in the editor toolbar). Hover over it to read the error detail, then click to retry. Common causes include a lost network connection or an expired Google Drive authorization — reconnect Drive via Settings → Sharing if the error persists.