Snipping Tool alternative for Ubuntu & Linux

A modern Snipping Tool alternative for Ubuntu

Miss the Windows Snipping Tool workflow? Screention brings instant region snips, inline arrows, highlighters, privacy blur, and offline OCR to Ubuntu 24.04 & 22.04 LTS. Fast, native, and free.

$ curl -fsSL https://screention.gkernel.com/install.sh | bash

Installs the .deb with apt, the .rpm with dnf or zypper, or the AppImage on other distros. x86_64 only. Needs Ubuntu 22.04, Debian 12, Linux Mint 21, Fedora 38 or newer, or openSUSE Tumbleweed.

Download .deb PackageExplore All Features
Screention snipping tool with an arrow, a rectangle, a text label and numbered steps on a selected screen area
Ubuntu Default vs. Screention

Why Ubuntu users switch to Screention

Ubuntu's default screenshot tool can capture your screen, but to draw a quick arrow or blur an API key you need a separate image editor. Screention does it in one step.

Feature
Default Ubuntu Tool
Screention
Drag-to-Snip Region Selection
Basic full/window/area
Pixel-accurate selection with dimension readouts
In-Place Arrows, Rectangles & Circles
None (requires GIMP/Pinta)
Instant toolbar with 12 professional colors
Blur / Redact Passwords & Tokens
Not available
Blur, pixelate & solid box tools
Offline Text Recognition (OCR)
Not available
On-device text extraction straight to clipboard
System Tray Integration
Background shortcut only
Docked tray icon with history gallery

Everything you need to snip, mark up & share

Designed specifically for speed. Sits in your system tray and triggers via global hotkeys.

Instant Region Snip

Press Ctrl+Alt+A (or a hotkey you choose), drag over any region, and refine your selection with keyboard arrow keys.

Arrows, Shapes & Pen

Guide the viewer's attention immediately. Draw crisp arrows, highlight key text, and box important UI elements in 12 vibrant colors.

Redact Sensitive Data

Never leak tokens, passwords, or personal credentials. Apply pixelate, blur, or a solid box before copying or saving.

Offline OCR Text Extraction

Need to copy text from an error prompt, code editor, or video? Click Copy text on your snip to copy the text straight to your clipboard.

Local & Private

No account and no forced cloud uploads. Your images stay on your Ubuntu filesystem unless you press Upload, and the usage counts we collect (which you can turn off in Settings) never include them.

Wayland & X11 Ready

Captures on Ubuntu's default Wayland session via XDG Desktop Portal, with automatic fallback to grim on minimal compositors.

Ubuntu 24.04 / 22.04Debian 12+Linux Universal

Built for Ubuntu & Debian ecosystems

Runs as a lightweight native background daemon. Docked quietly in your top bar or system tray until called.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a direct equivalent to the Windows Snipping Tool on Ubuntu?

Yes. Screention is designed to provide the instant snip-and-markup workflow Windows users are accustomed to. Press your hotkey (Ctrl+Alt+A by default), drag to select a region, add arrows or highlights directly on the screen, and press copy to paste immediately.

Does Screention work on Ubuntu 24.04 and 22.04 LTS?

Yes. Screention supports Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish) and later, including Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat), on both the default Wayland session and X11.

How do I install Screention on Ubuntu?

You can install Screention with our 1-line terminal command: `curl -fsSL https://screention.gkernel.com/install.sh | bash`, or download the native `.deb` package from our download page and install it with `sudo apt install ./Screention_*_amd64.deb`.

Does Screention upload my screenshots to the cloud?

Only if you ask it to. Screention is local-first: screen captures, annotations, and OCR text recognition stay on your local machine, and a screenshot is uploaded only when you press Upload (Screention asks before the first upload and explains that the share link is public). No account is required. The app does send pseudonymous usage counts, never your screenshots or their text, and you can turn them off in Settings > Privacy.

Can I extract text from screenshots on Ubuntu?

Yes. Screention includes a built-in offline OCR tool. Simply snip any region with text or error codes, click Copy text (or press Ctrl+E), and the recognized text is copied to your clipboard.

Using another distro, or just need the built-in keys? See Snipping Tool for Linux for shortcuts on every desktop.

Install Screention on Ubuntu