Encrypting the recognized-text index
Off by default. Turn it on in Settings → Privacy if plaintext recognized text sitting on disk is a problem for your work.
What it does
The text recognized from your screenshots, and the word positions used to highlight matches, are encrypted with AES-GCM. The key is generated on your Mac and held in the Keychain; it never leaves the device.
Search keeps working because searchable prefixes are stored as keyed hashes rather than readable text.
Enabling or disabling migrates the whole index in a single database transaction, so it can’t be left half-converted.
What it does not cover
Your screenshot images are not encrypted. They remain ordinary image files in the library folder.
Derived metadata is not encrypted — content type, detected entities, tags, source application and dates.
This is stated plainly because the scope matters: encrypting the index protects the text extracted from your screenshots, not the screenshots themselves. Anyone with access to your unlocked Mac can still open the images.
For whole-library protection, use FileVault. That is the right tool for this problem, and this setting is not a substitute for it.
What you give up
The default library is a plain SQLite file you can open and inspect. That inspectability is part of how the app earns trust — it’s what lets you verify for yourself what’s stored.
An encrypted index is no longer readable that way. It’s a real trade, and only you can judge which side you want.
If the key is lost
Losing the Keychain key — a wiped Mac, a corrupted Keychain, restoring to new hardware without your Keychain — means the encrypted index can’t be read.
Your screenshots are untouched. The app detects this and offers to rebuild recognition from the images rather than silently writing fresh plaintext next to rows it can’t read. You lose the time it takes to re-recognize, not your library.
Before you enable it
- Make sure your Keychain is included in your backup routine
- Consider whether FileVault already solves your actual problem
- Remember that the images themselves are not covered
Didn't answer it? Write tosupport@screenshotinbox.com — one person reads it, and questions that land here twice become a new page.