After you stop: trim, compress, turn into a GIF or share with an encrypted link
One key for everything you show
Most of us explain things with screenshots: "click here", "this error appeared", "look at this chart". The usual routine involves capturing the screen, pasting it into an editor, drawing a clumsy arrow, cropping, saving, then hunting for the file. Recording a short clip is even worse — it usually means installing yet another program.
MoLock 2.7 replaces that routine. The PrintScreen key now opens MoLock's capture tool, which handles the whole job: choose what to capture, mark it up, hide what should stay private, and send it on.
RegionWindowFull screenRecordPrintScreen
Account no. •••• •••• 4821
Click hereArrowTextHighlightBlurShare
Screenshots: region, window or full screen
When you press PrintScreen, the screen dims and a small toolbar appears. You choose:
- Region — drag a rectangle around exactly what matters. This is the right choice most of the time: smaller images, less to explain, less accidentally revealed.
- Window — capture one app window cleanly, without the rest of your desktop.
- Full screen — everything on the screen, useful when the layout itself is the point.
The capture opens in an editor straight away. From there you can copy it to the clipboard, save it, or create a share link.
Annotate like you are standing next to them
A good screenshot answers the question before it is asked. The editor gives you the basic tools that do most of the work:
- Arrows to point at the button, the field or the number you mean.
- Text for short labels — "1. Click here", "this value is wrong".
- Highlights to draw the eye to a line in a table or a sentence in a document.
Keep annotations few and purposeful. One arrow and three words usually communicate better than a screen full of circles.
Blur first, share second
Screenshots leak more than people expect: a chat notification in the corner, an email address in a sidebar, the last digits of an account number, the names of other files in a folder. Once an image is sent, you cannot take it back.
The blur tool lets you cover any part of a capture before it leaves your PC. Drag over the area and it becomes unreadable. Use it on names, phone numbers, addresses, account details and anything that belongs to someone else.
Once an image is sent, you cannot take it back. Blur first, share second.
Record the screen: video or GIF
Some things are easier to show than describe: a sequence of clicks, an animation that misbehaves, a feature you want a colleague to try. From the same toolbar you can start a screen recording of a region, a window or the full screen.
When you stop, choose what fits the moment:
- Video (MP4) — the best choice for longer walkthroughs. It plays everywhere and stays compact for its length.
- GIF — perfect for a few seconds of silent motion: it plays automatically inside many chats, documents and web pages, with no play button. Keep GIFs short and the captured area small; they grow quickly.
After you stop: trim, compress, turn into a GIF or share with an encrypted link
If a recording turns out bigger than your chat or email allows, the right-click tools can compress the video or convert it to a GIF afterwards — the same family of tools described in our article on smart compression.
Screenshot, GIF or video?
Choosing the right format saves everyone time. A simple rule of thumb:
| If you want to show… | Use |
|---|---|
| A setting, an error message, a layout | A screenshot with one arrow or highlight |
| A short movement: a menu opening, a drag, a glitch | A GIF of a few seconds, small area |
| A process with several steps, or anything longer than a few seconds | A video |
| Several related screens | A few numbered screenshots, or a short video |
To keep files small, record only the area that changes, keep the clip as short as it can be, and avoid recording busy animated backgrounds. A GIF of a whole large screen for half a minute can easily become bigger than a video of the same scene, so when in doubt, choose video.
Tips for great tutorials and bug reports
- Tidy the stage Close chats and email, hide desktop files, and turn on Windows "Do not disturb" so no notification appears mid-recording.
- Capture a region, not the whole screen Smaller areas are easier to follow, smaller to send, and reveal less.
- Move slowly and pause Give viewers a moment on each important step. A slightly slower recording is far easier to follow than a fast one.
- Start from a known point For bug reports, begin at a screen everyone recognises, then show the exact steps until the problem appears.
- Add one line of context When you send it, write what you expected to happen and what happened instead.
- Review before sending Watch the clip once; blur or re-record if something private slipped in.
Sharing privately
For a quick screenshot, copy and paste is usually enough. For larger files — a long recording, a set of captures — create a share link. The file is encrypted on your PC before it is uploaded, and the key that opens it is part of the link itself; it never reaches MoLock's service. You can set the link to expire, protect it with a password, limit the number of downloads or delete the file after the first one.
That makes it a good fit for sending something to support or a colleague without leaving a permanent copy in a public folder. Read how end-to-end encryption works, in plain words for the details.
Next steps
The Tools page shows capture alongside the other 2.7 tools, and the user guide explains each one step by step. You may also enjoy The clipboard, reimagined — screenshots you copy appear in your clipboard history too. New to MoLock? Download it free for Windows 10 and 11.