Search screenshots by description#
Open Settings > Screenshots > Copilot account > Sign in with GitHub and complete authorization in your browser. No separate Copilot CLI or GitHub CLI installation is required. Full bundles the runtime; in Core, install the optional Copilot component first. Check sign-in can also reuse an existing Copilot/GitHub CLI sign-in. Browser cookies alone are not authorization, and environment credentials can take priority over stored sign-ins.
Sign-in uses the runtime's GitHub browser authorization with PKCE and Windows secure credential storage. Hotshot does not request a pasted token, embed an OAuth secret, or put credentials in settings, OneDrive or logs. Pending sign-in is cancellable, times out after five minutes, and is stopped when Settings closes. Plaintext token storage is refused.
Turn on Copilot descriptions for searchable summaries. This is off by default, requires a GitHub Copilot plan and an image-capable model, and uses your plan. Signing in alone sends no screenshots and grants no access.
Descriptions are added after saving, without delaying the clipboard. PNG files also receive Unicode Title and Description metadata. Windows Explorer may not display those PNG fields even though metadata-aware tools can read them. Recordings and GIFs are not sent for descriptions.
Turn on Review before sending, hide private details and save, then choose Describe screenshot. Exclude apps uses app filenames, such as password-manager.exe. Whole-screen captures may still include excluded apps. View description progress lets you review or cancel work.
For searchable text without sending images, turn on Screenshots > Read text in screenshots, or choose Extract text. Windows needs the matching text-recognition language installed.