Why screenshots do not simply paste over SSH
A normal SSH terminal carries text and terminal control sequences. It does not automatically transport your device’s image clipboard. A path in iPad Photos is not a file on the server. You need an actual transfer, a client that bridges images, or an HTTPS fetch on the receiving machine.
Start with the screenshot on iPad
Open the screenshot in Photos and crop it to the relevant interface or error. Keep small text readable. For SFTP, export it to Files if your SSH client needs a file picker. For Share2AI, use the system Share menu directly. Switching to your terminal app does not by itself transfer the image.
Method: upload through SFTP
Open your SSH client’s file-transfer view, connect to the correct host and upload the screenshot into a directory you control. Copy the destination path and ask the agent to inspect it. This is useful when you already use an SFTP browser. Check the host and permissions if the file appears locally but the agent cannot find it.
Method: transfer a saved screenshot with SCP
Save the screenshot as PNG or JPEG on the sending device and run the example from a shell that can access that file. The destination must already accept your SSH login. Give the agent the resulting remote path. On iPad, this requires an app with shell/file access; Photos itself does not run scp. Remove the server copy when it is no longer needed.
scp ./screenshot.png user@devbox:~/screenshot.pngCommands are examples. Replace user, devbox, project paths and the example URL with your own values. Run file-transfer commands in a shell, not in the agent’s chat. Keep private links out of shared logs and shell history.
Method: share a temporary screenshot URL
Share2AI uploads one screenshot and copies an HTTPS link that you can paste as text. The receiving tool needs network access and image-reading support. Ask it to fetch the image once, save it if necessary and inspect that saved copy. A second download may fail because the first successful delivery consumes the link.
Claude Code, Codex and Gemini CLI
For Claude Code, supply an image path on its host. Codex CLI can start with --image followed by a local image path. For Gemini CLI, ask it to inspect a saved image with its read_file tool and a compatible model; text-oriented file references may skip binary images. Paths must exist on the CLI’s machine, not merely on your iPad.
Screenshot → Share2AI → your AI
- Install Share2AI on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Open the app and activate or restore your subscription before using the share extension.
- Check the screenshot and hide passwords, personal messages and other sensitive details. On iPhone or iPad, open it in Photos, tap Share and select Share2AI. If needed, find it under More.
- Wait for the upload and the confirmation that the link was copied. Paste that fresh link into your AI conversation with a specific question. Do not open it yourself to test it first.
- Ask the agent to retrieve and inspect the screenshot once. If it needs a local attachment, download the image on the machine running the agent, then attach that saved file. A URL only works when the tool can fetch and process images.
Temporary access and privacy
Anyone with an active link can access the screenshot. Share2AI deletes its temporary copy after successful delivery or expiration; the initial lifetime is 30 minutes, and the app shows the applicable expiry. Removing metadata does not hide visible secrets. Copies downloaded to your server and data retained by the destination AI follow their own retention rules.
Troubleshooting and FAQ
The AI cannot open the link. What should I check?
Check whether it supports image input and outbound HTTPS. A text-only web fetcher may not pass image pixels to the model. If permitted, download once to the agent’s machine and attach the local image. Do not turn off security controls just to make a link work.
Why did the link stop working?
It may have been delivered already or expired. Opening it in a browser or downloading it with curl can use the one-time delivery. Create a fresh link for another delivery; keep a successfully downloaded local copy for the current task.
Can I send several screenshots or any file?
Share2AI handles one screenshot per upload. PNG and JPEG are supported; the Apple client can convert HEIC before uploading. Documents, archives and batches are outside the screenshot workflow.
Send the screenshot from where you are
Share a screenshot, copy its temporary link and bring visual context to your remote AI.
Share2AI costs $0.99 per month in the United States. The App Store shows your local price before purchase. There is no free trial. The subscription renews automatically until canceled in your Apple Account settings.