Why is screenshot not working on Mac?
Why is screenshot not working on Mac?
I recently encountered an issue where the screenshot function on my Mac stopped working, and it’s been quite frustrating. I’ve always relied on taking screenshots to save important information or capture moments from my screen. It’s peculiar because this feature has been working perfectly fine until now. Each time I try to take a screenshot using the keyboard shortcuts, nothing happens. I don’t see any images being saved to my desktop or any other designated folder. I’ve checked my keyboard settings and everything seems to be in order. I also verified that my storage isn’t full, as I initially suspected that might be the issue. Moreover, it’s not like I’m trying to capture restricted content; I’ve tried different applications and parts of the screen with the same result. If you have experienced this, you can understand how inconvenient it is, disrupting my usual workflow. I’m starting to wonder if there’s something else I might be missing. Just what could be causing this, and why is screenshot not working on my Mac?
8 Answers
A less common but plausible issue I’ve encountered involves the format of the screenshots. By default, they are saved in PNG format, which some systems might not handle well. Changing the format can sometimes resolve the problem. Open the Terminal and type: defaults write com.apple.screencapture type jpg, followed by: killall SystemUIServer. This command changes the screenshot format to JPG.
One often overlooked issue could be permissions settings. Ensure that your Mac has the necessary permissions. Navigate to ‘System Preferences’ > ‘Security & Privacy’ > ‘Privacy,’ then check ‘Screen Recording’ and ‘Accessibility’ to confirm the proper permissions are enabled for related apps. Furthermore, an outdated macOS can sometimes cause software issues, so check for any available updates by going to ‘System Preferences’ > ‘Software Update’ and updating if necessary.
Once, my custom screenshot shortcuts interfered with my ability to take screenshots. Resetting these to default helped resolve my issue. Here’s how you can do it: Go to ‘System Preferences’ > ‘Keyboard’ > ‘Shortcuts,’ click on ‘Screenshots’ in the left panel, and restore defaults by selecting any unchecked boxes. Restart your Mac to see if the issue is resolved.
In my personal experience, I faced this problem and discovered it was related to system permissions. Here’s how I solved it: I visited ‘System Preferences’ > ‘Security & Privacy,’ then selected the ‘Privacy’ tab, and from there, I checked ‘Screen Recording.’ Ticking the box next to ‘com.apple.screenrecording’ resolved it for me, and my screenshot function resumed seamlessly.
Have you considered disk space? Even though you mentioned it isn’t fully occupied, macOS can act unpredictably with low storage. Clearing out large files from the desktop and downloads folder can make a difference. One effective method is using tools like CleanMyMac to identify and remove unnecessary files. To manage storage manually, go to ‘About This Mac’ > ‘Storage,’ then click ‘Manage’ to free up space.
It sounds like your problem might lie with an external application interference. Several third-party tools for screen capturing or antivirus software can conflict with your Mac’s built-in screenshot feature. Try disabling or uninstalling these applications temporarily to see if the issue resolves itself. Additionally, resetting your Mac’s NVRAM might help, as it clears certain system settings and can resolve various issues. To reset NVRAM, turn off your Mac, and as you turn it back on, hold down Option + Command + P + R for about 20 seconds before releasing the keys.
Clipboard issues could be another reason why screenshots aren’t working. Verify if the clipboard is functioning correctly by opening ‘Terminal’ and running pbpaste to check for any irregularities. You can reset the screenshot save location by executing defaults delete com.apple.screencapture location; killall SystemUIServer in Terminal. This restores the default location and might resolve your issue with screenshots.
There are a few common issues that might be preventing your screenshots from working on a Mac. First, check if the keyboard shortcuts for taking screenshots are enabled. You can do this by going to ‘System Preferences’ > ‘Keyboard’ > ‘Shortcuts’ > ‘Screenshots.’ Make sure all the options are checked. Another possibility is that the save location for your screenshots might have changed or become inaccessible. Try searching for recent screenshots using Spotlight Search by hitting Command + Space and typing ‘screenshot’ to see if they are being saved elsewhere.