It would be of no surprise that most Mac users send dozens of screenshots every day. Not least because screenshots are easy to create on Mac and can give so much context with so little effort.
Restart or force restart your iPad. Restart iPad: press and hold the Power button until the “slide to. What is a Screenshot? As the name suggests, a screenshot is ideally a capture of the screen.
So when (admittedly very rarely) you see the screenshot not working, Macs provide you with a few ways to fix the issue. Additionally, some third-party apps might make all the resetting work even more seamless. Let’s go through the process step by step.
How to take screenshots on Mac properly
Before diving into all the ways to correct screenshot on Mac not working, it would be beneficial to recap how screenshots are supposed to work to establish a foundation to start from.
There are a few options for taking a screenshot on your Mac:
- Using keyboard shortcuts. ⌘ + Shift + 3 will automatically take a screenshot of your whole screen. ⌘ + Shift + 4 will let you select an area (can switch to the app-window screenshot by hitting Space). ⌘ + Shift + 5 will take an app-window screenshot.
- Launching the Screenshot app located in the Applications ➙ Utilities folder, which will bring up the screenshot-ing menu without using your keyboard.
- Opening Preview and selecting File ➙ Take Screenshot and then choosing one out of three options there.
Below, we’ll discuss the ways to resolve any errors that could come up from using either of these options.
Configure all the keyboard shortcuts
If you’re trying to hit ⌘ + Shift + 3 (or 4, or 5) and nothing is happening, it could mean that your keyboard settings somehow got reset.
To check whether it’s keyboard shortcuts to blame for screen capture not working, Macs have a special menu:
- Go to System Preferences ➙ Keyboard.
- Navigate to the Shortcuts tab ➙ Screenshots.
- Make sure that all the boxes are checked and that shortcuts are set properly.
- If you need to change any shortcuts, just double-click on the existing one and type in your new key combo.
- Uncheck and then recheck the boxes again.
Restart and update your macOS
In some cases, misappropriated keyboard shortcuts are not the reason for the screenshot on Mac not working. The next step here is to simply restart your Mac by clicking on the Apple icon in the menu bar and selecting Restart, since it could be a system glitch.
If the restart didn’t help either, see whether there’s an update to your current macOS available. Quite often Apple releases fixes for known bugs and your situation might fall in that camp:
- Open System Preferences ➙ Software Update.
- Click Update Now if there’s a new macOS version available.
- Follow all the prompts to install (usually takes around 30 minutes).
Try resetting your Mac’s NVRAM
The options described above methodically rule out the problem with misplaced shortcuts and your macOS. The next level is to go down even deeper, to the internal settings of what’s literally inside your Mac.
Non-volatile random-access memory (or NVRAM) is responsible for low-level processes within your Mac. Very rarely, an issue may arise with some settings deep in the operating system, which might then manifest themselves as screenshot on Mac not working, for example.
Anyway, resetting NVRAM is easy, non-destructive, and might actually fix the situation:
- Turn off your Mac (Apple icon ➙ Shut Down).
- Turn it back on and press ⌘ + Option + P + R for about 10–20 seconds, or after you hear the second startup sound. In Macs 2018 and later that have the T2 security chip, you can release the keys after the Apple logo disappears for the second time. Ready!
Get rid of all system junk in seconds to fix shortcuts
The combination of reconfiguring the keyboard shortcuts, restarting your Mac, and resetting NVRAM should work for 90% of screenshot not working Mac issues. The other 10%?
Truth is there are so many settings in your Mac that can misfire: user logs, cache files, language preferences, disk images, login items, improperly installed updates — it would take you hours and lots of frustration to check and correct everything. Gladly, there’s an app that can do it all for you in seconds.
CleanMyMac X is an optimization utility that keeps your Mac essentially brand new, by thoroughly scanning all user- and system-generated files, with a click of a button. And, by the way, it’s notarized by Apple.
Here’s how to instantly clean your system junk with CleanMyMac X:
- Open the CleanMyMac X app (or download for free first).
- Navigate to the System Junk tab in the sidebar.
- Click Scan.
- Review Details and uncheck anything you don’t want to touch (Note that CleanMyMac X doesn’t delete any of the essential system files or ones that you’ve created).
- Hit Clean.
Notice how many errors and clutter your Mac used to carry?
That’s it! A few clicks and now your MacBook screenshot not working issue should be resolved once and for all. In addition, feel free to use CleanMyMac X to check for viruses with the Malware Removal feature, completely delete unneeded apps with Uninstaller, and so much more that you can find by simply exploring the sidebar. After all, having a top-notch Mac shouldn’t be hard.
Why is the screenshot not working on Mac? If you failed to take a screenshot on your Mac, whether you are not able to find the image, or even the key combination does not work, you can learn more about the 6 best solutions from the article. Moreover, you can also learn more about the alternatives as the default screenshot shortcuts to fix screenshot not working on Mac.
Part 1: 5 Best Methods to Fix Screenshot Not Working on Mac
It might take a short period of time to save the screenshot on Mac. Just wait for a few more seconds. After that, you can learn more about the settings for the screenshot shortcuts, or check out more useful tips to fix screenshot on Mac not working.
1. Settings for Screenshot Shortcuts
If you cannot find the captured screenshot on your Mac, you can check whether the Screenshot Shortcuts are turned off, or the key combination is changed. Here is the detailed process to fix screenshot on your Mac not working.
Step 1 Go to the Apple menu and choose the System Preferences option. Then choose the Keyboard option to locate the key combination status for the screenshot shortcuts.
Step 2 Select the Shortcuts menu and click on the Screen Shots option on the left side. Make sure the options in front of the key combination have already been checked.
Step 3 When you need to tweak the key combination, you can press Control + F7 to change the settings. To change a shortcut, select it, click the key combination, and then type the new keys.
Check where do the screenshots go on your Mac and PC
2. Restart Your Mac
When you have not restarted your MacBook for a long period of time, you can restart your Mac to fix screenshot not working on Mac. Here are the 3 most frequently used methods to restart your Mac, just choose any one to turn your Mac into normal.
Option 1: Press the Power button or simply press the both Control + Eject key combination, when there is a dialogue box appears, choose the Restart button to fix the problems.
Option 2: Make sure you have already closed all the applications, then choose the Apple key, and then click the Restart button to get rid of the screenshot on Mac not working.
Option 3: Press the key combination Control + Command + Eject or the Control + Command + Power to turn your MacBook into the normal status within a few seconds.
3. Move the Preference File
If you have updated the Preference file previously, the cache file might still exist, which you have to remove the Preference file and restart your Mac in order to fix screenshot not working on Mac.
Step 1 Open the Finder option and choose the Go menu from the menu bar. Select the Go to Folder from the drop down list.
Screenshot In Windows 10 Bootcamp
Step 2 After that, you can enter the ~/Library/Preferences/. Then it will direct you to the Preferences folder. Locate the com.apple.ImageCaptureApp.plist file from the folder.
Step 3 Move that file to desktop and restart the Mac. Now you can check whether the screenshot not working on Mac problem is already fixed. If possible, you can simply remove the file.
4. Change Dropbox Settings
Once you have installed Dropbox on your Mac, the program will import all of the screenshots from your screenshot folder. To change the settings, you can just follow the steps to fix screenshot not available on Mac.
Step 1 Launch Dropbox and select the Dropbox menu, which will be available on the menu bar on the top of the screen. Click on the Gear icon to go to the Settings of the program.
Step 2 You can choose the Preferences option, and then click on the Import tab. Then you can disable the Share Screenshots Using Dropbox option to sync the screenshot.
Mac Scrolling Screen Capture
5. Reset PRAM or NVRAM
NVRAM, or PRAM stores the settings for your MacBook, such as the screen resolution, time zone information, the hard drive to boot from and more others, including the screenshot shortcuts. When you reset NVRAM, the Mac will restore to the original status to fix screenshot on Mac not working.
Step 1 Make sure your MacBook has already turned off. After that, you can turn on your MacBook and immediately after you hear the first startup chime, hold down the Command + Option + P + R keys.
Step 2 Once it indicated the NVRAM/PRAM has been reset, you can release the above keys, which you can allow your Mac to boot up as normal to fix the problems for screenshot on Mac not working.
Step 3 It may take a few tries to get the proper timing down to make it work. After the resetting, you need to reconfigure settings for screenshot shortcuts, as well as the speak volume, screen resolution and more.
Part 2: 2 Best Alternatives to Fix Screenshot on Mac Not Working
When the above solutions do not work to fix screenshot on Mac not working, or you need to have an alternative solution to take snapshots on your Mac? Blu-ray Master Screen Recorder for Mac is a free snipping tool enables you to take snapshots, record screen video and capture audio files. Moreover, you can also tweak the video settings, set up a time schedule, and even manage the screenshots with ease.
- 1. Capture screen all activities, take snapshots, capture screen video, etc.
- 2. Tweak the hotkeys for take snapshots, capture area and photo format.
- 3. Add annotations to the screenshot and further edit the screenshot easily.
- 4. Manage the screenshot within the built-in photo editor and manager.
Step 1 Download and install the free snipping tool for Mac, you can launch the program and click the Blu-ray Master Screen Recorder for Mac menu to choose the Preferences option to tweak the photo formats and more other settings to take screenshots.
Step 2 After that, you can select the desired area you want to screenshot. When you move the mouse cursor to a window, it will take a snapshot of the active window accordingly. Just click the mouse to capture a screenshot on your Mac as desired.
Step 3 You can add the callouts, texts, arrows, lines and more other files into the screenshots. Moreover, you can also tweak the fonts for the texts, color and size for all the elements. Then you can click the Save icon to save the screenshot to your hard drive.
Step 4 When you want to further edit the screenshots, you can click on the Recording history on the left bottom to manage the photos. It enables you to view, rename, add to folder, share to social media websites and even delete the photos easily.
Part 3: FAQs about How to Fix Screenshot Not Working on Mac
1. What Should You Do If Grab Not Working on Mac?
When screenshot not working on Mac with Grab, you should update to the latest macOS to check whether it works. After that, launch the Finder and click Go from the menu bar, select the Go to Folder and enter the following path: ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.grab.plist. Once you have entered the command line, you can drag the selected plist file to the Trash and restart your Mac to fix screenshot not working on Mac.
2. Where are the Screenshots Saved on Mac?
For macOS Mojave or later, press the Command + Shift+ 5 and in the Options, choose Desktop as path and tick Remember Last Selection and continue taking a screenshot, it is also a potential workaround when Mac screenshot disappeared.
3. What the Default Snipping Tools for Mac to Take Screenshots?
Screenshot Not Working On Mac
Is there any method to take a snapshot without installing extra software on Mac when screenshot not working on Mac? Of course, you can simply use the Grab or Preview from the Apps to take snapshots on your Mac. But the program only provides limited features, especially when you need to add annotations or edit the screenshots.
Why Can't Mac Have A Screenshot Button
Conclusion
Mac Screenshot Shortcut Not Working
To screenshot on Mac, the key combination is always the first choice. The article shares 6 most frequently used methods to fix screenshot not working on Mac. Just follow the steps to get rid of the problem, of course, you can also choose the Blu-ray Master Screen Recorder to take a snapshot on your Mac for free with advanced features.