Are your Mac screenshot shortcuts not responding properly? Did you hear the camera shutter sound, but are they not appearing on your screen? Well, no doubt, taking screenshots on Mac is a damn straightforward process because Mac comes with an easy way to do that. But since several users are complaining about the 'screenshot on Mac not working' problem, we are here to help.
Well, read our guide to find six best fixes to misplaced Mac Screenshot shortcuts & ways to take a screenshot on Mac easily!
Ways To Fix Screenshot On Mac Not Working Problem
Taking a screenshot involves the same process whether you have a MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, or another Mac model. Capturing the entire screen can be accomplished by holding Command + Shift + 3. Screenshots are saved to the Desktop as PNG files with a filename in the format 'Screen Shot YYYY-MM-DD at H.MM.SS XM'. For example there is a combination key to click if you want to screen capture the whole window or portion of the window and just print screen the active one. Here's a primer on capturing screenshots on a Macbook Pro. How to screenshot on MacBook Pro. Open the window you would like to capture. Click Command-Shift-3 simultaneously.
Capture the Entire Screen. Shift + Command + 3: If you don't want to just capture a specific window, but the entire screen, then this is the command you need. It will capture the entire screen from the menu bar across the top of your screen to the dock at the bottom. Capture Touch Bar (MacBook Pro).
Table of Contents |
PART 1: The Correct Way To Take A Screenshot On Mac |
PART 2: Quick Fixes To Resolve Screenshot On Mac Not Working Issue: MacBook Pro |
PART 3: How To Recover Lost Screenshots On Mac? |
PART 4: Connect With Us |
PART 1: The Correct Way To Take A Screenshot On Mac
Well, before you go for finding the solutions to fix 'Screenshots on MacBook' not working problem. You first need to make sure that you are capturing the Mac screen the right way.
Check out the default Mac Screenshot Shortcuts:
- Command ? + CTRL + SHIFT + 3 = To Print Full Screen To Clipboard
- Command ? + SHIFT + 3 = To Capture Full Mac Screen & Save As File
- Command ? + CTRL + SHIFT + 4 = To Capture Selected Area To Clipboard
- Command ? + SHIFT + 4 = To Print Selected Area & Save As File
That's how you take screenshots on Mac. If you think you are using them correctly but still not be able to capture the screen and save it, keep reading our upcoming part. We have mentioned some effective solutions that would help you capture screenshots on MacBook Pro without any hassle!
PART 2: Quick Fixes To Resolve Screenshot On Mac Not Working Issue: MacBook Pro
If you are sure that you are pressing the Mac Screenshot Shortcuts correctly but are still not able to capture the Mac screen, apply the following fixes.
FIX 1: Restart & Update Your macOS
If you haven't forced restart your Mac in a long time, then it might be possible that certain functions stop responding. So, we will try with a simple fix to see if it helps you to solve the Apple screenshots problem. Check out different ways to restart MacBook.
- Hold down the Power button & choose the Restart option.
- Hit the Control + Eject button altogether & select Restart option.
- Click on the Apple menu and hit the Restart button.
- Alternatively, you can also press CTRL + CMD + Power buttons to choose the Restart option.
If Mac restart doesn't solve your problem, then check out whether there's an update available for your MacBook. Unlock macbook pro with watch. Quite often, the company releases specific bug fixes that can help you resolve the common problems.
To check for Mac updates, follow the steps:
- Open System Preferences & go to Software Update
- Hit the Update Now button. If there's a new macOS version available, you can follow the on-screen prompts to start the installation process.
FIX 2: Check The Keyboard Settings
Though the keyboard shortcuts are enabled by default if in case they have been turned off at some point or have been set to combinations other than defaults, you have to check them once:
- Click on the Apple menu (located in the Dock) > Open System Preferences.
- Keyboard > head towards the Shortcuts tab.
- Click on Screenshots option & go through the settings.
- If by any chance the Mac Screenshot Shortcuts are disabled, check the boxes to turn them back on.
- Hit Restore Defaults option to restart Mac with your default keyboard shortcut settings.
FIX 3: Confirm The Location Of Saving Mac Screenshots
By default, all the taken Mac Screenshots are saved to the Desktop. However, if you have ever changed the location settings, your screenshot may get hidden from you. To make sure the location of saving screenshots on MacBook, check out these steps.
- Launch the Screenshot app > Options
- Now verify the location that is set to save the Mac Screenshots, if it is correct, hit the Save to section.
- If not, change it to Desktop and Save it!
FIX 4: Try Using Grab To Screenshot On Mac
There are a few other ways to take screenshots on Mac. If your Mac screenshot shortcuts aren't responding correctly, try giving Grab tool a chance to capture the screen on Mac machine. If you are already aware, Grab is a native Apple application that lets users take screenshots of the entire window or a specific area of your display.
To take a screenshot with Grab Apple Screenshot tool, follow the steps below:
- Launch Applications & go to Utilities
- Locate ‘Grab' macOS app & hit the Capture button
According to your requirements, choose the desired option to take a screenshot on a Mac machine.
FIX 5: Make Use Of Preview To Screenshot On Mac
You must already be aware of the excellent default utility Preview, that Mac offers to open, manage & edit images easily. You can utilize the Preview tool to grab screens on Mac, next time you encounter the problem of ‘Screenshot on Mac not Working' properly.
To use the Preview app on Mac for capturing screenshots, follow the steps below:
- Navigate to the Preview app, located in the Dock.
- Hit the File option & from the drop-down menu, choose Take Screenshot option.
- You can either choose to take a screenshot of the whole window, your entire Mac screen or a specific selection of the window.
Hopefully, you found these methods to take a screenshot on MacBook effortless. However, if you want to fix the Mac Screenshot Shortcuts quickly, here's another workaround worth trying!
FIX 6: Try Resetting Your Mac's NVRAM
The methods mentioned above should probably rule out the problem of ‘Screenshot on Mac not responding' and also the misplaced screenshot shortcuts. But if these old school tricks didn't work out for you, then you might need to go a little deeper to check out the internal settings of your MacBook.
Since NVRAM (Nonvolatile Random-Access Memory), is entirely responsible for controlling the internal settings for your Mac, you can try giving it a quick reset to see if it solves your ‘Screenshot on Mac' not working issue.
Here's a complete guide on How To Reset Mac NVRAM? Check out!
PART 3: How To Recover Lost Screenshots On Mac?
Well most probably, as soon as the 'Screenshot On Mac Not Working' problem gets resolved, all your captured screens should be saved securely. But in case, you lost them due to unknown reasons, don't worry, we'll be telling you specific ways to recover your accidentally deleted or lost screenshots on Mac. We recommend using EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for this purpose.
The Mac data recovery software is designed in a way that can restore accidentally deleted, missing or lost files such as photos, music files, documents, videos and other multimedia data. No matter what the data loss scenario is, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard works amazingly well to recover your lost media files in just a few clicks. You can try it NOW!
PART 4: Connect With Us
Have any concerns regarding your Mac? Facing any other troubleshooting problems? Well, feel free to connect with us on our Social Media Platforms, or you can write to us at support@systweak.com. We'll try our best to help you with accurate diagnosis and solutions!
And if you liked this article, don't forget to share it with your friends & colleagues. Share buttons are right at the top of the article!
Last Updated on December 1, 2020 by Adam EnfroyWhether you need to take a screenshot for graphic design, photo-editing, or just to share images with friends and coworkers, Mac makes it easy.
Here are some of the best ways to easily take a screenshot on a Mac:
A. Screenshot on Pre-Mojave Mac.
The advent of the Mojave update changed a lot of things for Mac users. It truly changed the way we take screenshots on Mac.
However, if you could not upgrade your Mac to Mojave due to lack of space in the SSD or any other issue, you can use a few old Mac shortcuts to take screenshots.
Here's how you can take screenshots on your pre-Mojave Mac easily:
1. Screenshot of an Entire Screen (⌘+ Shift + 3).
Simply press ‘Command + Shift + 3' to take a screenshot of the entire screen. The good thing is that it will take screenshots of all the screens at once. For instance, if you're using more than one screen, it will take the screenshot of every screen one by one.
2. Take Screenshot of a Selected Area (⌘+ Shift + 4).
Press ‘Command + Shift + 4' to take the screenshot of a selected portion.
Your Mac will ask you to select the area on the screen that you want to capture. Next, press the Spacebar after Command + Shift + 4.
You'll see a small camera icon appear on the screen. It will allow you to select the window you want to take a screenshot of. Next, select the area you want to capture.
Here, I selected the left window on the screen. This is the screenshot I received:
3. Take Screenshot of a Selected Portion Using The Crosshair (⌘ + Shift + 4).
Mac lets you take a screenshot of not just the selected area, but also of a selected portion.
You'd see the difference in just a minute.
After pressing ‘Command +Shift + 4,' your Mac's cursor will convert into a crosshair.
Here is how the crosshair will look after you press the key combination:
It will allow you to drag and select the part of the screen that you want to capture. After you release the mouse, the trackpad will automatically take the screenshot.
It also provides plenty of other options to make more precise selections.
Here are some of them:
- Press and Hold Spacebar – Press and hold the spacebar just after selecting the highlighted area. It locks the shape and size of the area on the screen. However, you can still reposition it on your Mac's screen. It's a handy feature to adjust the selection in case you miss some elements.
- Press and Release Spacebar – When you press and release the spacebar, the crosshair on the screen converts into a miniature cam icon. You can swiftly move this icon over any window on the screen to take a screenshot. Screenshots taken through this method contain a white border around the window along with a drop shadow.
- Hold Shift Key – After selecting the highlighting area, hold the ‘Shift' key to lock down all the sides of the selection area. Now you can move the bottom edge up or down to adjust the selection. You can also reposition the edges of the right side by pressing the Shift key twice without releasing the mouse button.
- Shift + Option – Press ‘Shift + Option' after selecting the area for screenshot. It will help you lock both horizontal and vertical constraints. What's more, it can also reshape the selection easily.
Source: macworld.com
These commands will enable you to take a screenshot easily. However, these screen-grab features do not come integrated closely with the machine. What's more, these features were not easily accessible until Apple decided to make them more user-friendly and accessible.
4. Command + Control + Shift + 4.
Simply press ‘Command + Control + Shift + 4' at once to save the screenshot to the clipboard. Apple ipad internet browser.
Once you use Command + Control + Shift + 4, you'll see the crosshair on the screen. Drag the crosshair to highlight the area you want to capture and release the cursor.
Now go to the application where you want to insert the screenshot, such as email, Keynote, or pages.
For instance, you want to paste it in Apple Pages. Once you open the application, place the cursor at the point where you want to paste the screenshot. Now press ‘Command + V' at the same time, and your screenshot will appear automatically.
B. Screenshot on Post-Mojave Mac.
With macOS 10.14 Mojave update, Apple introduced a host of new screenshot features, including a screen recorder.
Its brand new screenshot panel lets you take multiple types of screenshots without any hassle. Another unique feature is that you can now edit them before the final file gets saved in your machine.
Here is how you can take different types of screenshots in multiple ways on your post-Mojave Mac.
1. Command + Shift + 5.
After you press Command +Shift + 5, a small panel will pop out at the bottom of your Mac's screen with all the screenshot options.
It has three screenshot buttons to perform the following functions:
- Capture a window
- Selection of the screen
- Select the entire window easily
Here is how the screenshot panel would look like.
Here are the details of the buttons on the screenshot panel:
Source: MacRumors.com
It also offers 2 video recording buttons to record the entire screen or a part of it.
There is an X button on the left side of the panel to close the screenshot panel. You can also exit the panel by pressing the Escape key on the keyboard.
Bad apple wav download. There is also an ‘Options' button on the right side of the panel to help you choose the 'save' destination of screenshots taken.
You can save your screenshots in documents, desktop, mail, messages, or preview. It also allows you to set a delay of 5 or 10 seconds to line up items that might disappear while engaging the screenshot tool.
2. Command + Shift + 6.
This command lets you take the screenshot of the second display of the MacBook Pro – The Touch Bar. You can take a screenshot on a 16-inch MacBook Pro or any other model with a Touch Bar.
Simply press ‘Command + Shift + 6' to take the screenshot of the Touch Bar screen.
Other than this, if you want the screenshot copied to your clipboard, then you need to press ‘Control + Command + Shift + 6.'
Source: HowToGeek.com
Next, save the screenshot in any image editor you want.
3. Screenshot Thumbnails.
Ever since Mac released macOS 10.14 Mojave, taking a screenshot is easier, more flexible, and fun.
After you take the screenshot (using any type of method), a thumbnail appears in the bottom right corner of the screen for a few moments.
The purpose of the thumbnail's appearance is to help you edit a screenshot before it gets saved as a .png file in the destination folder.
Here is how the thumbnail would appear after you take the screenshot:
Just click on the thumbnail, and the screenshot will open in the image editor application of your Mac. From there, you can easily rotate, annotate, crop, or share the screenshot. You can also open the screenshot in any photo editing app you want. Simply drag and drop the thumbnail in the app of your choice, and it will open automatically.
4. Annotating The Screenshots.
After you click on the thumbnail, the screenshot will open in the preview by default.
Here, you can annotate your screenshot in several ways. It enables you to instantly annotate the screenshot before sending it to your friends or colleagues.
They include:
- You can draw symbols
- Add text to your image
- Include speech bubbles
- Crop the image
- Add your signature
- Rotate the images
- And much more
C. Screenshots With Third-party macOS Screenshot Apps.
Even after ⌘ + Shift + 5 Mac screen capturing menu, the native screenshot app of Mac offers pretty basic features. And if you are left wanting for more, there is no need to worry. You can always use a nice third-party app with more advanced features.
A third-party can help you capture:
- Your entire screen
- Window, area
- Scrolling content
- Record screen
- Capture videos
- And more
You can also clear the clutter from the desktop by hiding unwanted files and disable notification through a single click. Once you manage to get the perfect screenshot, you can edit it by adding annotations, blurring the essential parts, or drawing on it for greater customization.
You can also leverage built-in organizers to keep track of all screenshots. It's a handy feature if you need to take a lot of screenshots regularly.
Here are a few key capabilities that you should look into a third-party Mac screenshot app.
- User Interface – Taking a screenshot is a simple process. But an app with a cluttered user interface (UI) might make it complicated. Thus, look for an application that offers a minimal complexity. At the same time, it must offer essential features to take screenshots within a matter of seconds.
- Third-Party Integrations – If you need to take a lot of screenshots, solid integration with cloud and other apps like Evernote will come in handy. These third-party apps help you stay organized easily. You can easily save and share your screenshots over the cloud and keep it organized in Evernote or any other organizer application. What's more, integrations with tools like GitHub, Trello, Slack, and Jira would help you with troubleshooting and bug identification.
- Editing Capability – There are times when you need to explain something through a screenshot using text, images, drawings, text bubbles, links, etc. You might also want to blur or remove a few things from the screenshot. Here, an app with efficient editing features can save your day. Thus, look for a screenshot app that allows you to directly edit the screenshot before saving or sharing it with others.
- Secure – Data security is essential for everyone. It becomes even more important when you allow an app to see everything on your computer screen. Ensure the third-party screenshot application offers powerful data security features to help you save and share screenshots securely.
- Self-Timer – A third-party app would also offer features like screenshot pinning, self-timer, and internal cloud. A self-timer lets you take screenshots at perfect moments and pin it to the desktop for greater visibility. Some apps also offer cloud storage. This lets you save the screenshot on the cloud and share it using a simple link.
How To Take Screenshot On Macbook Pro
Here are some of the best Screenshot Apps for macOS:
- Monosnap.
1. Take a Screenshot With Monosnap.
To help you understand the functioning of third-party screenshot apps, I demonstrated the step-by-step process using the Monosnap app.
How to Start?
After you launch the app, you can find the Monosnap icon in the status bar. Once you click on the icon, it will open the basic menu.
The options include:
- Capture Area
- Capture Fullscreen
- Capture Previous Area
- Record video
- Open from Clipboard
- Open the last Image
- And more
Сapture Area will allow you to capture the selected screen area or a separate window. You just need to drag over the area you need to capture. You can also enable the timer, move the selected area by holding spacebar, use ⌘+С to copy color, and so forth.
With Capture Fullscreen, you can capture the entire screen with just a click. If you are using multiple monitors, Capture Fullscreen will take the screenshots of all monitor screens.
On the other hand, Сapture Previous Area can recapture the same area again.
Such apps help you move faster by automating redundant tasks while giving you the same screen area uniformly. What's more, Monosnap comes with other features, including hotkeys, image editors, and cloud storage.
2. Take a Screenshot With Apple's Grab.
How To Screenshot On New Macbook Pro
You can also leverage a native utility program in Mac called ‘Grab.'
It supports capturing:
- A specific marquee selection
- An entire window
- Entire screen
- Timed screenshots
- And more
Here is how you can easily use it to take screen-grab:
Search for the keyword 'Grab' in the search bar located at the top right corner. Now, select 'Application' on the left sidebar to narrow down the search.
Open the Grab icon. Here's what will appear on your screen:
You can drag the marquee to capture the part you want. Next, select 'Capture' from the navigation menu.
You can also select the type of screenshot you want to take, including the timed screen or window in the dropdown menu.
Here are some of the options you can choose:
- The 'Selection' option will capture the selected part of the screen.
- The 'Screen' option will capture the complete screen.
- The 'Window' option will take a screenshot of a specific part of the screen.
- The 'Timed' screenshot will give a 10-seconds window before taking the final screenshot.
Why Do You Need a Screenshot?
In today's connected world, businesses have gone digital. From sharing any detail on your corporate website to a revolutionary idea, nothing beats the screenshot's efficiency. It helps you share the information in the precise format as you want.
Screenshots have also become the proof truth in the corporate world. If the information is in the form of a screenshot, it's most likely to be correct.
Hence, the chances are that you need to take multiple screenshots regularly for a multitude of reasons.
Where Do You Find Saved Screenshots on a Mac?
If you're new to Mac, you might wonder, where screenshots go by default. Usually, screenshots get saved as PNG files on the desktop. Their default name format is – current date and time stamp. Hence, the name of a screenshot would like 'Screenshot 2020-07-15 at 12.25.36.png.'
Here is how it would appear:
However, if you change the save destination in the setting to the clipboard, you can paste the screenshot directly to the document without saving on your Mac.
What Do You Do If Screen Capture on a Mac is Not Working?
Screenshot shortcut might now work sometime due to multiple reasons. Or it might be simply disabled.
Use these steps to fix this issue easily:
- First, heads to the Apple menu and open ‘System Preferences.'
- Next, click on the ‘Keyboard' option.
- A new window will pop-up. Here, click on the ‘Shortcuts' option.
- Go to the ‘Screen Shots' option in the left menu.
- Check out whether all the shortcuts are active or not with the same combinations.
- Click on the ‘Restore Defaults' option in the bottom right to activate all screenshot options.
- You can also change the shortcut and have new keys combinations.
You might also face an issue where your screenshot shortcut is working, but you cannot save the screenshot. In this case, it might be occurring due to copyright issues of the third-party app. You can solve this issue by using a third-party screenshot application for Mac.
Wrapping-Up.
I covered just about everything when it comes to taking a screenshot on your Mac. The Mojave update makes the process of taking screenshots even more intuitive and engaging.
You can now customize your screenshots, select screen area, and even edit after taking the screenshot. The feature list is sufficient for a normal user.
If you are looking for more advanced features, you might want to use a third-party screenshot application. Such apps provide better control over your screenshot with extra editing functions, cloud storage, and more options to share with other users.
So, which third-party app are you planning to use? Or your Mac's screenshot functions are enough for you? Let me know in the comments section below.