I've tried changing the default locations multiple time and every time I perform a screen shot it doesn't save.
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
dialabrain wrote:
Not sure I understand your comment. The Floating Thumbnail was never meant to be permanently on the screen. And yes, if you drag it somewhere it will close. Just to add, if you don't touch it, it will close after a few seconds and the screen shot will be created according the setting in Options.
Correct, you described the intended behavior. The Floating Thumbnail should appear for a few seconds, then disappear if you don't take any action, at which point the screenshot is saved to the directory you define.
When the bug occurs, when I try to drag the Floating Thumbnail, even immediately after taking the screenshot, i.e. at the beginning of the ~5 second window, the Floating Thumbnail will disappear instead of dragging with the cursor.
I wanted to make sure I wasn't waiting too late to move the image, so I replicated the problem several times and the behavior was consistent: Once I try to drag the image, it immediately disappears instead of moving with the cursor. So I restarted my MacBook. Now it consistently works. When it works, it works every time and I can't replicate it. That's why I was saying it seems there is some background process that randomly stops working. Because when it works, it works every time; and when it fails, it fails every time.
Does that make sense?
I've had zero issues with these setting, before, after and currently macOS 26. as a test —Compare your results. Your option is wait for a point update / submit your feedback
Correct, normally it works fine. But on a couple of occasions, the thumbnail would consistently disappear while trying to drag it--until I restarted my Mac. This happened on two separate occasions which is why I suspect there is a bug in macOS Tahoe, but I haven't seen much information online about it. Is anyone else experiencing this?
I also had a related issue last week where the Passwords app wouldn't recognize I had added a note to an existing password and so update button was disabled. Same issue where it repeatedly appeared. Restarted and it worked perfectly again. Not sure it is related, but normally I've never had to restart my Mac.
An easy alternative is to select Preview as the destination.
This way, the image opens instantaneously in Preview, and you can save it wherever you want (and with a more descriptive name than Screenshot-plus-some-long-timestamp.
Thanks for the reply. The only difference between today and yesterday is the installation of Tahoe. I use screenshots as a part of my daily work life. This is 100% a Tahoe Issue. Even found a post on Reddit stating the beta of Tahoe also didn't save screen shots. Apple. The greatest Love-Hate relationship ever!
Screenshots have been working normally for me in macOS Tahoe, no different than in Sequoia. Therefore, it appears to be something specific to your system and thus the suggestion for Safe Mode.
Danin wrote:
Thanks for the reply. The only difference between today and yesterday is the installation of Tahoe.
understood. It does not change the advice already given. Make some changes.
further—
submit your Apple Feedback here: Product Feedback - Apple
Danin wrote:
This is 100% a Tahoe Issue. Even found a post on Reddit stating the beta of Tahoe also didn't save screen shots.
It is not 100% a Tahoe issue. I've been running Tahoe on two of my Macs since the first beta in June and screen shots work fine on both. It something local to your Mac.
The floating thumbnail continues to work normally for me in Tahoe, as it has previously. Have you tried the solutions offered in this thread (which generally revolve around restoring defaults previously altered with Terminal commands)?
I'm having a similar, very annoying bug: The floating thumbnail randomly stops working and will disappear every time you drag it until I restart the computer. Happened twice already since installing Tahoe.
Being able to drag screenshot is a feature that saves me time, so turning it off in Options is not a permanent fix for me. Maybe there is some background process that randomly stops working?
ccentrella wrote:
I'm having a similar, very annoying bug: The floating thumbnail randomly stops working and will disappear every time you drag it until I restart the computer. Happened twice already since installing Tahoe.
Being able to drag screenshot is a feature that saves me time, so turning it off in Options is not a permanent fix for me. Maybe there is some background process that randomly stops working?
I've had zero issues with these setting, before, after and currently macOS 26.
as a test —Compare your results. Your option is wait for a point update / submit your feedback
ref: Shift Command 5 make changes
Take screenshots or screen recordings on Mac - Apple Support
Not sure I understand your comment. The Floating Thumbnail was never meant to be permanently on the screen. And yes, if you drag it somewhere it will close. Just to add, if you don't touch it, it will close after a few seconds and the screen shot will be created according the setting in Options.
for me, when "show floating thumbnail" is checked in Tahoe, no thumbnail ever appears. The process seems to break down before it even gets to a thumbnail. The thumbnail did appear before Tahoe -- I didn't realize not having it was even an option! I just as soon not have it and go right to saving, so I guess this ends up being a net plus for me!
Io ho lo stesso problema e questa cosa mi fa impazzire!, tocco la miniatura per trascinarla e a volte (spesso) sparisce e non viene salvata da nessuna parte. L'unico modo è toccare il tasto condividi e copiare, ma anche così mi sono trovata *** pages freeze e ho dovuto fare una uscita forzata. Proverò *** i vostri consigli di riavviare il mac, disattivare la miniatura e poi riattivarla (perché era comoda e l'ho sempre usata). Mi sono pentita di aver aggiornato a MacOs 26! Spero che Apple rimedi presto
The terminal command fixed my issue - Screenshots (Shift-Command-3 and Shift-Command-4) both just silently failed to capture screenshots to the desktop as previously. I ran the terminal command and tested - immediately all screenshots saved to desktop. Great post, thank you.
Danin wrote:
I've tried changing the default locations multiple time and every time I perform a screen shot it doesn't save.
ref: Screenshot not saving images in Tahoe - Apple Community
Thanks!
Boom! My screenshots work again!
Two calls to Apple and an hour on the phone and a community member fixed my problem!
I wish this were true, but it isn't for me. If I do not interact with the floating thumbnail it does not land in my set "save to" location. I'm running 26.1. Maybe you were talking about 26?
macOS Tahoe won't save screenshots
