When I open screenshot on my MacBook Pro, it opens in full screen mode with a pointer that looks like a camera. How do I reset screenshot?

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When I open screenshot on my MacBook Pro, it opens in full screen mode with a pointer that looks like a camera. How do I reset screenshot?

Apps - Utilities - Screenshot on my MacBook Pro opens with the entire screen highlighted, menu in middle of screen, with a pointer that looks like a camera. Don't know how it got this way, but I cannot figure out how to reset it like it was, and always has been. Yes, I've hit ESC and restarted and stopped processes like pboard in activity monitor. All of the supposed "fixes" did nothing. I find it hard to believe nobody else has ever had this problem, so I'm hoping someone knows the actual answer to what is seemingly an easy thing to fix.

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 26.0

Posted on Oct 31, 2025 11:25 AM

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Answer 1

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dialabrain

Level 10

135,893 points

Oct 31, 2025 11:34 AM in response to cakasabian

Press command+shift+5, disable Remember Last Selection in Options. Press the esc key.

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Answer 2

Oct 31, 2025 12:51 PM in response to cakasabian

In addition to neuroanatomist's and my previous replies: one usually does not explicitly open the Screenshot application.

Usually, one just presses Command-Shift-4 and drags to take a shot of an area of the screen; or Command-Shift-3 to take a shot of the whole screen.

The Screenshot application itself can be summoned by pressing Command-Shift-5.

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Answer 3

den.thed

Level 10

90,988 points

Oct 31, 2025 11:56 AM in response to cakasabian

Have a look at > Take a screenshot on Mac - Apple Support

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Answer 4

cakasabian Author

Level 1

70 points

Oct 31, 2025 1:44 PM in response to cakasabian

Update: It's fixed! I just clicked the "record portion of screen" button as suggested by someone and it worked. When I first had this problem I tried everything on the menu, all the buttons and options and nothing changed. But between now and then I had shut down processes so I suppose I should have tried the menu buttons after making those changes. Thanks to all for your suggestions.

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Answer 5

Oct 31, 2025 12:48 PM in response to cakasabian

You have selected "Record the selected window":

Click this one instead:

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Answer 6

Oct 31, 2025 1:32 PM in response to cakasabian

What happens if you move the camera icon over the Screenshot control bar? Here's what happens when I do that:

I can then use the regular mouse pointer to click on one of the still capture options.

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Answer 7

Oct 31, 2025 12:45 PM in response to cakasabian

The camera icon means it is set to take a picture or recording of whatever window you have the camera icon over, and if you don’t have Any open windows, then it will take a picture of the whole desktop. Normally that’s activated by pressing command shift 4 then the space bar.

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Answer 8

dialabrain

Level 10

135,893 points

Oct 31, 2025 12:02 PM in response to cakasabian

The only other possibility I can think of is you strated a screen recording. Is there a small square icon in the menu bar? If so, click it.

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Answer 9

cakasabian Author

Level 1

70 points

Oct 31, 2025 12:40 PM in response to cakasabian

I'm sorry, I should have just sent this photo of what I'm seeing, and simply asked if anyone has ever seen this, and if so, how did they get out of it. You probably can't tell, but the background is highlighted, slightly lighter in color than regular desktop background. Thanks for replying.

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Answer 10

cakasabian Author

Level 1

70 points

Oct 31, 2025 1:17 PM in response to dialabrain

Yep, I thought that as well. And it does it regardless of what screen it's on, desktop, or any app where I'd want to save a screenshot, email, web, whatever. I've never had it happen before and I've been on MacBooks for a decade or two. Surely someone at Apple will know or I'm in trouble, the internet is clueless hahaha

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