← Back to Blog
macOSscreenshotssettingsTerminal

How to Turn Off the Screenshot Preview Thumbnail on Mac

Stop the floating screenshot thumbnail in the bottom-right corner on Mac: uncheck Show Floating Thumbnail, use one Terminal command, or a Pizazoo toggle.

5 min read
Muhammed BasilFounder & maker of Pizazoo

To turn off the screenshot preview on Mac, press Shift-Command-5, click Options, and choose Show Floating Thumbnail so its checkmark disappears. The small thumbnail stops appearing in the bottom-right corner, and screenshots save right away instead of a few seconds later. This works in macOS Tahoe 26 and macOS 27 (Golden Gate), and in every version since macOS Mojave 10.14.

What is the thumbnail in the bottom-right corner after a screenshot?

It is the Screenshot app's floating thumbnail. Apple describes it as a preview that floats in the bottom-right corner of the screen for a few seconds, so you have time to drag it into a document, mark it up or share it before it is saved (Mac User Guide). While it is on screen you can:

  • Click it to open a window where you can mark up or share the screenshot.
  • Swipe right on it to save the file immediately and dismiss the thumbnail.
  • Drag it into a document, an email, a note or a Finder window.
  • Control-click it for more choices, including Save to Clipboard (Apple).

If you hold the pointer over the thumbnail, it stays on screen until you act on it or move the pointer away (Apple).

Why does my Mac take a few seconds to save a screenshot?

Because of that thumbnail. In Apple's own description, the screenshot is saved to the location you chose after the thumbnail's few seconds on screen (Mac User Guide). Until then, there is no file. That is why:

  • A new screenshot does not appear on the Desktop or in Finder the instant you take it.
  • Apps that watch your screenshot folder (cloud uploaders, sync tools, organizers) see each capture a few seconds late.
  • Hovering over the thumbnail makes the wait longer.

With the thumbnail off, the file is written as soon as you capture.

A different kind of delay? If the capture itself waits several seconds before it happens, check Timer in the same Options menu. Apple explains that Timer sets how long to wait before the capture begins (Mac User Guide). Set it to None for instant screenshots.

How do I turn off the floating thumbnail on Mac?

Apple's built-in route, no Terminal needed (Mac User Guide):

  • Press Shift-Command-5, or open Screenshot from the Utilities folder inside Applications.
  • Click Options.
  • In the Options section of the menu, choose Show Floating Thumbnail so the checkmark disappears.
  • Press Esc to close the control bar.

The change also applies to screenshots taken with Shift-Command-3 and Shift-Command-4. To bring the thumbnail back, choose Show Floating Thumbnail again so the checkmark returns. The menu is the same in macOS Tahoe 26 and macOS 27.

How do I disable the screenshot preview with Terminal?

The Options menu is Apple's documented route. The same setting lives in the com.apple.screencapture preferences under the show-thumbnail key, which Apple does not document on its support site. It is useful for scripts or for setting up several Macs. Open Terminal from the Utilities folder or with Spotlight (Apple), then run:

  • Turn it off: defaults write com.apple.screencapture show-thumbnail -bool false
  • Turn it back on: defaults write com.apple.screencapture show-thumbnail -bool true

The change normally applies to your next screenshot. If it does not, run killall SystemUIServer (macOS restarts that process by itself) or restart your Mac.

What do I lose by turning off the thumbnail?

Not much, because each shortcut has a replacement:

  • Quick markup: select the screenshot in Finder, press Space to open Quick Look, then click the Markup button. Markup is also available in Preview (Apple).
  • Drag and drop: drag the file from the Desktop or a Finder window instead of from the thumbnail.
  • Copy without saving a file: hold Control with the shortcut (for example, Control-Shift-Command-4) to put the screenshot on the clipboard instead (Apple).

Does Pizazoo have a setting for this?

Yes. We make Pizazoo, a screenshot organizer for Mac (macOS 14 Sonoma or later), and its Settings > Capture page has a toggle called Hide macOS screenshot thumbnail preview. It changes the same system setting, hides the floating thumbnail after each screenshot, and applies to your next screenshot with no restart.

That matters for an organizer because Pizazoo watches your screenshot folder. With the thumbnail off, each file exists the moment you capture, so Pizazoo picks it up right away instead of waiting for the preview to fade. Pizazoo then shows its own review popup after each capture, where you can keep the screenshot, recategorize it, tag it or discard it. Pizazoo does not take screenshots itself; it organizes the ones macOS (or CleanShot X, Shottr or Xnapper) saves.

Why is my screenshot thumbnail not showing?

If you want the preview and it never appears:

  • Check that Show Floating Thumbnail has a checkmark in Shift-Command-5 > Options.
  • Run defaults read com.apple.screencapture show-thumbnail in Terminal. A result of 0 means it is off; turn it on with the command above.
  • If you use Pizazoo, turn off Hide macOS screenshot thumbnail preview.
  • If no file is saved at all, work through Mac screenshot not saving: 10 fixes.

Want screenshots in a specific folder while you are in the Options menu? See how to change the screenshot location on Mac, or where screenshots go on Mac if you are not sure where they land now.

Related guides

Sources