[BUG] macOS: Preview.app opens and steals focus with the screenshot every time a browser tool reads the screen

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
• [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
• [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

[BUG] macOS: Preview.app opens and steals focus with the screenshot every time a browser tool reads the screen

Repo: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/new

Summary

Every time Claude takes a screenshot through a browser tool in the Claude desktop app (Code tab), macOS Preview.app launches and opens that screenshot, and the Claude window is sent to the background. This happens with both the built-in browser (mcp__Claude_Browser__*) and Claude in Chrome (mcp__claude-in-chrome__*).

Environment

• Claude desktop app: 2.37337.1
• Claude Code engine: 2.1.295
• macOS: 27.0.1
• Google Chrome: 155.0.8059.80 (for the Claude in Chrome case)

Steps to reproduce

1. Open a Code tab session in the Claude desktop app on macOS.
2. Ask Claude to open any page and read it with the built-in browser, or with Claude in Chrome.
3. Each time Claude takes a screenshot (computer / browser_batch screenshot action), Preview.app opens with the image.

Expected

The screenshot is passed to the model silently. No other app opens, and the Claude window stays in front.

Actual

• Preview.app launches with a window titled mcp_image_…, showing the screenshot.
• The Claude app loses focus and goes to the background.
• This repeats for every screenshot.

Evidence

Screenshots are written to the temp folder under these names (the file's last-used date updates when Preview opens it):

• mcp_image_mcp__Claude_Browser__computer.png
• mcp_image_mcp__claude-in-chrome__computer.png
• mcp_image_mcp__claude-in-chrome__browser_batch.png

Location: /var/folders/<id>/T/

What I checked

• The Claude Code engine only saves the image file (mcp_image_result_file); I found no call in it that opens the file.
• Nothing in the Code tab settings (notifications, keep-awake, etc.) controls this.
• System logs (launchservicesd / open) for the previous 15 minutes showed no launch event for Preview.
• Searched existing issues; found no report of this exact behaviour (closest: #53475, #66995, both about preview-pane focus).

Workarounds tried

None available. Turning off the built-in browser stops it for that tool only, and the Chrome extension has the same problem.

What Should Happen?

Claude should not let the screenshots open in the preview app. this disrupts the workflow too much

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

Steps to reproduce

1. Open a Code tab session in the Claude desktop app on macOS.
2. Ask Claude to open any page and read it with the built-in browser, or with Claude in Chrome.
3. Each time Claude takes a screenshot (computer / browser_batch screenshot action), Preview.app opens with the image.

Claude Model

Not sure / Multiple models

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

Claude 2.37337.1 (ba51ab) 2026-10-13T14:04:25.000Z

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

_No response_