When selecting text in Preview app (Mac OS 26) it shows a blue outline box around the text, but it doesnt allow text selection or highlighting.
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
Original Title: apple os 26 bug-preview doesnt allow highlighting on much of text
MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 26.0
New to MacOS 26 and it's December 2025, and I'm having the same issue. Based on this discussion board, it looks like it's been going on for several months now and still isn't resolved. It's super annoying. The "work-around" (printing the PDF as a PDF) does allow you to highlight the PDF and gets rid of the light-blue selection boxes that prevent you from highlighting. But this needs to be fixed.
Same issue…
No fix for this with 26.0.1 :/
I also have this issue for a PDF in Preview... I use highlight in Preview all the time
Same issue here. I export from Quickbooks daily for my business and highlight financial reports. Please resolve.
No fixing on 26.0.1
My situation exactly. Printing to PDF didn't change anything.
Yes, same thing happening for me. 1st page allows the highlight but following only does the blue box around it. Please apple get this resolved.
Same issue here. My solution is just to stay at Sequoia.
Thank you, @abis99! 🙏
This did the trick for me!
Thank you, @abis99!!!
I need a solution for this problem right now!!!!!!!! im so frustrated by this update
Same problem, worked for my first PDF and now I can't highlight on any others.
Is this addressed in 26.1 update?
No it's still broken in 26.1, very frustrating.
Agree. Don’t forget the AI disaster. Federighi should not be the next CEO.
macOS 26 preview does not allow highlighting on much of text
