Why a captured window comes out black

This is part of the answers hub. A capture that comes out as a solid black rectangle is one of the most confusing results, because nothing errored. You got an image, it's just empty. The cause is almost always content protection.

What's happening

Some windows are marked as protected at the operating-system level. When a screen-capture tool tries to read those pixels, the OS substitutes black. This is intentional and applies to:

• DRM-protected video, such as Netflix, Disney+, and similar players, to prevent ripping.
• Password managers and credential prompts, so screen-readers and malware can't lift secrets.
• Some banking and enterprise apps, for the same reason.

The browser's capture API never sees the real content, so there's nothing to grab. No setting changes this, and bypassing it isn't something a legitimate tool should attempt.

What you can do

• Capture a different surface. If you need the page around a protected video, capture the browser tab or a region that excludes the player.
• Close the protected app before a full-screen capture. When "Entire screen" goes black, a visible protected window is usually the cause. Minimize it and recapture.
• Use the platform's own share feature when you legitimately need to show protected content to a teammate; many services have a built-in share link that respects their licensing.

If it's not black, just wrong

A capture that's visible but soft or pixelated is a different issue. See why a screenshot comes out blurry.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a setting to capture DRM-protected video anyway?

No. The protection is enforced below the browser, by the OS and the content's protected media path. No browser flag or app setting overrides it, and attempting to bypass it would violate the content's terms. Capture something you have the right to capture instead.

My password manager window captures as black. Why?

Some security apps mark their windows as protected so screen-capture tools (including malware) can't read your credentials. It's a deliberate safety feature, not a fault in the capture tool.

The whole screen is black, not just one window. What happened?

If you chose 'Entire screen' and a protected window was visible, some systems black out the whole capture rather than just the protected region. Close or minimize the protected app, then capture again.