Screen capture browser support (getDisplayMedia)

This is part of the reference hub. Browser screen capture uses the navigator.mediaDevices.getDisplayMedia() API. It always requires a secure context (HTTPS or localhost) and transient user activation, and it prompts a surface picker every session, with no silent or permanent capture. Every version below is cited to MDN and caniuse.

Desktop support

Browser	Supported	Notes
Chrome	Yes (72+)	Full support: screen, window, and tab capture
Edge	Yes (79+)	Same engine as Chrome; full support
Firefox	Yes (66+)	Screen and window capture; no individual-tab option
Safari (macOS)	Yes (13+)	Supported; may also require OS screen-recording permission for the browser
Opera	Yes (59+)	Chromium-based; full support

Source: MDN getDisplayMedia() browser-compatibility table and caniuse. Verified 2026-08-13.

Mobile support

Platform	Supported	Notes
iOS / iPadOS Safari	No	getDisplayMedia is not available on any iOS browser
Chrome on iOS	No	All iOS browsers use the Safari (WebKit) engine; same limitation
Chrome on Android	Partial	Device- and version-dependent; not reliable

Source: MDN getDisplayMedia() browser-compatibility table. Verified 2026-08-13. Note that Apple requires every iOS browser to use WebKit, so "Chrome on iOS" inherits Safari's lack of support.

What this means in practice

• Build for desktop. Treat screen capture as a desktop-first feature and offer a typed or upload fallback on mobile.
• Require HTTPS. A missing picker on a working browser is almost always an insecure-context problem (see screen capture isn't working).
• Tab vs window vs screen. Chrome and Edge expose all three surfaces in the picker; Firefox omits single-tab capture.

Sources

• MDN Web Docs -- MediaDevices.getDisplayMedia() (browser-compatibility table)
• caniuse -- Screen Capture API
• W3C Screen Capture specification

Support reflects current stable browser versions, verified against MDN and caniuse on 2026-08-13. The desktop picture has been stable for several years.

Frequently asked questions

Does Safari support getDisplayMedia?

Safari on macOS does, from Safari 13 onwards, though macOS may also ask you to give Safari screen-recording permission the first time. Safari on iOS and iPadOS does not support it at any version, per MDN's compatibility data.

Does getDisplayMedia work on mobile?

No, on any mobile browser. MDN records no support in Safari on iOS or iPadOS, and neither Chrome nor Firefox on Android supports it: both exposed the method for a while and always failed with NotAllowedError, and it is recorded as unsupported today. Mobile users take a native screenshot instead and upload the image.

Does screen capture work on iPhone or iPad?

No. iOS and iPadOS Safari do not support getDisplayMedia for capturing the screen or other tabs, per MDN's browser-compatibility data. Screen capture is effectively a desktop-only web feature today.

Does it need HTTPS?

Yes. getDisplayMedia is only available in a secure context: HTTPS in production, or localhost during development. On plain HTTP the call fails and no picker appears.

Can a website capture my screen without asking?

No. Every capture requires the user to pick a surface in a browser-controlled prompt, and the browser requires transient user activation. There's no permanent grant and no silent capture; the picker reappears each session by design.