Why recording a fullscreen application can fail

You start a screen recording, but the fullscreen app appears as a black rectangle, is missing from the video, or has no sound. This can happen because the browser is capturing a different screen surface than the one the app is drawing to, or because the app or operating system restricts capture.

Try the Screen Recorder to record a screen, window, or browser tab. These steps will help you identify what is being captured and what to change. Screen Recorder does not work on phones.

Test the recording

1. Open the Screen Recorder on a computer and choose to record your screen, a window, or a tab.
2. In the browser's sharing picker, select the fullscreen application window if it is listed. If it is not listed, choose the entire display where the app is running.
3. If you need audio, enable the available system audio option in the sharing picker. Select the microphone or camera only if you want those recorded too.
4. Start a short recording, switch to the application, and perform an action that is easy to recognize.
5. Stop the recording and play it back. Check whether the picture, app sound, and microphone audio were captured separately as expected.

For the first test, keep the app open in windowed mode. This makes it easier to tell whether the issue is caused by fullscreen display behavior or by a general capture permission or audio setting.

What the result means

The recording shows a black app area

The browser may be capturing the desktop while the app uses an exclusive fullscreen mode or a graphics overlay that the browser cannot capture correctly. Protected video and some secure app screens can also be intentionally hidden from screen capture. Try windowed or borderless mode. If only protected content is black, the recorder cannot bypass that restriction.

The app is missing, but other windows appear

You may have chosen a specific window that does not include the fullscreen app, or the app may have opened on another display. Repeat the test and choose the whole display instead of a window. If you have several monitors, make sure you choose the one showing the app.

The picture is clear, but there is no app sound

Capturing an image and capturing system audio are separate. The sharing picker may offer audio only for certain capture choices, browsers, or operating systems. Choose an available system audio option before sharing, then check that the app is not muted and that your computer is sending sound to the expected output.

The app appears, but the recording stops or shows only part of it

The app may be switching display modes, minimizing when another window gets focus, or conflicting with another recording or overlay program. Test in windowed mode and close other capture tools. If the app blocks recording, use a capture method it officially supports.

How to fix it

1. Switch to windowed or borderless mode. Look in the app's display or graphics settings for a window mode. Borderless mode fills the screen but behaves more like a regular window, which often makes browser capture more reliable.
2. Choose the whole display. Start sharing again and select the monitor that contains the app. A window-only capture can miss an app that changes display modes or moves to another screen.
3. Allow screen capture on macOS. Open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Screen & System Audio Recording and allow your browser. On older macOS versions, the setting may be called Screen Recording. Quit and reopen the browser after changing permission.
4. Check the browser's sharing request. Start a new recording and approve the browser's screen-sharing prompt. If you previously blocked it, use the browser's site permissions to allow screen sharing, then reload the page and choose the screen again.
5. Turn off competing capture overlays. Close other screen recorders, streaming software, and game overlays, then test again. These tools can compete for the same graphics surface. Re-enable them one at a time afterward to find out which one affects capture.
6. Check the app's own capture rules. Some apps protect private or licensed content and prevent recording by design. Do not disable security protections to get around that restriction. Use the app's supported export or recording feature if one is available.
7. Update and restart the browser. Close other tabs and apps that put heavy load on the computer, update the browser, and retry. A busy system or an outdated browser can make a recording freeze or drop frames.

Windows 11 does not have one universal screen-recording permission switch for desktop browsers. Approve the browser's sharing prompt, select the correct display, and check the app's own capture or fullscreen settings. On macOS, the system privacy permission is the main additional setting to check.

Why fullscreen can be different

Fullscreen is not always just a larger window. Some games and other apps use a display mode that gives them more direct control over the screen. A browser may capture the desktop through a different path, so it can record the desktop correctly while missing the app's image. Switching to borderless or windowed mode changes how the app presents its image and can make it visible to the browser.

Audio is another separate part of capture. A screen recording can include the picture without system sound, or the microphone without the app's sound. The available audio choices depend on the browser, operating system, and type of screen or window you share. Make a brief test and listen to the saved recording before capturing a long session.

Recordings made with Screen Recorder stay on your device. Nothing you record is uploaded.