Screen recorder extension not working? How to fix it

Part of Chrome screen recorder

Start with the basics

1. Check the extension is on. Open chrome://extensions and make sure the recorder's toggle is switched on. Pin it from the puzzle-piece menu so the icon is always in the toolbar.
2. Reload the tab you want to record. A page that was open before you installed or updated the extension often needs a refresh.
3. Restart Chrome. Close every Chrome window, then open it again. This clears many stuck states.
4. Update Chrome. Open chrome://settings/help and install any pending update.

Check permissions

Chrome asks you to approve screen, camera and microphone access, and an operating system can add a second layer.

• Chrome's site permissions. Click the lock icon in the address bar, open Site settings and check that Camera and Microphone are set to Allow. You can also review them at chrome://settings/content/camera and chrome://settings/content/microphone.
• macOS. Open System Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Screen Recording, and make sure Google Chrome is switched on. Quit and reopen Chrome afterwards.
• Windows. Open Settings, then Privacy, and check that camera and microphone access is allowed for desktop apps.

Black screen or blank video

• Protected content, such as some streaming video, is blocked from capture and records as black. This is by design and not a fault in the recorder.
• Try a different source: share a single tab instead of a window, or the entire screen instead of a tab.
• Turn off hardware acceleration at chrome://settings/system, restart Chrome and try again.

No sound in the recording

Sound comes from three separate places: your microphone, the audio of the tab you share and, on Windows, system audio. Each is enabled in a different step, and the share-audio box in Chrome's picker has to be ticked before you press Share. The full walkthrough is in how to screen record in Chrome with audio.

Conflicts and managed browsers

• Other extensions. Ad blockers, other recorders and privacy extensions can interfere. Turn the others off at chrome://extensions and test again.
• Work or school accounts. A managed Chrome can block extensions or screen capture. If the recorder will not install or start, ask the administrator to allow it.
• Another profile. Try a fresh Chrome profile. If it works there, something in your main profile is the cause.

Upload problems

If the recording finishes but never uploads, check your internet connection, then retry. Large recordings need a stable connection. If uploads keep failing, look at whether a firewall or a work network is blocking the upload address.

If you use RecBeam

• Sign-in is not working: remove and re-add RecBeam's Google account permission in Chrome settings, then sign in again.
• The upload seems stuck: check your connection. A failed upload is kept safely under "Uploads needing attention" so you can retry it.
• You cannot find the icon: pin RecBeam from Chrome's puzzle-piece extensions menu.
• The recording stopped: Starter recordings run up to 5 minutes. RecBeam warns you as you approach the limit and finishes the recording safely, and Business removes the limit.

RecBeam records through Chrome's own screen, camera and microphone pickers. See the Chrome screen recorder page for what the extension does and which permissions it asks for, or visit the Support Center. Still stuck? Contact the team.

Last resort: reinstall

If nothing above helps, remove the extension at chrome://extensions, restart Chrome and install it again from the Chrome Web Store. Check that your most recent recording is safe in your library first.

Questions

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