Fix Udemy Black Screen on Screenshots, Screen Recording & Mirroring (Chrome)
Quickly fix the Udemy black screen issue when taking screenshots or recording your screen with Loom, OBS, or other tools by changing a single Chrome setting.
Fix Udemy Black Screen on Screenshots, Screen Recording & Mirroring (Chrome)
If you're trying to record a Udemy course with Loom, OBS, or take screenshots — and all you're getting is a black screen — here's a quick fix that takes under a minute.
🎥 Watch the full video tutorial:
Why this happens
Udemy videos often leverage hardware acceleration in the browser for DRM (Digital Rights Management) content protection. This can block:
- Loom screen recording
- OBS screen capture
- Screenshot tools (e.g., Snipping Tool, extensions)
- Mirroring to external monitors or AirPlay
The result: the video appears as a black screen even while playing.
How to fix it in Google Chrome
1) Open Chrome settings
Click the 3 dots in the top-right corner → Settings
2) Go to System settings
Scroll to the “System” section (or search for it)
3) Disable hardware acceleration
Find the toggle: “Use graphics acceleration when available” and turn it OFF
4) Relaunch Chrome
Chrome will prompt you to relaunch. Click it.
Test again
Open Udemy, start a screen recording or take a screenshot — it should work normally now. No more black screen.
Works with
- Loom
- OBS Studio
- Snagit / Snipping Tool
- Mirroring tools (AirPlay, Chromecast, etc.)
- Any Chromium-based browser (Brave, Edge, etc.)
Bonus tip
Using Firefox or Edge? Look for a similar hardware acceleration setting and disable it there.
Legal reminder
This fix is for personal use only. Respect copyright and do not redistribute Udemy content.
Questions?
Drop a comment on the YouTube video if you run into issues or need help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dowl67QPLlg