The subscription video-on-demand platform prevents its users from taking screenshots. How to bypass this black screen on Netflix? There are free extensions or native tricks that allow you to avoid this blockage.
The scene of a film or a series has marked you, you want to share it with your loved ones, but all you manage to do is send them a black screen with subtitles embedded on the bottom of the image ? It’s normal: Netflix is blocking screenshots more and more, whether on its applications and versions desktop.
However, there are native solutions or browser extensions that can allow you to take a screenshot on Netflix.
An extension is a module that is added to a browser and which allows you to add one or more functionalities that were not present, or not in this form. A lot of add-ons are secure, but it’s always best to check the comments and ratings on an extension’s overview page to make sure you’re not installing anything on your browser.
How to take a screenshot of Netflix content on PC?
Take a screenshot of a Netflix video on Google Chrome
On your computer, you have to go through the Netflix site, not its application.
Several free add-ons (extensions) allow you to take a screenshot on the Chrome browser. The one we tested is called Video Screenshot, and it works perfectly. Simply :
- Click on the Video Screenshot extension;
- Add the add-on;
- Now, a small additional icon is displayed on your video content. This is the case on Netflix, but also on other platforms like YouTube, which can make your life easier.
- All you have to do is click on this new camera button, and a screenshot of the scene you are watching will automatically be stored in your Downloads folder.
Other extensions, like Fireshot, allow you to take a screenshot of an entire page, but the one mentioned above remains the most practical to use.
Make a screenshot of a Netflix video on Firefox
On Firefox, the process is even simpler, thanks to this little-known but brilliant tool for taking screenshots. Just click on the screenshot icon (a pair of scissors) at the top right to access the screenshot menu, which allows you to do whatever you want.
Is it possible to take a screenshot of a Netflix video on Safari?
On Safari, the native browser on Apple devices, the process simply seems impossible to achieve. Despite our research, we have not found a solution, because all screenshots seem to be blocked:
- By making a classic capture (Command + Shift + 3)
- Via Quicktime Player to record screen
- Via the AwesomeScreenshot extension
On each attempt, the result was similar: a black screen. It would seem that Apple has chosen to strictly respect the barriers put in place by Netflix to prevent the exploitation of a screenshot.
Make a screenshot of a Netflix video on smartphone
While there are ways to bypass the black screen on PC, it is much more complicated to implement these tricks on smartphones. Already, on iPhone, it’s impossible, unless you go through extensions outside the App Store that we strongly advise against installing.
On Android, there are third-party application solutions that allow you to capture your screen; it will be up to you to verify their legitimacy, by looking at their rating, comments and number of downloads.
