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  2. Troubleshooting
  3. Common Issues

Troubleshooting Screen Recorder Issues

Jared Watson ·

Overview

If BombBomb's screen recorder isn't launching, is freezing, or producing errors, the cause is usually a missing installation, a denied permission, or a network issue. This article walks you through how to fix it.

Who this applies to: All users
Plan requirement: All plans

How the Screen Recorder Works — Read This First

The BombBomb Screen Recorder is a small app that installs on your computer. Once installed, you may be able to find it by searching your applications — but clicking the app icon directly does nothing. It is not designed to launch on its own.

The only way to launch the screen recorder is from inside BombBomb in your browser:

  1. Go to BombBomb Engage and click Create Video.
  2. In the video recorder, click Record Screen in the bottom-left corner.
  3. Your browser will open a new tab at desktop.bombbomb.io and prompt you to open the BombBomb Screen Recorder. Click Open BombBomb Screen Recorder.
  4. If prompted by your operating system to allow screen and audio access, click Allow.
  5. Choose Entire Screen or Window, then click Select to begin recording.

If nothing happens when you click Record Screen, or if the recorder fails to connect, work through the steps below.

Step 1: Install the Screen Recorder

If this is your first time using screen recording, the app may not be installed yet.

When you click Record Screen, your browser opens desktop.bombbomb.io. If the screen recorder isn't installed, that page will show a Download Now button:

  • Mac: Downloads BombBombInstaller.pkg. Open the file and follow the installation prompts.
  • Windows: Downloads BombBombInstaller.exe. Open the file and follow the installation prompts.

Allow pop-ups first. The installer page opens in a pop-up. If your browser is blocking pop-ups, you won't see it — look for a small icon in the right side of your browser's address bar indicating a blocked pop-up, and click it to allow pop-ups from BombBomb.

You won't see an "installation complete" message. The installer finishes silently. Once you've run through the prompts, go back to BombBomb in your browser and click Record Screen again — if it connects, the installation worked.

Once installed, go back to BombBomb in your browser and click Record Screen again.

Step 2: Check for Updates

If the screen recorder is installed but behaving unexpectedly, you may be on an outdated version. When you launch the screen recorder and an update is available, you'll see a Screen Recorder Update prompt showing your current version and the latest version available. Click Update to install it. Once the update finishes, relaunch the recorder to use the newest version. If you're not ready to update, click Not Now.

Step 3: Check Screen Recording Permissions

If the app is installed and up to date but the recorder still won't connect, a denied permission is the most likely cause.

On Mac: When you launch the screen recorder for the first time, macOS will show a system prompt asking BombBomb Screen Recorder permission to access your screen and audio. You must click Allow for the recorder to work.

If you previously clicked Don't Allow or dismissed the prompt:

  1. Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS).
  2. Go to Privacy & Security > Screen Recording.
  3. Make sure BombBomb Screen Recorder is enabled.
  4. Restart your browser and try again.

On Windows:

  1. Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen recording.
  2. Ensure screen recording access is allowed.
  3. Restart your browser and try again.

In your browser: If your browser prompted you to allow desktop.bombbomb.io to open the app and you clicked Cancel or Block:

  1. Click the lock or settings icon in your browser's address bar.
  2. Find the permission for opening external applications and reset or allow it.
  3. Try clicking Record Screen again.

Step 4: Check Your Browser

The screen recorder works with Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. Safari should work if BombBomb Engage works normally for you in Safari, but if you're having issues specifically with screen recording, try switching to Chrome or Edge first.

Make sure your browser is updated to the latest version before trying again.

Step 5: Close Other Instances of the Screen Recorder

If the screen recorder is already running in the background — or open in another browser tab — it can prevent a new recording session from launching. This is one of the most common causes of the recorder appearing to hang or not connect.

Check for another open tab: Look through your open browser tabs for another BombBomb recording session and close it before trying again.

Check if the app is running in the background:

On Windows:

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Look for any BombBomb Screen Recorder process in the list.
  3. Click it and select End Task.
  4. Go back to BombBomb and click Record Screen again.

On Mac:

  1. Press Cmd + Space and type Activity Monitor, then open it.
  2. Search for BombBomb in the list.
  3. Select it and click the X button in the top-left to force quit.
  4. Go back to BombBomb and click Record Screen again.

If force-quitting doesn't resolve the issue and the recorder still won't connect, contact BombBomb Support — in some cases, cached files related to the installation may need to be cleared.

Step 6: Check Your Network or VPN

If you're on a corporate network or VPN, your IT team may be blocking services the screen recorder needs. Contact your IT or network admin and ask them to whitelist the following URLs.

Critical — required for screen recording to function:

 
effectssdk.ai
wss://video.bombbomb.io
video.bombbomb.io
desktop.bombbomb.io
s3.amazonaws.com/bombbomb-installers/BombBombInstaller.exe
p-3c15285d-videos.s3.amazonaws.com
p-3c15285d-videos.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com
effectssdk.com
static.bombbomb.com
metro.bombbomb.io
lumberjack.bombbomb.io
app.bombbomb.com

Required for virtual backgrounds:

 
effectssdk.com
static.bombbomb.com

Optional — error tracking and analytics only:

 
metro.bombbomb.io
lumberjack.bombbomb.io
*.ingest.sentry.io

After whitelisting, clear your browser cache, restart your browser, and try launching the screen recorder again.

Step 7: Contact BombBomb Support

If you've worked through all the steps above and the screen recorder still isn't working, contact our support team via the Chat with Us button in the bottom-left corner of BombBomb Engage. Have the following ready:

  • What happens when you click Record Screen (nothing, an error message, freezes at "Connecting," etc.)
  • Your operating system and version (e.g., macOS Ventura, Windows 11)
  • Your browser and version
  • Whether you're on a VPN or corporate network
  • What steps you've already tried

Frequently Asked Questions

I clicked Download Now and installed the app but nothing happened. Did it work?
Yes — the installer finishes without showing a completion message. That's expected. Go back to BombBomb in your browser and click Record Screen again. If it connects, the installation was successful.

The installer page never appeared when I clicked Record Screen.
Your browser is likely blocking the pop-up. Look for a small icon on the right side of your browser's address bar — that indicates a blocked pop-up. Click it and select Allow to let BombBomb open the installer page.

I found the BombBomb Screen Recorder in my apps and clicked it, but nothing happened. Is it broken?
No — this is expected. The screen recorder runs in the background and must be launched from the Record Screen button inside BombBomb in your browser. It won't do anything if you open it directly from your applications.

The recorder was working and now it won't connect. I haven't changed anything.
The most likely cause is that the screen recorder is already running in the background or open in another browser tab. Check your open tabs first, then use Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac) to find and end any running BombBomb processes. See Step 5 for detailed instructions.

My browser opened a new tab and showed a Download Now button. What do I do?
That means the screen recorder isn't installed yet. Click Download Now, run the installer, and then go back to BombBomb and click Record Screen again.

I see "Connecting to Screen Recorder" but nothing happens. What's wrong?
This usually means the app isn't installed, a permission was denied, your browser blocked the request to open the app, or another instance is already running. Work through Steps 1–5 above.

The screen recorder was working before and suddenly stopped. What changed?
The most common causes are a macOS or Windows update that reset permissions, a new VPN or firewall rule, an outdated version of the screen recorder, or another instance running in the background. Check for updates (Step 2), permissions (Step 3), and background processes (Step 5) first.

Do I need to manually update the screen recorder?
No. When you launch the screen recorder and an update is available, you'll be prompted automatically with an Update button. Click it to install the latest version, then relaunch the recorder.

Which browsers support the screen recorder?
Chrome, Edge, and Firefox are fully supported. Safari should work if BombBomb Engage works normally for you in Safari, but if you run into issues specifically with screen recording, try Chrome or Edge instead.

Can I use the screen recorder on Mac?
Yes. The BombBomb Screen Recorder supports both Windows and Mac.

Common Issues