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Troubleshooting Screen Recorder Issues

Jared Watson ·

Overview

If BombBomb's screen recorder won't start, opens the wrong recorder, or loses a recording, the cause is usually a blocked permission, a browser extension, or a network issue. This article helps you find the cause and fix it. Start by checking which screen recorder you're using — the fixes are different for each.

Who this applies to: All users

Plan requirement: Essentials, Pro, Enterprise

Which Screen Recorder Are You Using?

BombBomb has two screen recorders. Which one opens when you click Record Screen depends on where you're recording:

  • The browser screen recorder — the new BombBomb in Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. It runs right in your browser, with nothing to install. See Troubleshooting the Browser Screen Recorder below.
  • The BombBomb desktop screen recorder app — BombBomb Classic in any browser, and the new BombBomb in other browsers, such as Safari or Firefox. See Troubleshooting the Desktop Screen Recorder App below.

For the browsers and systems BombBomb supports, see BombBomb System Requirements. To learn how to record, see How to Use the Screen Recorder.

Troubleshooting the Browser Screen Recorder

Allow Your Browser to Record Your Screen (Mac)

If you see Your browser or system blocked screen capture. Allow screen recording for your browser and try again., macOS isn't letting your browser record your screen.

  1. Open System Settings on your Mac.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security → Screen Recording.
    🗣️ Note: On newer versions of macOS, this is called Screen & System Audio Recording.
  3. Turn on Google Chrome (or Microsoft Edge, if that's the browser you record in).
  4. Quit your browser completely, then open it again.
  5. Go back to BombBomb and click Record Screen again.

If you closed your browser's sharing dialog without choosing a tab, window, or screen, nothing was recorded. That's expected — click Record Screen to start over.

For other browser screen recorder problems, see the Frequently Asked Questions below.

Troubleshooting the Desktop Screen Recorder App

How the Desktop App 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 isn't designed to launch on its own.

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

  1. Open the video recorder. In the new BombBomb, click Record Video in the left navigation.
  2. Click Record Screen.
  3. Your browser opens a new tab at desktop.bombbomb.io and asks to open the BombBomb Screen Recorder. Click Open BombBomb Screen Recorder.
  4. If your operating system asks you to allow screen and audio access, click Allow.

If nothing happens when you click Record Screen, or the recorder gets stuck on Connecting to Screen Recorder, work through the steps below.

Step 1: Install the Screen Recorder

The first time you click Record Screen, the desktop.bombbomb.io page shows a Download Now button if the app isn't installed:

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

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

Allow pop-ups first. The desktop.bombbomb.io page opens in a new browser tab, and some browsers block that tab as a pop-up. If the tab doesn't open, look for a small blocked pop-up icon on the right side of your browser's address bar, and click it to allow pop-ups from BombBomb.

You won't see an "installation complete" message. The installer finishes silently. If Record Screen connects when you try again, the installation worked.

Step 2: Check for Updates

If the app 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 one. Click Update, then relaunch the recorder once the update finishes. Click Not Now to skip it for now.

Step 3: Check Screen Recording Permissions

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

On Mac: The first time you launch the screen recorder, macOS asks for permission to access your screen and audio. You must click Allow for the recorder to work. If you clicked Don't Allow or dismissed the prompt:

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

In your browser: If your browser asked to let desktop.bombbomb.io 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. Click Record Screen again.

Step 4: Check Your Browser

In the new BombBomb, Chrome and Edge use the browser screen recorder instead of the desktop app, so switching to one of them is often the quickest fix. In BombBomb Classic, the desktop app works with Chrome, Edge, and Firefox; if you have trouble in Safari, try Chrome or Edge.

Make sure your browser is updated to the latest version before you try 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 stop a new recording session from launching. This is one of the most common reasons the recorder hangs or won't connect.

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

On Windows:

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

On Mac:

  1. Press Cmd + Space, type Activity Monitor, and 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.

Still stuck? Contact BombBomb Support — cached installation files 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. Ask your IT or network admin to allow the following URLs.

Critical — required for screen recording to work:

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

Also required if you use virtual backgrounds:

effectssdk.com
static.bombbomb.com

Optional — error tracking and analytics only:

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

Once the URLs are allowed, clear your browser cache, restart your browser, and launch the screen recorder again.

Contact BombBomb Support

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

  • Which recorder you were using — the browser screen recorder or the desktop app
  • What happens when you click Record Screen (nothing, an error message, stuck on Connecting to Screen Recorder, and so on)
  • About when you recorded, if a recording went missing
  • Your operating system and version (for example, macOS Sequoia or Windows 11)
  • Your browser and version
  • Whether you're on a VPN or corporate network, or use an ad blocker
  • What you've already tried

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm using Chrome or Edge, but Record Screen opens the desktop app. Why? An ad blocker or privacy extension can stop BombBomb from loading the browser screen recorder, so you get the desktop app instead. Allow app.bombbomb.com and features.bombbomb.com in your blocker, then reload the page.

Why do I get the desktop app in Safari, Firefox, or BombBomb Classic? The browser screen recorder works only in the new BombBomb, in Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. Everywhere else, Record Screen uses the desktop app — to record without installing anything, switch to the new BombBomb in Chrome or Edge.

My recording got stuck on Uploading Video and never finished. What happened? This can happen when the recorder page has been open for more than about an hour before you record, and that recording can't be recovered. If the recorder has been open a while, reload the page right before you start recording.

Why does my screen recording look squished? The window or tab you recorded changed size during the recording. Set the size you want before you start, and don't resize it until you stop.

I see "Something went wrong - we couldn't load this page." Did I lose my video? No. This page can appear after a brief internet drop, such as a Wi-Fi or VPN reconnect. Refresh your browser tab (Ctrl+R on Windows, Cmd+R on Mac) — if you'd just saved a recording, it's in your library.

Why don't I see Record Screen? Your account admin may have turned off screen recording for your account. When it's off, Record Screen doesn't appear on your Dashboard. Your admin can turn it back on under Admin → Account Settings → Permissions → User Permissions → Screen Recorder.

I installed the desktop app but nothing happened. Did it work? Yes — the installer finishes without a completion message. Go back to BombBomb in your browser and click Record Screen again. If it connects, the installation worked.

No new tab opened when I clicked Record Screen. Your browser likely blocked the desktop.bombbomb.io tab as a pop-up. Click the blocked pop-up icon on the right side of your address bar, allow pop-ups from BombBomb, and click Record Screen again.

I found the BombBomb Screen Recorder in my apps and clicked it, but nothing happened. Is it broken? No — that's expected. The desktop app only launches from the Record Screen button inside BombBomb in your browser.

I see "Connecting to Screen Recorder" but nothing happens. What's wrong? The desktop app usually 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 of the desktop app troubleshooting above.

The desktop app was working before and suddenly stopped. What changed? The most common causes are another instance running in the background, a macOS or Windows update that reset permissions, a new VPN or firewall rule, or an outdated app. Check Step 5 first, then Steps 3, 6, and 2.

Do I need to update the desktop app myself? No. When an update is available, the recorder prompts you with an Update button when it launches.

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