You record a tutorial, open the video, and one part is completely black while the sound keeps playing. A black screen when screen recording is confusing the first time, but it is usually not a fault in your recorder or your phone. The app you were showing has told Android not to allow its screen to be captured.
Here is what is happening, which apps do it, how to tell it apart from a real problem, and what you can do instead.
What causes the black screen: FLAG_SECURE
Android gives app developers a setting called FLAG_SECURE. When an app turns it on for a screen, Android blocks screenshots and screen recordings of that screen, and it may also hide the screen's preview in the recent-apps view. Any recorder, including the built-in one on your phone, sees black instead of the app's content.
It is documented in the official Android developer reference. Recorders are not supposed to get around it, and responsible ones don't try.
Which apps usually block recording
- Banking and mobile wallet apps: to stop balances, PINs and OTPs from being captured by scammers or malware.
- Streaming apps: films and series are protected by DRM, so the video area turns black.
- Password managers and authenticator apps.
- Some messaging features, such as view-once photos or private chats.
- Some exam, office and company apps that handle confidential information.
- Incognito or private browser tabs on some browsers.
Some apps block only certain screens. For example, a wallet app may allow the home screen but go black the moment you open the payment PIN page.
Is it FLAG_SECURE or a different problem?
A few clues help you tell the difference:
| What you see | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Black only inside one app, other apps fine | That app blocks capture |
| Screenshot of the same screen is also black or refused | That app blocks capture |
| Whole recording is black, every app | Permission or recorder problem; restart and record again |
| Video freezes or stutters but isn't black | Performance; see fixing laggy screen recording |
| Picture fine, sound missing | Audio capture blocked or wrong source; see fixing a recording with no sound |
Quick test: try a screenshot inside that app. If the phone says "can't take screenshot due to security policy", or the screenshot is black, you have your answer.
What you should not do
You will find tips online about rooting a phone, installing modified apps or using special tools to bypass the block. Please don't:
- It can break the app's terms of service and get your account limited.
- Modified apps from unknown sources are a common way malware reaches phones.
- For banking apps, the block exists to protect you from screen sharing scams that steal OTPs.
- For streaming apps, recording and sharing the content usually breaks copyright. See copyright basics for creators.
What you can do instead
Teaching how to use a banking or wallet app
- Record the screens that are allowed, and explain the blocked step with your voice: "Now you'll see the PIN screen. Enter your PIN here; I won't show mine."
- Use the provider's official demo, help pages or press images where available.
- Show the step on a simple drawn diagram or a slide instead.
- Our guide to recording a mobile banking tutorial safely walks through this.
Reviewing a streaming or content app
Focus on the parts you can record: menus, search, settings, download options. Use the official trailer or artwork only within the rules of the platform, and talk about the experience rather than showing the content itself.
Recording a company or exam app
If your workplace or school app blocks recording, that is usually a deliberate policy. Ask the IT team or the teacher for an approved way to show it.
Plan around the blocked step
If you know a screen will turn black, plan your script around it. Record up to the step before, pause with the floating controls, complete the private step off camera, then resume. Viewers see a clean jump instead of several seconds of black, and you never risk showing a PIN by accident.
How Cinematic Recorder handles protected screens
Cinematic Recorder respects Android's rules. When a protected screen is open, that part of the recording will appear black, exactly as with any other recorder. The rest of your recording is unaffected, and in the editor you can simply cut the black section. Because edits are non-destructive, you can change your mind later without re-recording.
Audio has its own rules: some apps block internal audio capture, and call audio can never be captured on Android. Your microphone narration still records normally. See our recording features for what is captured.
FAQ
Why is my screen recording black but the sound works?
The app on screen blocks video capture (FLAG_SECURE) but not audio. Your recorder is working; the app is protecting its content.
Can I turn off the block in settings?
No. It is controlled by the app itself, not by a phone setting. Some apps offer an option for certain screens, but most banking and streaming apps do not.
Will a different screen recorder fix it?
No legitimate recorder can capture a protected screen. Apps that claim to bypass it usually need risky modifications and are best avoided.
Is the black part a sign my phone is hacked?
No. It's a normal security feature. If anything, it shows the app is protecting you.
A black screen is Android doing its job. Work with it: record what is allowed, explain the private steps in words, and keep your viewers, and yourself, safe.