If you have an Android device where screenshots are disabled or you frequently see the error message "Taking a screenshot isn't allowed by the app or your organization." when trying to take a screenshot or record your screen, this guide will help you resolve the issue preventing SCRCPY from working when mirroring your screen to Windows.

Takeaways:

  1. Does having screenshots disabled on Android prevent SCRCPY from screen mirroring?
  2. How do you fix SCRCPY not working because of screenshot settings on Android?

How to Fix SCRCPY Not Displaying Due to Screenshot Restrictions on Android

While I doubt this is very common some users have issues where their Android devices randomly restrict screenshots and screen recording, even outside of specific apps. This restriction appears system-wide, preventing SCRCPY from mirroring the screen properly. The behaviour is inconsistent sometimes SCRCPY works fine, and other times it doesn’t, without a clear reason. Most of the time restarting the devices solve the problem but it keeps coming back.

Symptoms of the Issue

  • Attempting to take a screenshot results in the error message: "Taking a screenshot isn't allowed by the app or your organization."
  • SCRCPY opens but does not display the phone’s screen (no error message appears, but the display remains blank).
  • Restarting the phone temporarily resolves the problem, allowing screenshots and SCRCPY to function correctly.

Change Video Encoder in scrcpy

Instead of restarting the phone every time, try using different video encoders. Scrcpy allows specifying an encoder manually, which might bypass the restriction. Check out the guide below which will take you through the entire process fully.

How to change the Video Codec SCRCPY uses | H.264, H.265, AV1.

Disable Flag Secure (Root Users Only & Not Advised)

If your phone is rooted, you can override the restriction by disabling FLAG_SECURE using a tool like Smali Patcher or an Xposed module. This approach, however, requires advanced technical knowledge and root access.

Uninstall the apps that you think might be causing the screenshot error message.

If you have some random apps that aren't all that important you should remove them from your device if you think that they might be part of the problem here. I'm guessing when a certain app prevents a screenshot from taking place it triggers something else on the device that blocks SCRCPY from working unless you restart your device first.

Use a Different Screen Mirroring Tool

If scrcpy fails to work due to the restriction, try alternative screen mirroring solutions such as:

  • Vysor (paid version allows full mirroring)
  • ApowerMirror
  • TeamViewer QuickSupport (depending on device compatibility)

Factory Reset as a Last Resort

If the issue persists and seems to be tied to a software bug or system corruption, consider backing up your data and performing a factory reset.