Desktop Capture

desktopCapture

High RiskCategory: Browser UIView Official Docs↗

⚠

Install Warning

"Capture content of your screen."

Technical Context

Provides access to the chrome.desktopCapture API for capturing the entire screen, specific windows, or individual tabs as media streams. This extends beyond browser content to the full desktop.

What This Means For You

The extension can record or share your entire screen, not just browser tabs. This is necessary for full screen sharing but means it can see everything on your desktop.

Related APIs

This permission enables access to these Chrome APIs:

chrome.desktopCapture

Common Use Cases

✓Screen sharing
✓Remote support
✓Video recording

⚠ Red Flags When Combined With

<all_urls>

How to Declare in manifest.json

Add the "desktopCapture" permission to your extension manifest:

{
  "manifest_version": 3,
  "name": "My Extension",
  "permissions": [
    "desktopCapture"
  ]
}

What Users Will See

When users install your extension, Chrome will display this warning:

⚠

This extension can:

"Capture content of your screen."

Related Permissions

All URLs

<all_urls>

The extension can see and modify every single website you visit, including sensitive pages like banking and email. This is the most powerful and potentially dangerous permission an extension can have.

high

Side Panel

sidePanel

This provides a sidebar companion that stays open while you browse, making it perfect for taking notes or doing research. It prevents you from having to constantly click an icon to reopen the extension's window.

low

Context Menus

contextMenus

The extension can add new options to the menu that appears when you right-click on a page. This makes it easy to use the extension's features without leaving what you are doing.

low

Notifications

notifications

The extension can show popup notifications on your desktop even when Chrome is minimized. This is useful for alerts and reminders but can be annoying if overused.

low

Keyboard Commands

commands

The extension can respond to keyboard shortcuts you press, even when you are not clicking on it. You can customize these shortcuts in Chrome's extension settings.

low