Capture screenshots on Udemy
All macOS users have a couple of ways to take screenshots using a few keyboard shortcuts. Apple support has outlined them here.
My preference is the shift⇧ + command⌘ + 4 method that gives me the crosshair to select a specific area of the screen to capture.
I wanted to capture a lesson on functions from my JavaScript course on Udemy, but my preferred method resulted in a blank screenshot (above). I kept getting the same blank result using Firefox and Chrome browsers. I even logged into another Udemy account and tried to capture a screenshot of a different course. Nothing worked. I wasn’t able to capture a screenshot of any Udemy lesson using my macOS keyboard shortcuts.
This has been a common complaint among the learning community on Udemy! Google it.
Neo Liu highlighted a few issues and offered 4 Ways to Bypass Udemy’s Black Screenshot Note Taking. Neo suggested navigating developer tools but this resulted in taking screenshots limited to an entire viewport or full screen sizes only. Navigating also involved multiple steps using the mouse and oversized image files. But still, Neo got me thinking about the crux of the matter.
Videos get rendered on the Udemy platform within any browser but users are not permitted to capture screenshots using their OS keyboard settings.
Why not?
Udemy, like many other online learning platforms, has policies in place to protect the intellectual property of the content creators who use their platform to sell their courses. These policies typically include provisions against unauthorized reproduction or distribution of the course materials, including the video lessons.
It’s generally acceptable to take notes or make copies of materials for your own personal, non-commercial use, such as for study or research purposes. This is known as the “fair use” doctrine in copyright law that allows for the limited use of copyrighted material without requiring permission from the copyright holder. However, it’s important to keep in mind that fair use is a complex and nuanced area of law, and the specific circumstances of each case will determine whether a particular use is fair.
If a student is simply learning for personal reasons and not distributing Udemy course material in any manner that violates intellectual property, then taking a screenshot of any purchased course should be allowed.
My fair use led me to search for screenshot methods and extensions compatible with specific browsers. I discovered two simple solutions that enable you to capture screenshots of any size on the Udemy platform.
Solution 1
Chrome browser — Awesome Screenshot and Screen Recorder is a popular extension that makes it easy to capture screenshots by clicking a toolbar icon, like below. It’s free too!
Solution 2
Firefox browser — Mozilla Support has instructions for capturing screenshots using a keyboard shortcut: shift⇧ + command⌘ + s. It’s my new preferred method on macOS with positive results, like below.
If you’re using Windows or Linux, I suspect you’ll have similar issues trying to take a screenshot using the native keyboard. Try to find a browser-specific method or extension for taking screenshots instead. That’s all.
Thanks for reading and enjoy fair-minded Udemy learning!
