If you’re experiencing a Firefox black screen issue, the latest update may be to cause for the error. Firefox says it’s because of Off Main Thread Compositing (OMTC), which should make video and animation run smoothly. Try updating Firefox if this happens.
Black screen problems can be caused by outdated graphics card drivers, hardware acceleration issues in Firefox, etc. Here’s a troubleshooting guide to help you fix the Firefox black screen issue.
Why does Mozilla Firefox turn black screen?
The cause of this issue may be multiple, according to people who’ve experienced it. They only noticed the problem after installing a driver, extension, antivirus, or another program.
Some say the problem started after they upgraded their operating system. Still, some don’t recall installing anything new before the problem started.
If you can’t access Firefox to troubleshoot the black screen video problem, there are other fixes you can attempt. Let’s start with any fixes that don’t require a login. We’ll look into other options later.
How to Fix Firefox Black Screen Problem
Before you move forward, make sure to delete your browsing history. Additionally, create a restore point for precautionary measures.
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Temporarily disable antivirus and firewall.
It’s designed to analyze programs meticulously and alert you if there’s anything dubious about them. The software can be troublesome, if it interrupts your WiFi or prevents you from joining a website. Therefore, it’s necessary to temporarily pause Antivirus.
Turn off hardware acceleration
- Start Firefox, then type “about:preferences” in the address bar.

- Uncheck “Use recommended performance settings” under Performance.

- Uncheck “Use hardware acceleration when available” in the Performance section.
- Restart your computer after closing Firefox.
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Begin Mozilla Firefox in Safe Mode
- Click on the three lines in the top right corner to open Mozilla Firefox.

- Click Help on the menu, then select “Restart with Add-ons Disabled”.

- In the popup window, click Restart.

- It’ll ask you if you want to restart Firefox in Safe Mode or refresh.

- Start Firefox in Safe Mode and see if that helps.
Make sure your computer is virus-free.
- Viruses are a common problem, especially for online workers. Your computer may have been attacked if it suddenly starts acting strange.
- You should scan your memory sticks and external hard drives for malware before trying any other solutions.
- If you want to do an intensive scan, you should use a third-party antivirus. Regularly update your antivirus program.
- Cyber threats are changing every day, so you need to keep an eye on them. Make sure your antivirus has multi-layered protection.
- Protect your network with multiple layers of security.
- Be sure your antivirus has a firewall and a privacy policy.
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Uninstall any extensions added recently.
Installing an extension on a browser like Chrome or Firefox may cause unexpected problems, such as a black screen. To avoid this, you should remove or disable the extension temporarily.

Launch Firefox in Troubleshooting mode.
This helpful tool can be located in the Firefox browser to detect and amend issues. Activating it temporarily suspends extras (extensions and themes,) turns off resource acceleration and other elements, and ignores some personalizations (see below for additional info). Consequently, by contrasting Firefox’s typical mode behavior to its results in Troubleshoot Mode, the source of the problem can be identified and mended. Prior versions of Firefox referred to this tool as Safe Mode.
Final Thoughts:
We have discussed a few methods to help you fix the unexpected black screen in Firefox. Overall, if you experience any undesired black screens while using Mozilla Firefox, try out these solutions presented above as they should definitely help you out. If all else fails, don’t hesitate to reach out to technical support since they are always available to assist users with difficult technical issues like this one! Good luck!