# Spectacle not taking screenshots? **URL:** \ **Category:** Help\ **Tags:** spectacle\ **Created:** [June 20, 2025, 3:11pm UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/spectacle-not-taking-screenshots/35871 "2025-06-20T15:11:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![eastbound7789](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/f14d63/32.png) [@eastbound7789](https://discuss.kde.org/u/eastbound7789)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2025, 3:11pm UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/spectacle-not-taking-screenshots/35871/1 "2025-06-20T15:11:32Z")
Hey all, I’m having some weird behavior with spectacle after I updated my system today. When I try to take a screenshot on my system (using the UI _or_ a shortcut) it doesn’t work. What I mean by “doesn’t work” is, when I select to screenshot my entire screen, I get an empty box (no screenshot data at all by the looks of it) and when I go to screenshot a region, nothing happens at all (no UI to select a region). I can still record though spectacle so, I’m not entirely sure if this is user error or a problem with the application itself? I’ve also ran the `xdg-portal-test-kde` portal and that fails when trying to take a screenshot ![output](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/uploads/default/original/3X/0/2/02aa1ec7cfaa128a4e7505c4d4e6e1d694dc3200.gif) I don’t know if it helps but when running the portal test with `journalctl` open I get the line: `xdg-desktop-portal-kde[1433]: xdp-kde-screenshot-dialog: "CaptureWorkspace" failed: QDBusError("org.kde.KWin.ScreenShot2.Error.NoAuthorized", "The process is not authorized to take a screenshot")`, looks related but, I’m not sure… ---
**Author:** ![eastbound7789](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/f14d63/32.png) [@eastbound7789](https://discuss.kde.org/u/eastbound7789)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2025, 3:30pm UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/spectacle-not-taking-screenshots/35871/2 "2025-06-20T15:30:58Z")
I’ve managed to fix the permission issues with `xdg-portal-test-kde` (I think) by adding `nvidia_drm.modeset=1` to my kernel parameters but, spectacle still doesn’t work ☹ ---
**Author:** ![johnandmegh](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/user_avatar/discuss.kde.org/johnandmegh/32/767_2.png) [@johnandmegh](https://discuss.kde.org/u/johnandmegh)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2025, 11:33pm UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/spectacle-not-taking-screenshots/35871/3 "2025-06-20T23:33:26Z")
Hi - just checking, based on something similar-sounding in a [KDE Bugtracking System report](https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=446628), do you have a .desktop file for Spectacle in `~/.local/share/applications/` by chance? ---
**Author:** ![eastbound7789](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/f14d63/32.png) [@eastbound7789](https://discuss.kde.org/u/eastbound7789)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2025, 6:09am UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/spectacle-not-taking-screenshots/35871/4 "2025-06-21T06:09:30Z")
I do not, no ☹ I also found someone mention clearing the cache dir for spectacle as well as the spectaclerc which I did, but didn’t seem to help ---
**Author:** ![johnandmegh](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/user_avatar/discuss.kde.org/johnandmegh/32/767_2.png) [@johnandmegh](https://discuss.kde.org/u/johnandmegh)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 12:55am UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/spectacle-not-taking-screenshots/35871/5 "2025-06-22T00:55:22Z")
Hmm, does trying in a new user account change anything? Or perhaps reinstalling the Spectacle package, just in case something got funky during an install or update? ---
**Author:** ![eastbound7789](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/f14d63/32.png) [@eastbound7789](https://discuss.kde.org/u/eastbound7789)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 2:52pm UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/spectacle-not-taking-screenshots/35871/6 "2025-06-22T14:52:28Z")
Hmm, good questions. I have reinstalled spectacle as I gave flameshot a try (i was having issues with the UI not showing but everything else worked). I just created a new user account logged in, and everything seems to work… I’m guessing that means there’s something wrong in one of Nevermind, as I was writing that out, I logged back into my account and everything seems to be working again? ---
**Author:** ![eastbound7789](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/f14d63/32.png) [@eastbound7789](https://discuss.kde.org/u/eastbound7789)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2025, 9:59am UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/spectacle-not-taking-screenshots/35871/7 "2025-06-23T09:59:38Z")
Never mind! Updated again today and got the same behavior. Logged into a new user account and back into mine, see if that helps, it did not… I am able to use Spectacle on the other user account though so, I’m thinking it’s a file or setting on my account that’s maybe messing up the program? ---
**Author:** ![eastbound7789](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/f14d63/32.png) [@eastbound7789](https://discuss.kde.org/u/eastbound7789)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2025, 3:27pm UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/spectacle-not-taking-screenshots/35871/8 "2025-06-23T15:27:19Z")
Aha! > **[KDE Plasma 6.4 Wayland - Unable to region screenshot with Spectacle /...](https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=306440)** This is my issue! I enabled the TV and it works again! I have created a bug report here: [506054 – Spectacle not taking screenshots when TV display disabled](https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=506054) TL;DR For now the workaround would be to enable any TV/HDMI displays to get the screenshot functionality back