Troubleshooting Fullscreen Anything for Chrome — Fix Common Issues

Troubleshooting Fullscreen Anything for Chrome — Fix Common IssuesFullscreen Anything for Chrome is a handy extension that forces web pages, videos, or elements into fullscreen mode when the site’s native fullscreen option is limited or unavailable. Like any browser extension, it can sometimes behave unexpectedly due to browser updates, site changes, conflicts with other extensions, or permission issues. This article walks through common problems, step-by-step fixes, and preventative tips so you can get the extension working reliably again.

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How Fullscreen Anything Works (brief)

Fullscreen Anything injects CSS and JavaScript into the current page to resize and reposition elements so they occupy the entire browser viewport. Because it modifies page code, it may be affected by website protections, content security policies (CSP), or dynamic page scripts that reapply original sizing or remove injected styles.

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Common Problem: Extension Won’t Enter Fullscreen

Symptoms: Clicking the extension icon does nothing, or the page only partially changes size.

Quick checks:

• Confirm the extension is enabled: Go to chrome://extensions and ensure Fullscreen Anything is turned on.
• Reload the page: Some sites require a fresh load for injection to work properly.
• Try a different site: If it works elsewhere, the problem is site-specific.

Step-by-step fixes:

1. Open chrome://extensions, toggle the extension off and on, then reload the page.
2. Right-click the page and choose “Inspect” → Console to spot JavaScript errors that might block the injected script.
3. If the page uses heavy dynamic rendering (single-page apps), click the extension after the page finishes loading or after the target element appears in the DOM.
4. Use the extension’s element selector (if available) and manually pick the correct element to fullscreen—some pages wrap content in several nested elements.

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Common Problem: Video Controls or Playback Break After Going Fullscreen

Symptoms: Video stops playing, controls disappear, or keyboard shortcuts fail.

Why it happens:

• Fullscreen Anything may replace or hide native video controls, or the site’s playback scripts may rely on specific DOM structure.

Fixes:

• Use the extension’s option to preserve native controls if available.
• If playback stops, try clicking the video area once after entering fullscreen to re-focus the player.
• Disable other media-related extensions (ad blockers, enhancers) that might interfere.

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Common Problem: Black Screen or Blank Area

Symptoms: Fullscreen turns window black or shows a blank rectangle where the content should be.

Causes:

• The element chosen isn’t visible or is behind overlays; CSS transforms or z-index on the site may block it.
• The site uses cross-origin frames (iframes) that the extension can’t access.

Fixes:

1. Select the correct top-level element (often a container like
   ,
   

   , or a video’s parent).
2. Try enabling an option to increase z-index or force visibility if the extension provides it.
3. For cross-origin iframes, open the content in a new tab (if possible) and apply fullscreen there.

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Common Problem: Extension Crashes or Browser Becomes Unresponsive

Symptoms: Chrome hangs, high memory/CPU usage, or the browser tab crashes after using the extension.

Troubleshooting steps:

• Restart Chrome and test in an incognito window (enable the extension for incognito from chrome://extensions to test).
• Disable other extensions to check for conflicts (particularly those that modify page layout: ad blockers, dark mode, UI customizers).
• Clear browser cache and cookies for the affected site.
• Update Chrome to the latest stable version.

If crashes persist, capture a Chrome task manager snapshot (Shift+Esc) to see which process uses CPU/memory and report it to the extension author with details and a screenshot.

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Common Problem: Extension Icon Greyed Out or Permissions Issues

Symptoms: Icon is dim or clicking it asks for permissions repeatedly.

Fixes:

• Visit chrome://extensions, click “Details” for the extension, and ensure “Allow access to file URLs” or “Site access” settings are appropriately set (e.g., “On all sites”).
• If Chrome restricts extension behavior due to enterprise policies, contact your system administrator.

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Site-Specific Protections and CSP

Some sites use Content Security Policy headers or script protections that prevent third-party injections. If Fullscreen Anything fails only on a particular site:

Workarounds:

• Use the site’s own fullscreen control if available.
• Open the site in a different browser or a browser profile with fewer extensions to test.
• For advanced users: use Developer Tools to create a small user script (via Tampermonkey or Greasemonkey) that targets the element and applies fullscreen styles. Note: follow site terms of service.

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Debugging Tips for Power Users

• Use DevTools Elements panel to inspect which element occupies the layout you want. Look for classes/id you can target.
• In Console, run a quick command to test fullscreen CSS:

  
  document.querySelector('SELECTOR').style.position = 'fixed'; document.querySelector('SELECTOR').style.top = 0; document.querySelector('SELECTOR').style.left = 0; document.querySelector('SELECTOR').style.width = '100vw'; document.querySelector('SELECTOR').style.height = '100vh'; document.querySelector('SELECTOR').style.zIndex = 2147483647; 

  Replace SELECTOR with a selector for the element. If this works, the extension needs to target the same element or apply similar rules.

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Preventative Steps and Best Practices

• Keep Chrome and the extension updated.
• Limit the number of active extensions to reduce conflicts.
• Whenever possible, whitelist trusted sites in ad blockers or content filters.
• When reporting bugs to the extension author, include Chrome version, extension version, a minimal reproducible example (site URL and steps), and console errors.

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When to Contact the Extension Developer

Provide:

• Chrome version and OS.
• Extension version.
• Exact URL and steps to reproduce.
• Console error messages and screenshots or screen recordings. Most developers respond faster when given a clear, minimal reproduction scenario.

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If you want, I can:

• write a concise troubleshooting checklist you can print, or
• convert the power-user debugging commands into a small user script you can paste into the console.