If your Google Chrome browser is behaving weirdly recently by showing black boxes on parts of a web page. The issue was reported by users in forums. The problem is not OS-specific, both Windows and Mac users experienced this. Restarting Chrome may help for a short period of time, they may re-appear again, follow the solution below if you’re affected by this issue in the Chrome browser.
Fix Chrome Shows black boxes on web pages
- Ensure you’re using the latest Chrome, and turn on the Hardware Acceleration option in Settings, if disabled.
For that, click on the Chrome menu, select Settings > Advanced Settings, Scroll down under system, and check ‘Use Hardware Acceleration when available
- Disable Hardware acceleration. Toggle “use hardware acceleration” in the first step and see if it solves the black boxes problem
- Disable all extensions in Chrome and see if the issue persists. For that, click on menu > More tools and disable all the extensions one by one.
- Reset Chrome Settings: Visit Menu > Settings > Reset and clean up, click on ‘Restore their settings to their original defaults.
- Next, use Chrome Cleanup tool integrated into Chrome browser: Menu > Settings > Reset and Cleanup > Clean up computer and click ‘Find’ button.
- Create a new Chrome profile and see if the issue has been solved or recurring.
- Scan your computer with AdwCleaner, following with Malwarebytes, and remove threats, if any, found, malware might also cause this to happen.
- Try disabling Adobe PDF Extension in Chrome and see if that prevents the issue.
- By any chance, If you’re getting a black border around text boxes like shown below, this is due to the accessibility feature you’ve enabled in Chrome.
Visit Settings > Advanced> Accessibility and toggle “Show a quick highlight on the focused object”.
Note: The black boxes appearing on different spots on numerous pages bug has been fixed by Google in Chrome 67. You may be seeing that again, follow each step and verify the issue present when you visit affected websites.
Are you affected by this issue? Let us know in the comments below.
Tried hwa and paint flag. Didn’t work. My extensions are fine. Fixed it by using third party tool to reset chrome settings to default.
[Google Chrome Settings] :HKLM backup.homepage=””
[Google Chrome Settings] :HKLM backup.session.urls_to_restore_on_startup=””
[Google Chrome Settings] :HKLM session.startup_urls=””
[Google Chrome Settings] :HKLM default_search_provider.icon_url=””
[Google Chrome Settings] :HKLM default_search_provider.keyword=””
[Google Chrome Settings] :HKLM default_search_provider.name=””
[Google Chrome Settings] :HKLM default_search_provider.search_url=””
[Google Chrome Settings] :HKLM default_search_provider.suggest_url=””
[Google Chrome Settings] :HKLM default_search_provider_data.template_url_data.alternate_urls=””
[Google Chrome Settings] :HKLM default_search_provider_data.template_url_data.favicon_url=””
[Google Chrome Settings] :HKLM default_search_provider_data.template_url_data.keyword=””
[Google Chrome Settings] :HKLM default_search_provider_data.template_url_data.short_name=””
[Google Chrome Settings] :HKLM default_search_provider_data.template_url_data.url=””
[Google Chrome Settings] :HKLM default_search_provider_data.template_url_data.suggest_url=””
[Google Chrome Settings] :HKLM default_search_provider_data.template_url_data.new_tab_url=””
[Google Chrome Settings] :HKLM default_search_provider_data.template_url_data.instant_url=””
[Google Chrome Settings] :HKLM default_search_provider_data.template_url_data.image_url=””
[Google Chrome Settings] :HKLM homepage=””
[Google Chrome Settings] :HKLM session.urls_to_restore_on_startup=””
Thank You! In the past it was a strategy of finding an older version of chrome and wait until they work out the kinks but by simply turning off Hardware Acceleration it has pretty much remedied our issue of window zooms looking like a loose connection on a coaxial cable. Again. Thank You!
Several times I have had a black or see=through square blocking all browser screens and it turns out that it has been some aspect of my Brother printer software open in combination with ASUS laptop using Windows 10. Black square disappears when I can get all of the Brother software closed.
Thanks for the thought. I started getting the black boxes with the last Chrome update (66), but apparently that is only 1/2 the problem. I have a Brother MFC printer, and I have found that if I close the auto-starting software for it out of the “tool tray” then the chrome problem goes away. I’ve had the MFC and this laptop & Chrome for years, but the black boxes are a relatively recent problem. Now I only need to remember to clear the tool tray of the Brother printer every time I finish printing something… Sort of a PIA but what can you do….
It started a few days ago on two of my PCs which are different. I assume it is a Chrome issue which will go away with the next Chrome update.
Black squares and rectangles appearing as I scroll down. Flashing all over the screen. Did the extensions thing then did a restore point which worked for a while but the blobs have appeared again this morning. Happening on both my computers. What can I do as this is preventing me from working? I am old and not tech savvy.
Have you tried disabling hardware acceleration and see it fixes the issue.
I did this and it didn’t work. Random black boxes appearing all over the screen when I am on tumblr and then they appeared on pinterest. I tried everything and they are still appearing. Should I just wait and see if Google fixes this?
As mentioned in the update, fix for black boxes issue included in Chrome 67, you can wait for it or use beta version of it.
Don’t think it’s just a Chrome issue. It started with Chrome when changing tabs, i installed Opera and got the same problem there too. Random flashing black boxes, that get even more speedy as scrolling down the pages. What could that be?
Don’t you know Opera too is based on Chromium. Wait for Chrome 67 to arrive or use beta version, try disabling hardware acceleration in stale version to see it fixes the issue, have you checked graphic drivers are up-to-date?
Look Opera has claimed they fixed black rectangles issue in stable version. https://blogs.opera.com/desktop/2018/05/opera-53-0-2907-68-stable-update/. Lia, hope you’re happy to know this, so you can now at least use Opera until Google fixes the issue in Chrome. Update Opera and let us know how it is going.
Hi.. I see black boxes all over this website:not in other tabs. I guess it has to be someway connected with website coding or its contents. can you confirm?
The website design is like that, by scrolling down you’ll see white space, that has nothing to do with Chrome.
How do I get rid of the flashing black boxes? Not tech savvy at all.
As mentioned in the article, it has been fixed in Chrome 67, wait for that version to release or use beta version of it.
I clicked the Relaunch ‘Use Hardware Acceleration when available’ this seems to have fixed the black box problem on my laptop and pc – for how long I don’t know. But it has worked. So bloody annoying.
Chrome 67 has been released with fix to this and other issues. Update your chrome now.
This works…so far!
I found a fix: Microsoft Edge.