The built-in way: using Screenshot on Mac

macOS comes with a tool called Screenshot that records video of your screen without downloading anything. You open it, press record, and the video saves to your desktop or a folder you choose. It takes about 30 seconds to learn and works the same way on every Mac running macOS 10.14 or later.

The fastest route is to press Shift + Command + 5 on your keyboard. A bar appears at the bottom of your screen with five buttons. The rightmost button (a circle inside a square) starts a screen recording. Click it, then click the area of your screen you want to record, then click the "Start Recording" button that appears.

When you are done, press Control + Command + Esc or click the red recording icon in the menu bar at the top of your screen and select "Stop Recording". The video saves as an MP4 file, usually to your desktop unless you changed the default location.

Key Takeaways

  • Press Shift + Command + 5 to open the Screenshot tool, then click the record button (circle in a square) to start recording your screen.
  • You can record your entire screen or just a portion of it by dragging to select the area before you click "Start Recording".
  • Stop recording by pressing Control + Command + Esc or by clicking the red icon in the menu bar and selecting "Stop Recording".
  • Videos save as MP4 files to your desktop by default, but you can change where they save by clicking "Options" in the Screenshot bar before you record.
  • The Screenshot tool is built into macOS and requires no installation or paid subscription.

Choosing what part of your screen to record

When the Screenshot bar appears after you press Shift + Command + 5, you see five buttons. The fourth button (a rectangle with a dotted outline) lets you select a specific window. The fifth button (the circle in a square) records the entire screen. Most people use the fifth button and then drag to select just the area they need.

After you click the record button, your cursor changes to a crosshair. Click and drag to draw a rectangle around the part of your screen you want to record. You can adjust the edges by dragging the small handles that appear at the corners and sides. Once the selection looks right, click "Start Recording" inside the rectangle.

If you want to record your entire screen without selecting, click the fifth button, then when ready click "Start Recording" without dragging. The recording will capture everything on your display.

Changing where videos save and other options

By default, screen recordings save to your desktop as MP4 files with a name like "Screen Recording 2024-01-15 at 2.30.45 PM.mp4". If you want them to go somewhere else, click "Options" in the Screenshot bar before you start recording.

A menu appears with choices for where to save the file. You can pick "Desktop", "Documents", "Clipboard" (which copies the video instead of saving a file), or "Other Location" (which lets you pick any folder). You can also turn on "Show Floating Thumbnail" to see a small preview of your recording in the corner of your screen as soon as it finishes, and click it to edit or share the video right away.

The "Show Mouse Pointer" option is on by default, so anyone watching your recording will see your cursor move. Turn it off if you want the video to show only what is on your screen, not where you are clicking.

Recording audio along with your screen

By default, Screenshot records video only — no sound. To include audio (like your voice explaining what you are doing, or sounds from a video playing on your screen), you need to choose an audio source before you start recording.

After you press Shift + Command + 5 and click the record button, look at the Screenshot bar. You should see a dropdown menu that says "Microphone: None" or "Microphone: [Your Microphone Name]". Click it and select your microphone from the list. If you want to record audio from your Mac itself (like a video or music playing), select "Internal Audio" if it appears, though this option is not available on all Macs.

Once you select a microphone, the audio will record along with the video. When you stop recording, both the video and audio save together in the same MP4 file. Test your microphone first by opening a voice memo or video call app to make sure it is working and the volume is loud enough.

Editing your recording right after you finish

When you stop recording, a thumbnail (small preview image) usually appears in the bottom right corner of your screen. Click it within a few seconds and a preview window opens. From there you can trim the beginning or end of the video, add markup (like arrows or text), or delete the recording if you do not want to keep it.

To trim the video, click and drag the handles at the left and right edges of the timeline at the bottom of the preview window. The yellow area shows what will stay in the final video. When you are done trimming, click "Done" and the video saves with the changes.

If you do not click the thumbnail right away, you can still edit the video later. Open Finder, go to where the video saved (usually your desktop or Documents folder), right-click the file, and select "Open With" and then "Preview". The same editing tools appear.

Sharing your recording with others

After you finish recording, the easiest way to share is through the thumbnail that appears in the corner. Click it, then click the share button (an arrow pointing out of a box) in the top right of the preview window. A menu appears with options like Mail, Messages, AirDrop, or cloud services like iCloud Drive or Google Drive.

If the thumbnail is gone, open Finder and navigate to where your video saved. Right-click the file and select "Share", then choose how you want to send it. You can also drag the video file directly into an email, message, or cloud storage folder.

Keep in mind that MP4 video files are usually large — often 50 to 200 megabytes for a few minutes of recording. If you are emailing the video, the recipient's email provider might reject it if it is too big. In that case, upload the video to a cloud service like Google Drive or Dropbox and send a link instead.

Troubleshooting common recording problems

If the Screenshot bar does not appear when you press Shift + Command + 5, your Mac might be running an older version of macOS. The Screenshot tool came out in macOS 10.14 (released in 2018). If you have an older Mac, update your operating system or use a third-party app like QuickTime Player instead.

If your recording has no sound even though you selected a microphone, check that the microphone is not muted. Look at the top right of your screen — if you see a microphone with a line through it, your microphone is muted. Click the Control Center icon (usually in the top right corner) and turn the microphone back on. Also check that the app you are recording from (like a web browser) has permission to use your microphone. Go to System Settings, click "Privacy & Security", then "Microphone", and make sure the app is in the list.

If the video file is corrupted or will not play, try opening it with a different app. Right-click the file, select "Open With", and try "QuickTime Player" or "VLC" (a free video player you can read). If it still will not play, the recording may have been interrupted. Try recording again, and avoid closing apps or putting your Mac to sleep while recording is happening.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I record just one window instead of my whole screen?

Yes. Press Shift + Command + 5, then click the fourth button (the rectangle with a dotted outline). Move your cursor over the window you want to record — it will highlight in yellow. Click it, then click "Start Recording". Only that window will be recorded, even if you move other windows on top of it.

What if I want to record my screen but I do not have a microphone?

You can record video without audio. Just leave the microphone set to "None" in the Screenshot bar before you start recording. The video will save with no sound, and you can add narration later using a video editing app if you want to.

How long can I record for?

There is no time limit built into the Screenshot tool. You can record for as long as your Mac has storage space available. A typical screen recording uses about 50 to 100 megabytes per minute, so a 10-minute video might be 500 to 1000 megabytes. Check how much free space your Mac has before you start a very long recording.

Can I record my screen while using other apps?

Yes. Once you start recording, you can open other apps, switch between windows, and use your Mac normally. Everything you do will be recorded. If you want to hide something private (like a password or personal file), close it or switch to a different window before you start recording.

Where do I find my recorded videos?

By default, videos save to your desktop. You can also check your Documents folder or wherever you selected in the "Options" menu before recording. Open Finder, click "Desktop" or "Documents" in the sidebar, and look for files with names like "Screen Recording [date] at [time].mp4".