How to Record Screen on Mac

Your Mac can record its own screen without installing anything. Press Shift-Command-5, pick what to record, click Record, and stop with Command-Control-Esc. The file is saved as a .mov, to your Desktop by default.

This guide covers that built-in method and QuickTime Player first. Then it answers the questions that usually come next: sound, webcam, captions, zoom, highlighting the pointer and cutting the video. Each answer is short and links to a longer guide. We make Quibble, a Mac screen recorder, so we also show how Quibble does each step. The macOS steps come from Apple's support pages, linked at the end.

Quick answer

1. Press Shift-Command-5.
2. Choose Record Entire Screen, Record Selected Window or Record Selected Portion.
3. Click Options if you want a microphone or a different save location.
4. Click Record.
5. Stop with the Stop button in the menu bar, or press Command-Control-Esc.

A thumbnail appears in the corner of the screen. Click it to edit the recording, or wait and the file saves to your Desktop. Files are named like "Screen Recording [date] at [time].mov."

Method 1: The Screenshot toolbar (Shift-Command-5)

This is Apple's built-in way. It works the same way whether you use it for a short bug clip or a long walkthrough.

Pick what to record

After you press Shift-Command-5, the toolbar offers three recording modes:

• Record Entire Screen. Click anywhere on the screen to start.
• Record Selected Window. Click the window you want. Apple says this needs macOS Tahoe 26 or later. If you are on an older version, see our guide to recording one window on Mac.
• Record Selected Portion. Drag the borders of the box to the area you want.

Set the options

Click Options before you record. Apple lists these settings:

• Microphone: choose a mic to record your voice or other audio.
• Include System Audio: records the sound your Mac plays. Apple says this needs macOS 27 or later.
• Show Mouse Clicks: shows a black circle around the pointer when you click.
• Timer: a delay, in seconds, between clicking Record and the start.
• Save to: where the file goes. The default is the Desktop.
• Capture format: on supported Macs running Tahoe 26 or later, SDR (the most compatible, H.264) or HDR (HEVC).

Press Escape to cancel before you start. Click Record when you are ready. If you chose Selected Window, click the window next.

Stop and find the file

Click the Stop button in the menu bar, or press Command-Control-Esc. The file is a .mov, which opens in QuickTime Player, iMovie and other video apps. Apple notes that some apps, such as the Apple TV app, may not allow window recording.

For the full list of keys, including how to stop, see screen recording Mac shortcuts.

Method 2: QuickTime Player

QuickTime Player gives the same recorder in a different place.

1. Open QuickTime Player from your Applications folder.
2. Choose File > New Screen Recording, or press Control-Command-N. (On some versions the Screenshot toolbar appears instead. Then follow Method 1.)
3. Click the arrow next to the Record button to set a microphone or turn on Show Mouse Clicks.
4. Click Record. Click anywhere to record the whole screen, or drag to select an area and click Start Recording.
5. Stop from the menu bar or with Command-Control-Esc.

QuickTime opens the finished recording so you can play it, edit it or share it.

How to record screen on a MacBook Air

The steps are the same on a MacBook Air as on any other Mac that runs the macOS version in question. Press Shift-Command-5 and follow Method 1. Two things depend on your macOS version rather than your Mac model: recording a single window needs macOS Tahoe 26 or later, and Include System Audio needs macOS 27 or later. To check your version, open the Apple menu and choose About This Mac.

Quibble needs a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or later) and macOS 15 or later. A MacBook Air with an M-series chip qualifies. An older Intel MacBook Air does not.

How to record screen on Mac with audio

There are two kinds of sound, and they are set in different places.

• Your voice: choose a microphone in Options.
• Sound from the Mac (a video, a call, an app's alert): choose Include System Audio in Options, available on macOS 27 or later.

On earlier versions, the built-in tool's Options menu offers a microphone for audio. For system audio there, you need a workaround. Our guide on recording your Mac screen with internal audio walks through the built-in option, a free virtual audio driver and Quibble.

In Quibble, the microphone is recorded by default. System audio is off until you turn on System audio in Settings, or choose Record System Audio from the recording options menu.

How to record screen and webcam together

QuickTime can record your screen and, as a separate recording, your camera, but combining them in one video takes extra editing. If you want your face in a small bubble over the screen, read how to screen record with webcam on Mac.

In Quibble, turn on the Camera switch. The camera bubble can be moved, resized and rounded from a square to a circle, or made full screen for part of the video.

How to add captions to a screen recording

Apple's built-in recorder saves a video file with no captions. You would write them in another editor or use a transcription tool. Our guide to adding captions to a screen recording on Mac compares the options.

In Quibble, captions are ready a few seconds after you stop recording, as long as your microphone was on. They are made in English or Korean, and the speech recognition runs on your Mac.

How to zoom in while screen recording

The built-in recorder records the screen as it is. It does not zoom into what you click. You can add zoom in an editor afterward, which takes time. See how to zoom in and out in a Mac screen recording for free methods.

In Quibble, Zoom on clicks is on by default. The video glides toward where you clicked, then back out. You can also add zooms by hand and change the zoom-in and zoom-out time.

How to show your mouse pointer and clicks

Apple's recorder has Show Mouse Clicks, which draws a black circle around the pointer when you click. For other ways to make the cursor easy to follow, see how to highlight the mouse pointer in a Mac screen recording.

In Quibble, hold Command and move the mouse to draw a yellow highlight into the video. Rough circles and boxes snap into cleaner shapes.

How to trim a screen recording

Apple's page says you can click the thumbnail after recording to edit, or open the file in QuickTime Player or iMovie. Steps for cutting the start, the end or the middle are in how to trim a screen recording on Mac.

In Quibble's editor, press B for the Split tool and click the timeline to cut. Press B again, select the part you do not want, and press Delete. Later parts and captions move up to close the gap.

What to do with the recording next

• Make a tutorial: how to record a tutorial video on Mac.
• Make a product demo: how to make a SaaS product demo video.
• Record slides and your voice: how to record a presentation on Mac.
• Report a bug: how to record a bug report video on Mac.
• Post a vertical video: how to screen record vertically on Mac (9:16).
• Edit in CapCut: how to import a screen recording into CapCut.

Built-in tool or Quibble?

If you only need a quick clip, the built-in tool is enough. If you record often and spend time on captions, zooms and cuts afterward, Quibble puts those in one place. For a wider comparison, see the best screen recorders for Mac.

Record with Quibble

1. Open Quibble and press Option-Command-R.
2. The screen dims so you can choose a screen, a window or an area.
3. Record and talk as you work.
4. Stop. The editor opens with captions on their way, zoom on your clicks and your highlights in place.

Recording, editing and previewing are free. Saving the finished video and exporting need a license, with a 14-day refund on every plan. Quibble runs only on Macs with Apple silicon and macOS 15 or later, and it has no Windows version.

Frequently asked questions

What is the shortcut to record the screen on a Mac?

Shift-Command-5 opens the Screenshot toolbar, where you choose Record Entire Screen, Record Selected Window or Record Selected Portion. Stop with Command-Control-Esc. In Quibble, Option-Command-R starts a recording.

Where do Mac screen recordings go?

By default, to the Desktop, as a .mov file. You can change the folder with Save to in Options.

How do I stop a screen recording on Mac?

Click the Stop button in the menu bar, or press Command-Control-Esc.

Can I record my screen on a Mac with sound?

Yes. Choose a microphone in Options for your voice. On macOS 27 or later, also choose Include System Audio for the sound your Mac plays.

Is there a free screen recorder for Mac?

Yes. The Screenshot toolbar and QuickTime Player are built into macOS. Quibble is not free to save with, but recording, editing and previewing are free before you buy a license.

Sources

• Apple: Record the screen on your Mac
• Apple: Record your screen in QuickTime Player
• Quibble: getquibble.app

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