How to Screen Record With Webcam on Mac

To screen record with your webcam on a Mac, you need an app that shows your camera while it records the screen. The built-in tools do this only with a workaround, and Quibble does it with one switch called Camera.

This guide covers both. You can finish the job with free Apple tools alone. Then you can see where an app makes it easier.

What you can and cannot do with built-in Mac tools

macOS has two free recorders: the Screenshot toolbar and QuickTime Player. Both record your screen and your microphone. Neither one has a "screen plus webcam" button.

The workaround is simple. You open your webcam in a separate window, then record the screen, and the webcam window gets recorded as part of the screen. It works, but the camera is just a window. It is not part of the video, so you manage it by hand.

Method 1: QuickTime Player (free, with a workaround)

You will open two QuickTime windows. One shows your face. The other records the screen.

1. Open QuickTime Player from your Applications folder.
2. In the menu bar, choose File > New Movie Recording. A window opens with your webcam.
3. Resize the window and drag it to a corner. Make it small so it does not cover what you are showing.
4. Choose File > New Screen Recording. (Or press Shift-Command-5.)
5. In the toolbar that appears, click Options, then choose your microphone under Microphone.
6. Choose to record the entire screen, a window, or a portion of the screen. If you pick a portion, include the webcam window in it.
7. Click Record. Talk and click as you normally would.
8. When you are done, click the stop button in the menu bar.

Your video now has your screen and your face in the corner.

The catch: the webcam window can disappear behind other windows when you click around. In the webcam window, choose View > Float on Top so it stays in front. You also cannot move, resize or reshape it after recording. Whatever you recorded is what you get.

Method 2: The Screenshot toolbar (screen and mic, no webcam)

Press Shift-Command-5. A toolbar appears at the bottom of the screen. Choose a recording mode, then click Options and pick a microphone. Press Record.

This is the fastest way to record the screen with your voice. It does not include the webcam. You can combine it with the QuickTime webcam window from Method 1 if you want both.

Method 3: Quibble (camera bubble you can move later)

Quibble records the screen and the camera as part of one recording. You turn on the camera with one setting, and you can change how it looks after you record.

1. Open Quibble.
2. Turn on Camera (Settings > Recording, or pick your camera in the recording options menu).
3. Press ⌥⌘R or click the red button to start recording.
4. Pick a display, a window, or an area of the screen.
5. Talk through what you are showing. Pick your microphone, and turn on system sound if you want the sound from the Mac too.
6. Stop the recording. Your video opens in the editor.

In the editor you can:

• Drag the camera bubble to another corner.
• Resize it.
• Change its shape, from a square to a full circle.
• Make the camera go full screen for the parts where you are only talking.

That last point is the main difference. With the QuickTime trick, the bubble is stuck where it was. With Quibble, you can fix it after the fact.

How to record your screen with audio and microphone

People often mix up three kinds of sound:

• Microphone: your voice.
• System sound: the audio your Mac plays, such as a video or an app sound.
• Both: voice and system sound together.

With the built-in tools, the microphone is easy. System sound is not. In QuickTime and the Screenshot toolbar, the only sound option is a microphone, so people usually add a separate audio tool to capture the sound of the Mac. If you are not sure whether your version of macOS has changed this, test with a ten-second recording first.

Quibble records the microphone and system sound. Both are part of the recording, so you do not need a second tool for the sound of your Mac.

Tips for good audio, whichever tool you use:

• Do a ten-second test and play it back before the real take.
• Use headphones with a mic or an external mic if you can. Laptop mics pick up keyboard noise.
• Close apps that make notification sounds.
• Say what you are about to do before you do it. It makes the video easier to follow.

Tips for a webcam recording that looks good

• Put your camera at eye level. Raise the laptop on a stack of books.
• Face a window or a lamp. Light behind you makes you a dark shape.
• Keep the bubble small. Viewers want to see the screen. A small face adds trust without hiding anything.
• Move it out of the way. If you point at something in the corner, move the bubble. This is where being able to drag it afterward helps.
• Use full screen camera for intros. Starting with your face for a few seconds feels personal. Then switch to the screen.

Where does the video go?

In Quibble, you can record, edit and preview without a license. To save the finished video or export it, you need a license. Press Done Editing to get an MP4. You can also export the camera by itself.

Price and requirements

Quibble costs $7.99 per month, $79 per year, or $129 once for lifetime use. There is a 14-day full refund on every plan. One license covers one Mac.

Quibble only runs on Macs with Apple silicon. It will not open on Intel-based Macs. If you have an Intel Mac, QuickTime and the Screenshot toolbar are still your free options.

Frequently asked questions

Can QuickTime record my screen and webcam at the same time?

Not with one button. Open a webcam window with New Movie Recording, then start a screen recording that includes that window. The camera is then captured as part of the screen.

How do I record my Mac screen and my voice?

Press Shift-Command-5, click Options, choose your microphone, then record. In Quibble, choose your microphone and press ⌥⌘R.

Can I record sound from my Mac, not just my voice?

Not directly with QuickTime or the Screenshot toolbar in most setups. Quibble can record system sound along with the microphone.

Can I change the webcam position after I record?

Not with the QuickTime method. In Quibble, you can drag, resize and reshape the camera bubble in the editor.

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