mac screen recorderDownload for MacPractical guides to help you prepare, record, and explain. Useful with whichever recording tool you use today.
Every Mac can record its screen with the built-in Screenshot toolbar. Here is what to press, and where the file goes.
Press Shift-Command-5 to open the Screenshot toolbar. Choose the entire screen, a selected portion or, in macOS Tahoe 26 or later, a single window, then click Record. QuickTime Player records the screen too: choose File › New Screen Recording.
Click the Stop button in the menu bar, or press Command-Control-Esc.
Full answerTo your desktop, named “Screen Recording” with the date and time. A thumbnail shows in the corner first: click it to edit the recording, or wait and it saves. To save somewhere else, open Options in the Screenshot toolbar and choose a folder.
Full answerFor your voice, choose a microphone in Options. For the Mac’s own sound, choose Include System Audio in Options on macOS 27 or later. On earlier versions, you need an app that records system audio.
Short, practical reads you can finish before your next take.
Choose the right audio source, check your macOS options, and make a short recording you can hear.
In this guide
What to close, how to keep private details and notifications out, and a short test take.
In this guide
Start with the outcome, choose one path, use believable sample data and record in three short beats.
In this guide
Set a finish line, write the steps first, keep the screen readable and let each action land.
In this guideA few minutes before you record saves a lot of editing later.
Read the full checklistFor every Mac with Apple silicon. Set up in a minute.
