How to record your screen on Mac

Method 1: the screenshot toolbar (Cmd + Shift + 5)

Limits: no Mac audio (microphone only), no zoom, no background or webcam. Ideal for a quick clip.

1. 1

   Press Cmd + Shift + 5

   A toolbar appears at the bottom of the screen with the capture modes.

2. 2

   Choose “Record Entire Screen” or “Record Selected Portion”

   Under “Options,” you can pick the microphone and the save location, and show mouse clicks.

3. 3

   Click “Record,” then stop

   Use the stop button in the menu bar, or press Cmd + Ctrl + Esc. By default, the video is saved to your desktop.

Method 2: QuickTime Player

Limits: the same as the screenshot toolbar, plus basic trimming. No zoom and no styling.

1. 1

   Open QuickTime Player

   You'll find it in your Applications folder.

2. 2

   Choose File › New Screen Recording

   The same screenshot toolbar opens, with the same options.

3. 3

   Record, then trim if needed

   QuickTime then lets you trim the beginning and end (Edit › Trim).

Method 3: a dedicated screen recorder for polished videos

For a product demo, a tutorial or a social media video, a recorder like Clarcut captures your entire screen, a window or an area, with your webcam, your microphone and your Mac's audio, then edits the video for you:

• automatic zooms on every click, which you can tweak afterward;
• a smoothed cursor, cleaned-up audio, background noise removed;
• a background, rounded corners and a macOS-style window frame;
• export in 16:9, vertical 9:16 or square, as MP4 or GIF.

The permissions you need to grant

macOS protects your screen, microphone and camera, so it asks for your permission the first time you record. For the screen, turn on the app in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Screen & System Audio Recording (just “Screen Recording” on older versions), then relaunch it. If you record with QuickTime or the screenshot toolbar, these permissions are already granted.

Which method should you choose

• A quick capture for yourself: Cmd + Shift + 5.
• A capture you want to trim before sending: QuickTime Player.
• A demo, a tutorial or a video with your Mac's audio: a dedicated recorder like Clarcut, free to get started.

Frequently asked questions