With the Screenshot tools
Press ⇧⌘5. Among the tools that appear, choose one of the recording tools:
- Record Entire Screen
- Record Selected Window, on macOS Tahoe or later
- Record Selected Portion, then drag the edges of the frame to choose the area
Click Record. If you chose a window, click the window. Press Esc to cancel before you start.
Choose what it records
Before you record, click Options. You can choose a microphone to record your voice with the screen, turn on Show Mouse Clicks to draw a black circle around the pointer when you click, set a timer, and choose where the recording is saved under Save to.
On supported Macs with macOS Tahoe or later, you can also choose a capture format: SDR (Most Compatible), which saves H.264, or HDR, which saves HEVC. On macOS 27 Golden Gate or later, choose Include System Audio to record the sound your Mac plays.
If you hear feedback while you record with a microphone, lower its volume or wear headphones with a microphone.
Stop recording
Click the Stop button in the menu bar, or press ⌘⌃Esc.
A thumbnail of the recording appears in the corner of the screen for a few seconds. Click it to edit the recording, or wait for it to be saved. Recordings go to your desktop unless you chose another place. Their names start with “Screen Recording” and include the date and time, and they’re .mov files you can open in QuickTime Player, iMovie and other video apps.
With QuickTime Player
Open QuickTime Player from your Applications folder and choose File › New Screen Recording, or press ⌃⌘N. If the Screenshot tools appear instead, record with them as above.
Click Record, then click anywhere to record the entire screen, or drag to select an area and click Start Recording. Stop it the same way. QuickTime Player opens the recording, so you can play it, edit it or share it.
From the notch, with Tilora
Tilora starts and stops a recording from the notch. Hold ⇧⌥Space for the action ring and let go on record. When you stop, the movie is held out from the notch, ready to drag into a chat, an email or Finder. A recording in progress is kept if Tilora quits, or the Mac logs out or restarts.
Recording needs Screen Recording access, which the notch asks for the first time. Tilora is $9.99 once, for three Macs, and free for 7 days. It needs macOS 14 or later.
Questions
Why can’t I record an app’s window?
Some apps, such as the Apple TV app, might not let you record their windows.
Where do screen recordings go on a Mac?
To your desktop, unless you chose another place under Save to, in Options.
Does Tilora’s teleprompter show up in a recording?
No. Tilora keeps its teleprompter out of screen sharing and screen recordings, so only you see your script.