How to Record Screen on Mac
How to record your screen on macOS using the Cmd + Shift + 5 toolbar or QuickTime Player — full screen or a selected area, with microphone and save location options.
| Step | Details |
|---|---|
| 01 | Press Command + Shift + 5 to open the recording toolbar The same shortcut used for screenshots also opens two recording buttons — Record Entire Screen and Record Selected Portion — right next to the capture icons. |
| 02 | Choose Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion Record Entire Screen starts as soon as you click anywhere on the display. Record Selected Portion lets you drag a box first, then click Start inside it. |
| 03 | Click Options to set your microphone, timer, and save location Turn on a microphone if you want narration, set a 5 or 10 second countdown, and choose where the finished file is saved — Desktop is the default. |
| 04 | Stop recording with Command + Control + Esc or the menu bar icon A small recording indicator appears in the menu bar while you record. Click it and choose Stop, or use the keyboard shortcut, whichever is faster to reach. |
| 05 | Use QuickTime Player for an alternative recording window Open QuickTime Player, then File > New Screen Recording. It opens the same recording toolbar as Command + Shift + 5, so the controls behave identically either way. |
Mac doesn't have a separate app you need to hunt down for screen recording — the exact same shortcut you use for screenshots handles it.
Which option should you pick?
| You want to... | Do this | Starts recording when? |
|---|---|---|
| Record everything on screen | Cmd + Shift + 5, then Record Entire Screen | On your next click anywhere |
| Record just one area | Cmd + Shift + 5, then Record Selected Portion | After you drag a box and click Start |
| Record with narration | Either option above + Options > choose a microphone | Same as above |
| Use QuickTime instead | QuickTime Player > File > New Screen Recording | Opens the same toolbar |
Setting up audio before you record
By default, Mac screen recordings capture no sound at all. Press Cmd + Shift + 5, click Options, and pick a microphone from the list if you need to narrate over the recording. This has to be set before you click Record — there's no way to add audio after the fact from the same toolbar.
Stopping a recording
Once recording starts, a small dark indicator appears in the menu bar at the top of the screen. You can either click it and choose Stop, or press Cmd + Control + Esc from anywhere — useful if the menu bar is hidden or you're in a full-screen app.
QuickTime Player does the same thing
If you'd rather start from an app instead of a keyboard shortcut, open QuickTime Player from Launchpad or Spotlight, then go to File > New Screen Recording. It brings up the identical toolbar with the same Options menu — there's no functional difference between the two starting points.
On Windows instead? See our full Windows screen recording guide — the shortcuts and file format are both different.
Comments
2Each comment shows the browser and OS it was posted from next to the name. Spam or comments containing personal information may be removed without notice.