record screen macbook

How to record the screen on your Mac

Screen recording is a handy feature to have on any device. iPhone users might be aware of how to do screen recording as it is a rather well-known feature. You can easily create a shortcut in the Control Centre on your iPhone and record your screen. However, screen recording is also available on Mac devices and is actually quite simple to do as well. If you are unaware of how to screen record on MacBook, then follow these steps.

Things to keep in mind:

  • A Mac device running macOS Mojave or later
  • Older macOS versions do not support this feature

You can use Screenshot or QuickTime player to make a video recording of the entire screen or just a selected portion of it.

Use the Screenshot toolbar

To view the Screenshot toolbar, press these three keys together: Shift, Command, and 5. You will see onscreen controls for recording the entire screen, recording a selected portion of the screen, or capturing a still image of your screen:

Screenshot Toolbar
  1. Select the rectangle with the circle icon if you want to record the whole screen.
  2. If you want to record a particular part of the screen, then choose the dotted-line rectangle with a circle icon.
  3. Press the Stop button in the screen recording menu bar to end the recording.
  4. All screen recordings are saved on the Mac desktop by default. You can choose a different location as well.

Use QuickTime Player

  1. Open QuickTime Player from your Applications folder, then choose File > New Screen Recording from the menu bar. You will then see either the onscreen controls described above or the Screen Recording window described below. 

2. Before starting your recording, you can click the arrow next to the Record button to change the recording settings:

  • To record your voice or other audio with the screen recording, choose a microphone. To monitor that audio during recording, adjust the volume slider. If you get audio feedback, lower the volume or use headphones with a microphone.
  • To show a black circle around your pointer when you click, choose Show Mouse Clicks in Recording.

3. To start recording, click the Record button and then take one of these actions:

  • Click anywhere on the screen to begin recording the entire screen.
  • Or drag to select an area to record, then click Start Recording within that area.

4. To stop recording, click the Stop button  in the menu bar, or press Command-Control-Esc (Escape).

5. After you stop recording, QuickTime Player automatically opens the recording. You can now play, edit, or share the recording.

More Information :

  • The Screenshot toolbar is available in macOS Mojave or later.
  • When saving your recording automatically, your Mac uses the name ”Screen Recording date at time.mov”.
  • To cancel making a recording, press the Esc key before clicking to record.
  • You can open screen recordings with QuickTime Player, iMovie, and other apps that can edit or view videos.
  • Some apps might not let you record their windows.