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How to screen record on a laptop

On a Windows laptop, press Win+Shift+R, drag over the screen and click Start. On a MacBook, press Shift-Command-5. On a Chromebook, press Shift+Ctrl+Show windows. Or use the free browser recorder below on any of them.

Jump to the step-by-step guide

Online Screen Recorder

Free, no sign-up, no watermark. Pick what to record to begin.

What do you want to record?

Pick one to start.

Your browser will ask for permission. Recordings stay on this device, nothing is uploaded.

Pick what to record

Then tap the red button

Screen recording on HP, Dell, Lenovo and other laptops

How you screen record depends on the operating system, not the brand. HP, Dell, Lenovo, Acer, ASUS, Microsoft Surface and MSI laptops almost all run Windows, so they share the same built-in recorders. A MacBook uses macOS’s tools, and a Chromebook uses ChromeOS’s. Find your system below and follow those steps.

Not sure which you have? A Windows laptop has a Windows key and a Start menu, a MacBook has Command keys, and a Chromebook has a Launcher key and runs Chrome as its desktop. On any of them, the online screen recorder at the top of this page works in a browser with nothing to install.

How to screen record on a Windows laptop with Snipping Tool

  1. Press Win+Shift+R

    The shortcut opens Snipping Tool’s recorder on Windows 11. You can also open Snipping Tool from Start, switch to the video camera icon and click New.

  2. Drag over the area

    Drag a box over what you want to record, or from corner to corner for the whole screen. A toolbar with Start appears at the top.

  3. Turn on the sound you want

    Click the microphone button for your voice and the system audio button for the laptop’s own sound. A line through an icon means it’s off.

  4. Record and stop

    Click Start. After a short countdown, recording begins. Click the red Stop button when you’re finished.

  5. Find the video

    The recording opens for playback and is saved as an MP4 in Videos > Screen Recordings. Click Save as to put a copy elsewhere.

Windows laptops: HP, Dell, Lenovo, Acer and others

Snipping Tool (above) is the best built-in choice on Windows 11. On Windows 10, or to record a single game or app, use Xbox Game Bar: click into the app and press Win+Alt+R to start and stop. Game Bar can’t record the desktop or File Explorer. The Windows screen recording guide has both in more depth.

HP laptops

HP laptops use the Windows tools above. On some HP keyboards the Print Screen key shares a key with another function, so press fn with it if a shortcut doesn’t respond. HP’s own preinstalled apps vary by model and change over time, so the Windows recorders are the reliable route.

Dell laptops

Dell laptops have no separate screen recorder; use Snipping Tool or Game Bar. If Win+Alt+R does nothing, check Settings > Gaming > Xbox Game Bar is turned on.

Lenovo, Acer, ASUS and Surface

The same applies. Some gaming laptops add their own capture apps from the graphics card maker, which are fine for games but not needed for everyday recording.

MacBook

Press Shift-Command-5, choose Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion, set a microphone under Options and click Record. Stop with the button in the menu bar or Command-Control-Esc. Full details, including recording your Mac’s sound, are in the Mac screen recording guide.

Chromebook

Press Shift+Ctrl+Show windows, select Screen record, choose your sound under the settings gear and click to start. The Chromebook guide covers audio, the camera and where files are saved.

Screen record on a laptop with sound

Which laptop recorders capture which sound
Recorder Your voice Laptop sound
Snipping Tool (Windows 11) YesYes
Xbox Game Bar YesYes, from the app being recorded
Shift-Command-5 (Mac) YesOnly on macOS 27 or later
ChromeOS Screen capture YesYes (Device audio)
recorder.video in Chrome or Edge YesA tab’s sound everywhere; whole-screen sound on Windows and ChromeOS

Laptop speakers are close to the microphone, so a recording of your voice can pick up the laptop’s sound a second time. Headphones fix that. More on getting both into one video in the guide to screen recording with audio.

No built-in option? Use the browser

A work laptop with Snipping Tool blocked, an older Windows version, or a need for your webcam in the corner are all good reasons to use the browser. recorder.video records your screen, a window or a single tab, adds your webcam as a bubble and your mic, and saves the take on the laptop as you go. Nothing is uploaded and there’s no watermark.

  1. Choose Screen + camera (or Screen) and allow the camera and mic.
  2. Pick Entire screen, a window or a tab in the browser’s picker, with the audio box ticked.
  3. Press Start recording, then Stop, trim and Download MP4.

On battery, recording can make a laptop warm and drain it quickly. Plug in for anything long, and choose 1080p under Quality in More > Settings if an older laptop drops frames.

Recording questions

How do I screen record on an HP laptop?

HP laptops run Windows, so press Win+Shift+R to record with Snipping Tool, or Win+Alt+R to record an app with Xbox Game Bar. You can also record in a browser with recorder.video.

How do I screen record on a Dell laptop?

Use Snipping Tool with Win+Shift+R on Windows 11, or Xbox Game Bar with Win+Alt+R. Dell laptops don’t need a separate recorder.

How do I screen record on my laptop with sound?

In Snipping Tool, turn on the microphone and system audio buttons before you click Start. On a MacBook, choose a microphone under Options, and turn on Include System Audio on macOS 27 or later.

Where do laptop screen recordings go?

On Windows, Snipping Tool saves to Videos > Screen Recordings and Game Bar to Videos > Captures. A Mac saves to the desktop, and a Chromebook to Downloads.

Can I record my laptop screen and webcam at once?

The Windows tools don’t add a webcam overlay. recorder.video does: choose Screen + camera and your face appears in a bubble you can move.

Is there a free screen recorder for laptops with no watermark?

Yes. The built-in tools add no watermark, and neither does recorder.video, which also needs no download.

Other ways to record