How to Screen Record on Mac (With Audio): Shift-Command-5 & QuickTime

Screen record on a Mac with Shift-Command-5 or QuickTime Player: record the whole screen, a window or a selection, set the save location, timer, microphone and mouse clicks, record system audio on macOS 27, stop from the menu bar, and a free browser option.

Written guide How to Screen Record on Mac Shift-Command-5, QuickTime, recording with audio, and fixes. Read the guide →

Key moments

1. 1 Introduction , starts at 0:00
2. 2 Open the Screenshot toolbar , starts at 0:06
3. 3 Choose what to record , starts at 0:16
4. 4 Set the options , starts at 0:30
5. 5 Record your Mac's sound , starts at 0:46
6. 6 Record and stop , starts at 0:59
7. 7 Use QuickTime Player , starts at 1:11
8. 8 Allow screen recording , starts at 1:20
9. 9 Free in your browser , starts at 1:31

Transcript

Introduction 0:00

1. 0:00 Here's how to screen record on a Mac, with sound, using the tools already built in.

Open the Screenshot toolbar 0:06

1. 0:06 Press Shift, Command, 5.
2. 0:08 The Screenshot toolbar opens at the bottom of the screen.
3. 0:11 The first three buttons take screenshots, and the next three record video.

Choose what to record 0:16

1. 0:16 Pick Record Entire Screen, Record Selected Window, or Record Selected Portion.
2. 0:23 For a portion, drag the frame or its handles around the area you want.
3. 0:27 For a window, press Record, then click the window.

Set the options 0:30

1. 0:31 Click Options to set things up first.
2. 0:33 Save to picks where the file goes. The desktop is the default.
3. 0:37 Timer adds a five or ten second countdown.
4. 0:40 Under Microphone, choose your mic to record your voice.
5. 0:43 Show Mouse Clicks draws a circle around each click.

Record your Mac's sound 0:46

1. 0:46 On macOS 27 and later, turn on Include System Audio to record the sound your Mac plays.
2. 0:53 On older versions, the built-in tools can't record it, so you'd need an extra audio app.

Record and stop 0:59

1. 0:59 Click Record to start.
2. 1:02 To stop, click the Stop button in the menu bar, or press Command, Control, Escape.
3. 1:07 Your recording is saved to the desktop as a MOV file.

Use QuickTime Player 1:11

1. 1:12 You can also start from QuickTime Player.
2. 1:14 Choose File, then New Screen Recording.
3. 1:16 It opens the same toolbar, ready to record.

Allow screen recording 1:20

1. 1:20 If a recording shows only your wallpaper, the app needs permission.
2. 1:24 Open System Settings, Privacy and Security, Screen and System Audio Recording, and turn the app on.

Free in your browser 1:31

1. 1:31 Want your webcam in the corner, or an MP4? Try recorder.video in your browser.
2. 1:37 Click Screen, choose what to share, then click Record.
3. 1:41 Click Stop when you're done.
4. 1:42 Your recording appears under Scenes.
5. 1:45 Open the scene menu and choose Everything combined to download an MP4.
6. 1:50 It's free, and your recording is never uploaded.
7. 1:54 The full step-by-step guide is at recorder.video.