Whether you need to create a software tutorial for a colleague, capture a bizarre glitch to send to IT support, or record a snippet of a live stream, capturing a video of your Mac’s screen is an essential skill. In the past, this required downloading expensive third-party software. Today, Apple builds powerful screen recording tools directly into the macOS operating system.
There are two primary ways to record your screen on a Mac: using the modern Screenshot Toolbar shortcut, or using the classic QuickTime Player application. Both methods are completely free and produce high-quality video files.
Method 1: Using the Screenshot Toolbar (macOS Mojave and later)
If you have purchased a Mac within the last several years, this is the fastest and most efficient way to record your screen.
Step 1: Open the Toolbar
Press and hold the following three keys simultaneously: Command + Shift + 5.
A small, floating toolbar will appear at the bottom of your screen. This toolbar controls both still screenshots and video recordings.
Step 2: Choose Your Recording Area
Look at the central section of the toolbar, which features two icons with a small “recording” circle on them:
- Record Entire Screen: Click the icon showing a solid rectangle. Your mouse cursor will turn into a tiny camera. Click anywhere on your screen to immediately begin recording everything visible on your monitor.
- Record Selected Portion: Click the icon showing a dashed-line rectangle. A highlighted box will appear on your screen. You can drag the corners of this box to resize it, allowing you to record a specific window or application while hiding your messy desktop. Once the box is perfectly positioned, click the Record button on the toolbar.
Step 3: Stop the Recording
Once you are finished, you need to stop the capture. Look at your Mac’s main menu bar at the absolute top of the screen (near the Wi-Fi and battery icons). You will see a small, circular Stop icon. Click it.
A thumbnail of your new video will temporarily appear in the bottom-right corner of your screen. By default, the final .mov video file will be automatically saved to your Desktop.
Method 2: Using QuickTime Player (All macOS Versions)
If you are using an older Mac, or if you prefer a dedicated application interface, you can use the built-in QuickTime Player to record your screen.
- Open the Applications folder and launch QuickTime Player. (Alternatively, press Command + Space to open Spotlight Search, type “QuickTime”, and press Enter).
- Click on File in the top menu bar.
- Select New Screen Recording from the drop-down menu.
If you are running a modern version of macOS, clicking this will simply open the Command + Shift + 5 toolbar described in Method 1. However, if you are running an older operating system, a small dark grey “Screen Recording” window will appear.
Click the red record button in the center of the window. A prompt will appear in the middle of your screen: click once to record the full screen, or click and drag a box to record a specific area.
How to Record Your Voice (Audio)
By default, the Mac screen recorder does not record audio. If you are recording a tutorial and need to speak over the video, you must explicitly tell the recorder to turn on your microphone.
- Press Command + Shift + 5 to open the toolbar.
- Before you click record, click on Options.
- In the menu that appears, look under the “Microphone” section.
- Select your desired audio input (e.g., Built-in Microphone or an external USB microphone if you have one plugged in).
Your Mac will now record your voice alongside the screen capture. Note that capturing internal system audio (like the sound of a YouTube video playing inside the browser) requires complex third-party audio routing software like BlackHole; the built-in tool only records from physical microphones.