How to Record the Screen on a Mac

Whether you need to create a software tutorial for a colleague, capture a software bug in action, or record a video presentation, you do not need to download expensive third-party screen recording software. Apple has built a highly capable, high-resolution screen recorder directly into macOS.

You can access this tool instantly using a single keyboard shortcut. Here is a complete guide to recording your screen, capturing audio, and trimming the final video on a Mac.

Step 1: Open the Screen Recording Tool

The screen recording tool is part of the master macOS Screenshot utility.

1. Press and hold these three keys simultaneously: Shift + Command + 5.
2. The screen will slightly dim, and a translucent control bar will appear at the bottom of your display.
3. Look at the middle section of the control bar. You will see two icons with small “recording” circles on them.
4. Record Entire Screen: Click the first recording icon (a solid box) if you want to capture your entire monitor.
5. Record Selected Portion: Click the second recording icon (a dashed box) if you only want to record a specific window or area. You can then click and drag the edges of the highlighted box to frame your recording perfectly.

Step 2: Configure Audio and Microphone Settings

By default, the Mac screen recorder captures video in complete silence. If you want to narrate your tutorial or capture the sound of your own voice, you must manually enable the microphone.

1. Before you start recording, click the Options menu on the control bar.
2. Under the Microphone section, select Built-in Microphone (or your external USB microphone if you have one plugged in).
3. Important Note: This built-in tool cannot natively record internal system audio (like the sound of a YouTube video playing in your browser) without complex third-party audio routing software like BlackHole. It only records your microphone.

Step 3: Start and Stop the Recording

Once you have framed your shot and enabled your microphone, you are ready to record.

1. Click the Record button on the control bar (or just click anywhere on the screen if you chose “Record Entire Screen”).
2. The control bar will disappear, and the recording will begin instantly.
3. Look at the very top of your screen, in the menu bar near your clock and Wi-Fi icon. You will see a small Stop icon (a square inside a circle).
4. Perform the actions you want to record.
5. When you are finished, click that Stop icon in the top menu bar. (Alternatively, you can press Command + Control + Esc to stop the recording without using the mouse).

Step 4: Trim and Save the Video

As soon as you stop the recording, a floating thumbnail of your video will appear in the bottom-right corner of your screen.

1. Click the thumbnail before it slides off the screen.
2. The video will open in a Quick Look editing window.
3. Click the Trim icon (it looks like a square with lines extending from the sides) at the top of the window.
4. A yellow timeline bar will appear at the bottom. Drag the left and right handles to cut out the awkward dead space at the beginning and end of your video.
5. Click Done.
6. Click Done again in the top-left corner.

Your finished, trimmed video will automatically save to your Desktop as a .mov file, ready to be emailed, uploaded to YouTube, or dropped into a presentation.