How to screen record on Mac, Windows and Chromebook

The quick answer for each computer

How to screen record on a Mac

1. Press Shift Command 5. The Screenshot toolbar appears at the bottom of the screen.
2. Choose what to record. The entire screen or a selected portion; recent macOS versions can also record one window.
3. Click Options. Choose a microphone if you want your voice, a timer, where to save, and Show Mouse Clicks.
4. Click Record. To stop, click the Stop button in the menu bar or press Command Control Esc.

The file is a MOV on your desktop unless you chose another folder. QuickTime Player (File › New Screen Recording) opens the same tool. The catch for many people is sound: Apple only lists recording the Mac's own audio (Include System Audio) on macOS 27 and later. On older versions you get the microphone only.

How to screen record on Windows

Snipping Tool is the best built-in choice for the desktop, documents and browsers.

1. Press Windows Shift R, or open Snipping Tool, select Record, then New.
2. Drag to select the area you want to record.
3. Turn sound on if you need it. Recent versions have buttons for system audio and the microphone on the recording bar.
4. Select Start, then Stop when you're done, and save the MP4.

Xbox Game Bar is built for games and apps. Open the app you want, press Windows Alt R to start and again to stop. It records one app window at a time and doesn't work on the desktop or in File Explorer, which is why it often seems to do nothing. Clips are saved to Videos › Captures.

How to screen record on a Chromebook

1. Press Shift Ctrl Show windows (the key above 6 on most Chromebooks), or open Screen capture from Quick Settings.
2. Select Screen record, then full screen, part of the screen or one window.
3. Open Settings at the bottom to choose Device audio, Microphone, or both, and to turn on Front Camera if you want your face in the corner.
4. Start, then select Stop recording at the bottom right, or press Search Shift X.

Recordings are saved as WebM files in Downloads. WebM plays in Chrome and VLC, but some phones and video editors won't open it, so you may need to convert it before sharing.

When a browser recorder is easier

The built-in tools are good, but each works differently, and each has a gap. A browser recorder is worth it when:

• You switch computers. Screen Recorder works the same on a Mac, a Windows PC and a Chromebook.
• You want your face in the video. It adds a camera bubble you can drag anywhere, even while recording.
• You need MP4. In recent Chrome, Edge and Safari it saves MP4, which plays on phones and in editors, including on a Chromebook.
• You want a quick trim. Cut the fumbled start and the reach for the Stop button before you download.
• You only want one tab. In Chrome and Edge you can record a single tab with its sound, so notifications from other apps stay out.

It saves the recording on your computer as it goes, so a closed tab loses at most a second, and nothing is uploaded.

Tips for a clean recording

• Hide private things. Close email, password managers and messages. Notifications are recorded like everything else.
• Check the microphone first. Record ten seconds and play it back.
• Use a headset if you're recording a call, so the other person's voice doesn't echo.
• Keep it short. Several short clips are easier to watch and to redo than one long one.

Common mistakes

• Forgetting "Share audio". In Chrome and Edge, sound is only recorded if the box is ticked in the share picker.
• Using Game Bar for the desktop. It's for apps and games. Use Snipping Tool instead.
• Recording the wrong screen. With two monitors, check which one you picked.
• Not giving permission on a Mac. The first time, allow the browser under System Settings › Privacy & Security › Screen & System Audio Recording, then restart it.
• Recording other people without asking. Tell people on a call before you record them.