How to Screen Record on a Mac 2025

Screen recording on a Mac is a powerful way to capture everything happening on your screen, whether it’s for creating tutorials, saving gameplay, or recording video calls. Fortunately, macOS makes this process straightforward with built-in tools. This guide will walk you through the steps to screen record on your Mac, using both built-in features and third-party applications for enhanced functionality.(How to Screen Record on a Mac 2025)

Using Built-In Tools: QuickTime Player and Screenshot Toolbar

QuickTime Player Method

QuickTime Player is a versatile application that comes pre-installed on macOS. It allows you to record your screen with just a few clicks. Here’s how you can use it:

Open QuickTime Player:

You can find QuickTime Player in your Applications folder or by using Spotlight Search (press Cmd + Space and type “QuickTime Player”).

Start a New Screen Recording:

Once QuickTime Player is open, go to the menu bar and select File, then choose New Screen Recording.

Adjust Recording Settings:

A recording window will appear. Click on the small arrow next to the record button to access recording options.

You can select whether to use the built-in microphone for audio and choose other audio input sources.

Begin Recording:

Click the red Record button. You’ll be prompted to either click to record the entire screen or drag to select a specific area of the screen.(How to Screen Record on a Mac 2025)

If you choose to record a selected portion, drag to define the area and then click Start Recording within that area.

Stop Recording:

To stop recording, click the stop button in the menu bar (it looks like a square inside a circle).

The recording will automatically open in QuickTime Player. You can play it back, trim it, and save it by going to File > Save.

Screenshot Toolbar Method

Starting with macOS Mojave (10.14) and later, Apple introduced a new screenshot toolbar that also includes screen recording capabilities. Here’s how to use it:

Open the Screenshot Toolbar:

Press Cmd + Shift + 5 on your keyboard. This opens the screenshot and screen recording toolbar at the bottom of your screen.

Choose Recording Options:

The toolbar provides options for capturing screenshots and recording your screen. To start screen recording, click on the icon that looks like a small screen with a circle inside it.

You have two options here: Record Entire Screen and Record Selected Portion.

Start Recording:

For Record Entire Screen, click anywhere on the screen to begin recording.

For Record Selected Portion, drag to select the area of the screen you want to record, then click Start Recording.

Stop Recording:

To stop, click the stop button in the menu bar (it will be a square inside a circle), or use the Cmd + Ctrl + Esc keyboard shortcut.

The recording will be saved automatically to your desktop by default, but you can change the save location in the toolbar settings.(How to Screen Record on a Mac 2025)

Using Third-Party Applications

For more advanced features, you might want to consider third-party screen recording applications. These tools offer additional functionalities such as advanced editing, annotations, and more flexible export options. Here are a few popular ones:

OBS Studio

OBS Studio is a free, open-source software that provides powerful features for screen recording and streaming.

Download and Install:

Visit the OBS Studio website and download the version for macOS. Follow the installation instructions.

Set Up Recording:

Open OBS Studio and create a new scene by clicking the + button under the ‘Scenes’ box.

Add a new source by clicking the + button under the ‘Sources’ box and select Display Capture to record your screen.

Configure Settings:

Adjust settings in the ‘Settings’ menu for video quality, audio sources, and output file format.

Start and Stop Recording:

Click Start Recording to begin and Stop Recording when finished. Your recordings will be saved to the location specified in your settings.(How to Screen Record on a Mac 2025)

Camtasia

Camtasia is a paid software known for its robust editing features, making it ideal for creating polished videos.

Download and Install:

Download Camtasia from the TechSmith website and follow the installation instructions.

Record Your Screen:

Open Camtasia and click on New Recording to start capturing your screen. You can adjust recording settings such as recording area, audio, and webcam.

Edit Your Recording:

Once recorded, Camtasia provides a powerful editor where you can trim, add effects, and annotate your video.

Export Your Video:

After editing, export your video in various formats by going to Share > Export.