The quickest way to record your Mac screen
Press Shift–Command–5, choose the screen area you want to record, review Options, and start recording. Stop from the menu bar or press Command–Control–Esc. The built-in Screenshot app is a useful first choice for a simple clip.
Choose a dedicated recorder/editor when the job also needs precise cuts, editable zooms, a camera composition, captions, or animated titles. You do not need all of those tools just to send a short visual explanation.
Record with the built-in Screenshot toolbar
Open the app you want to demonstrate, then use Shift–Command–5. Select the entire screen or a portion. Apple's current documentation also lists selected-window recording on macOS Tahoe 26 and later. Check which controls your installed version offers.
Open Options before recording. Select a microphone if you need narration, choose a save location, and set a timer if you want a moment to prepare. Keep private windows and notifications out of the selected region. Press Record only after the framing and sources are correct.
Apple's screen recording guide describes the controls for current and older versions. The Screenshot app guide covers its options in more detail.
Use QuickTime Player if that is your usual starting point
Open QuickTime Player and choose File → New Screen Recording. On modern macOS versions this can open the Screenshot controls. Older versions may show a separate recording window. Follow the interface your Mac actually displays.
QuickTime is also useful for opening the finished file and checking the take before you send it. If the video needs substantial rearrangement, callouts, or a new composition, keep the source recording and continue in an editor.
Choose the sound you actually need
Microphone audio is your voice or sound reaching an input device. System audio is sound produced by an app. Enabling the microphone does not necessarily capture clean application sound: it may only record the speakers through the room.
Apple now documents an Include System Audio option for macOS 27 and later. On older systems, do not assume the built-in recorder has that switch. A recorder that supports native system audio on your installed macOS version is another route. See our system audio guide for Creavit and version-specific OBS options.
For a narrated demo, use headphones and make a short test containing both speech and an application sound. Listen to the saved file. A moving meter alone does not prove that the recording contains the correct source at a useful level.
Where is the screen recording saved?
Check the Screenshot toolbar's Options → Save to setting. The desktop is the default, but the destination can be changed. Look there before making a second recording. An app-specific recorder can use its own project library or export folder instead.
Name important takes immediately. A date-based filename is useful for finding the newest recording, but a name such as “billing-filter-demo-source” is easier to identify when you revisit the project a month later. Keep the editable project separately from the file you share.
Record and edit in Creavit Studio
Creavit Studio brings capture and editing into one Mac app. Download the build for your Mac, then choose Display, Window, or Area in the recorder. For a phone demo, use the separate USB iPhone recording workflow.
- Choose the source. Confirm the selected window or display and the portion that should be visible.
- Choose the audio and camera. Turn on microphone, system audio, or camera only when the video needs them. Selecting a source is preparation; press Record to begin.
- Perform one clear task. Leave a short pause before the first action and after the result. This gives you useful space when trimming.
- Stop and edit. Remove setup time and mistakes, then review the recording from the viewer's perspective.
- Direct attention. Adjust zooms, cursor presentation, text, and camera placement while the composition remains editable.
- Export and check. Play the finished file at its intended display size before publishing it.
For a repeated spoken take, transcript and silence editing can help remove the unnecessary parts. For an opening card or animated label, use the free Motion Editor.
Fix common recording problems
The screen is black or the app is missing
Check macOS System Settings → Privacy & Security for the recorder's screen-recording permission; labels vary by macOS version. If macOS asks you to reopen the app after changing permission, do so before testing again. Re-select the capture source if a window was closed or moved between displays.
Some protected content cannot be recorded. A black region inside an otherwise working capture may come from that restriction, rather than a broken recorder. Use content you are permitted to capture and test with an ordinary app window to separate the causes.
My voice is missing
Confirm the input device in the recorder, microphone permission in System Settings, and the microphone's mute state. Bluetooth devices and external interfaces can change which input is available. Make a new short test after changing a device.
The video is hard to read
Increase the app's text size before capture and record a smaller relevant area where possible. A high-resolution recording of a whole desktop can still be illegible when reduced to a small player. Use a deliberate close-up for an important control; return to an overview when context matters.
The recording feels slow
Trim the setup, repeated actions, and unnecessary waiting. Preserve pauses that help the viewer understand a result. If you shorten a long operation, make the edit clear rather than implying that the software completed it instantly.
Which method should you use?
For a short unedited explanation, start with Screenshot or QuickTime. For streaming and source mixing, consider OBS. For a reusable product demo with visual edits, try Creavit Studio and follow the product demo guide. Choose based on the finished video you need, then test that complete workflow.