MotionShineShort answer: pick one job your app does, write a short script, record it in clips with Shift-Command-5 or QuickTime Player, then trim and join the clips in an editor. Keep it short. Show the result in the first seconds, show the steps, and end with one next step for the viewer. For a Mac or web app you record the screen directly. For an iPhone app you record the phone's screen, or use the simulator if you build apps.
The recording steps come from Apple Support pages read on 24 October 2026. The planning advice is general advice from this guide, not a maker claim, and it is labelled where it matters. This guide is by the maker of MotionShine, which appears near the end after the steps that work with free Apple tools.
If you are making a demo to sell a product, how to make a product demo video covers the selling side. This post is the how-to for the Mac: the plan, the recording and the edit.
Step 1: Plan the demo before you press record
Most weak demos try to show every feature. Pick one job instead. A viewer should be able to finish the video and say "it does X for me".
Answer four questions in a notes file:
- Who is watching? A new user, a buyer, a person who already signed up. Each wants a different demo.
- What is the one job? For example, "create a project and share it". Not "tour the app".
- What does the finished result look like? This is your first shot, so the viewer knows the goal.
- What do you want them to do next? Download, sign up, try the free version. Pick one.
General advice from guides that rank for this topic is to keep the script short, and one of them suggests under 90 seconds. Treat that as a starting point, not a rule. Your demo is the right length when every shot answers a question the viewer has.
Write a shot list
A shot list is a table with what you say and what the screen shows. It is a lighter version of the tutorial video script template. Here is a shape you can copy:
| Shot | What the viewer sees | What you say | Rough time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Result | The finished outcome in the app | "This is what you get." | 5 to 10 seconds |
| 2. Start | The empty or starting screen | "Here is where you begin." | 5 seconds |
| 3. Steps | One click or action per clip | One short line each | 10 to 40 seconds |
| 4. Payoff | The result again, now complete | "That is it." | 5 seconds |
| 5. Next step | A screen with the download or sign up | One line | 5 seconds |
The times are a starting point only. They are not from any test.
Step 2: Get the app ready
A clean screen is half of a good demo.
- Use demo data. Make an account or project with fake names and plain content. Do not show customer names, emails or keys.
- Close notifications. Turn on Do Not Disturb before recording so a message does not pop up in the middle.
- Hide clutter. Close extra windows, tidy the desktop and clear the browser tabs you do not need.
- Set the size. Record a window or an area, not the whole screen, if you can. A smaller area is easier to read on a phone.
- Reset to the start. You will record the same steps more than once. Make it easy to return to the beginning.
Step 3: Record on your Mac
A Mac app or a web app
Apple's Support page describes the Screenshot toolbar.
- Press Shift-Command-5.
- Choose Record Entire Screen, or Record Selected Portion to drag out an area. Apple's page lists a Selected Window option on macOS Tahoe 26 or later, where you click the window to start.
- Click Options to set a microphone, show a black circle around the pointer when you click, set a delay in seconds before recording starts, and change the save location.
- Click Record.
- To stop, click the Stop button in the menu bar or press Command-Control-Esc.
Apple's page says the recording saves to your desktop by default, as a thumbnail appears in the corner. The file is a .mov. If you cannot find it, see where do screen recordings go on Mac.
QuickTime Player gives the same tools. Apple's guide says you choose File, then New Screen Recording, click Record, and use the Stop button in the menu bar to end. In Options you can choose to include the pointer or clicks in the recording.
For sound, how to screen record on Mac with audio explains the microphone setting and what each option can capture.
An iPhone or iPad app
The two common ways, and how much each was checked:
- Record on the device itself. iOS has a built-in screen recorder in Control Center. This was not re-checked against Apple's page today, so confirm the steps on your own phone.
- Record the phone on your Mac with QuickTime Player. Apple's QuickTime Player guide has a section on capturing the screen of an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch and saving it as a movie on your Mac. The exact menu steps were not on the page read today. Guides from other sites describe it as connecting the device with a cable, choosing New Movie Recording, and picking the device in the menu next to the record button. Treat that as general advice and check the menu names on your Mac.
- If you build apps, the iOS Simulator shows the app in a window on your Mac, and you can record that window with the steps above. This is general advice. It was not checked on an Apple page today.
Record in clips
General advice: record one shot per clip, not one long take. If you fumble the third step, you redo only that clip. It also makes the edit simple, because each clip matches one row of your shot list.
Move the mouse slowly and on purpose. Pause for a second after each click so the viewer can see what changed. You can speed up or trim dead time later, but you cannot add a pause that was not recorded.
Step 4: Record the voice
You have two choices. Talk while you record, or record the voice after. Recording after is easier for a beginner, because you can watch the clip and say one line at a time. How to record your voice on a Mac covers the tools. If your room echoes, a closet with clothes in it is a free fix. That is general advice.
Step 5: Edit the demo
Your edit has four jobs: trim, join, add text, and export.
- Trim the start and end of each clip. Cut your own "ok, starting" and the pause after you finish. QuickTime Player does this with Edit, then Trim, per Apple's guide. How to edit a screen recording on Mac shows the steps.
- Join the clips in order. iMovie or QuickTime Player can do this, and how to edit a video on Mac has Apple's steps for each.
- Add short on-screen text for the key moments, such as the name of the feature. Keep it to a few words.
- Cut dead time. Waiting for a page to load is boring. Trim it or speed it up. Video editing tips for screen recordings has the pacing rules.
Make the cursor and clicks easy to follow
The most common problem in an app demo is that viewers cannot see where you clicked. The Screenshot toolbar's option to show a black circle at each click is a free fix. For a screen recording on a phone-sized screen, zooming in on the click helps more. In a general editor you add zooms by hand, clip by clip.
MotionShine: zoom and cursor without the manual work
MotionShine is a free Mac screen recorder with auto zoom on every click and a smooth cursor, with click effects and motion blur you can add. Its editor has text, pictures, music lanes, voice over and on-device captions. Free exports go up to 720p at 30 fps with no watermark and no time limit. Pro unlocks 1080p, 1440p, 4K and 60 fps, with one-time prices. It records your display, a window or an area on macOS 13 or later.
It is not for you if your demo is a phone screen recorded by the phone itself, or if you need to mix in camera footage of people. It has no share links. For a phone screen recording, trim it in iMovie or QuickTime Player instead.
Step 6: Export the demo
Pick the size for where the video will live.
- A website or a docs page: MP4 is the safe choice. If your recording is a .mov, the free MOV to MP4 converter runs in your browser. MOV vs MP4 for screen recordings explains the difference.
- Email or chat: keep the file small. The video compressor shrinks it, and how to compress a video on Mac has the steps.
- YouTube: see YouTube video size, resolution and aspect ratio.
Watch the whole export once with the sound on, on a phone if your viewers will use one. Check that the text is readable and that no private information shows.
A checklist before you publish
- The first five seconds show the result.
- One job, not a tour of every feature.
- No real customer names, emails or keys on screen.
- Every click is easy to see.
- No long waiting moments.
- One next step at the end.
FAQ
How long should an app demo video be?
Short enough that every shot answers a question. One guide in the search results suggests a script under 90 seconds. Treat it as a start and cut anything the viewer does not need.
How do I record an iPhone app demo on a Mac?
Apple's QuickTime Player guide has a section on capturing your iPhone or iPad screen and saving it as a movie. Guides from other sites describe cable plus New Movie Recording. Check the menu names on your Mac, as those guides are older.
What is the best free software to make an app demo video on Mac?
Apple's Screenshot toolbar or QuickTime Player records, and iMovie edits. All three are made by Apple. If you want automatic zoom on clicks, use a screen recorder built for demos, such as MotionShine, which is free to export at 720p.
Do I need to record my voice at the same time?
No. Many people record the screen first and the voice after, one line per clip. It is easier to get it right.
How do I stop notifications from showing in a demo?
Turn on Do Not Disturb before you record. This is general advice. Check the setting name on your version of macOS.
Can I make a demo without showing my face?
Yes. A screen recording with a voice over is enough for most app demos. A camera bubble is optional.
