MotionShineShort answer: open QuickTime Player, choose File, then New Movie Recording, click the Start Recording button, then Stop Recording when you finish, then choose File, then Save. That is Apple's own method and it needs nothing extra. Photo Booth also records video: click Video at the bottom left, then Record Video. Both use your Mac's camera and a microphone.
Apple's facts here come from Apple Support's QuickTime Player User Guide ("Record a movie"), the Photo Booth User Guide and the Mac User Guide, read on 24 October 2026. None of those pages shows a publish date, so button names can change with a macOS update. Where Apple's page does not say something, this post says "not found". This is a guide to Apple's steps, not a hands-on test of every camera.
Which free method fits you?
| You want | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A clean recording you can save, trim and send | QuickTime Player, New Movie Recording | You choose the camera, microphone and quality, and you can pause |
| A quick clip for fun, with effects | Photo Booth | Video button, one click, effects are built in |
| To use your iPhone or iPad as the camera | QuickTime Player, with the device plugged in | Apple's page lists a connected device as a camera choice |
| Nothing to open on the Mac, just a browser | A browser recorder such as the online video recorder | Runs in a tab, no sign-up, nothing uploaded, per the tool page |
| To check the camera and microphone first | The webcam and mic test | Shows the picture, sound level and a 5 second test clip |
Method 1: QuickTime Player (the best free choice)
Apple's guide for recording a movie gives these steps for the built-in camera.
- Open QuickTime Player from your Applications folder.
- Choose File, then New Movie Recording. A green light next to the built-in camera shows that it is on. If your Mac has no built-in camera, connect an external one first.
- Click the Capture Device Selection Menu button. Pick a Camera and a Microphone if you have more than one, and pick the Quality.
- Set the volume control so you can hear what is being recorded. If you use speakers, headphones keep the sound out of the microphone.
- Click the Start Recording button. Click the Stop Recording button when you finish.
- Choose File, then Save and name the recording.
To pause, Option-click the Start Recording button. Click it again to carry on. Apple's page puts it exactly like that.
High or Maximum quality
Apple's page names two quality levels for the built-in camera:
| Quality | What Apple says it records | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| High | H.264 video and 44100 Hz AAC audio | The normal choice. Files stay a sensible size |
| Maximum | Apple ProRes 422 video and Linear PCM audio | Apple warns these files are uncompressed and can use large amounts of storage space |
For a message, a class or a call, choose High. Maximum is for people who plan to edit the footage in a pro editor. If you picked Maximum by mistake, the video compressor and how to compress a video on Mac help you make the file smaller afterwards.
Using an iPhone or iPad as the camera
Apple's page lists a second path. Connect the device to your Mac, open QuickTime Player, choose File, then New Movie Recording, then pick your device under Camera in the capture menu. For a connected device the quality choices are High (H.264 video and 44100 Hz AAC audio) and Maximum (H.264 video and Linear PCM audio). Apple adds a tip: if the device supports AirDrop, you can record on the device and send the video to your Mac wirelessly, then open it in QuickTime Player.
Method 2: Photo Booth
Apple's Photo Booth page gives three steps for video.
- Open Photo Booth. If you do not see the Take Photo or Record Video button, click View Photo or View Video to go back to the standard view.
- At the bottom left, click the Video button.
- Click Record Video to start, then click Stop when you finish.
Hold the Option key while you click Record Video to skip the countdown. If you use an external camera, connect it and turn it on before you open the app.
Photo Booth is the simplest option, but it gives you fewer choices. The pages read for this post do not say where Photo Booth keeps its videos, or how to export them. That is not found. Apple's guide has separate "View photos and videos" and "Export photos and videos" pages, so use those if you need the file. If you want to choose the quality and the file name, QuickTime Player is the better pick.
Method 3: in your browser
If you cannot or do not want to open an app, a browser tool can do it. The free online video recorder on this site records your webcam and microphone in a tab. Its page lists a choice of camera and microphone, quality up to 1080p, a countdown, pause, and a download. It also says the video never leaves your computer. Your browser will ask for permission to use the camera and microphone, and you need to say yes.
The online camera takes photos and short videos with filters, and saves them one by one or as a ZIP.
Check the camera before the real take
A bad recording is often a setup problem, not an app problem. Do this in under a minute.
- Open the webcam and mic test and press start. Its page says it checks the camera, resolution, frame rate, light and sound level, and gives a fix for anything that is off.
- Record its 5 second clip and play it back to see and hear yourself the way others will.
- Put the light in front of you, not behind you. That is general advice, not an Apple rule.
- Look at the camera lens when you talk, not at your own face on the screen. Also general advice.
If the camera does not turn on
Apple's Mac User Guide says you can allow or block each app's camera access. The steps:
- Open System Settings from the Apple menu, then click Privacy & Security.
- Click Camera.
- Turn the switch on for the app.
Apple's page adds that the list only shows apps that have asked to use the camera, and that FaceTime and Photo Booth have access automatically, so they do not appear in the list. That means if Photo Booth works and your browser or another app does not, the setting for that app is the first place to look. If a browser tool cannot see the camera, the permission is for the browser.
Other causes, as general advice and not Apple's wording: another app already has the camera open, an external camera is not plugged in firmly, or the wrong camera is selected in the capture menu.
What about the file?
Apple's QuickTime pages do not name the file type for a movie recording. The file you save is one you can open in QuickTime Player and trim, and the free video trimmer cuts the ends in a browser. If a site wants MP4 and you have a .mov, the MOV to MP4 converter does it, and MOV vs MP4 for screen recordings explains the difference. For polishing the result, see how to edit a video on Mac.
A screen recording is a different job
All of the above record you, through the camera. If you want to record what is on your screen, that is a separate tool: press Shift-Command-5, or use File, then New Screen Recording in QuickTime Player. How to record a video on Mac covers both side by side, and how to screen record on Mac has the full steps.
MotionShine, by the maker of this site, is a free Mac screen recorder with auto zoom, a smooth cursor and a full editor. It records your display, one window or an area, and it can record your camera too: camera only, screen only, or both with a camera bubble you can move and resize. For a quick plain recording of your face, the free methods above need no download at all. The free version exports up to 720p at 30 fps with no watermark and no time limit.
FAQ
How do I record my webcam on a Mac for free?
Open QuickTime Player, choose File, then New Movie Recording, click Start Recording, then Stop Recording, and save with File, then Save. Photo Booth also records video.
Does QuickTime record the webcam and the microphone?
Yes. Apple's page lets you pick a camera and a microphone in the capture menu, and the High quality setting records H.264 video with 44100 Hz AAC audio.
How do I pause a webcam recording in QuickTime?
Option-click the Start Recording button. Click it again to resume, according to Apple's page.
Can I use my iPhone as a webcam recorder on a Mac?
For recording in QuickTime Player, yes. Connect the iPhone, choose File, then New Movie Recording, and select the device as the camera.
Why is my webcam recording black?
Check System Settings, Privacy & Security, Camera, and turn the app on. Also close any other app that may be using the camera.
Where does Photo Booth save videos?
Not found on the Apple pages read for this post. Apple's Photo Booth guide has separate pages for viewing and exporting photos and videos.
