MotionShineShort answer: press Shift-Command-5, choose the whole screen, one window or a part of the screen, and click Record. To stop, click the Stop button in the menu bar. Your Mac saves the clip as a .mov file. That needs no install. If you want zoom, a styled cursor or an editor, use a recorder built for that, such as MotionShine.
Apple's steps come from its own Support pages for the Screenshot app and QuickTime Player, read on 18 October 2026. Neither page shows a publish date, so keys and menus can change with an update. Anything about other apps comes from that app's own pages.
Which way should you use?
| You want | Use | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| A quick clip of the screen or a window | Screenshot toolbar, Shift-Command-5 | No editor beyond trim |
| The same, from a menu | QuickTime Player, File, New Screen Recording | It opens the same Screenshot tools |
| Your Mac's own sound in the clip | Include System Audio, or a recorder that captures it | Depends on your macOS version |
| Zoom on clicks, a smooth cursor, text and music | A recorder with an editor, such as MotionShine | A download |
| To stop a recording that will not stop | Control-Command-Esc | Works for Apple's recorders only |
Method 1: the Screenshot toolbar (Shift-Command-5)
- Press Shift-Command-5, or open Screenshot from Spotlight.
- Click one of the three recording tools: record the entire screen, a window, or a portion of the screen. For a portion, drag the frame to move it, or drag its edges to resize it.
- Click Options and check the settings below. This is where you pick a microphone and a folder.
- Click Record.
- Click the Stop Recording button in the menu bar when you are done.
With more than one display, the full-screen option asks which screen to record, according to 9to5Mac's guide.
What each Options setting does
Apple's page lists these for recordings. Options differ a little between screenshots and recordings, so you will see more entries than the ones below.
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Save to | Pick a preset place, or choose Other Location for any folder |
| Timer | A delay before recording starts, so you can switch to the right window first |
| Microphone | Pick a microphone to record your voice. Choose None to record no sound |
| Show Floating Thumbnail | Shows a small preview in the corner after you stop |
| Remember Last Selection | Keeps the area you chose for next time |
| Capture Format | HDR or SDR. HDR holds more brightness and colour, but you need an HDR display to see the difference. Apple says an HDR recording looks slightly lower in quality on an SDR display |
| Show Mouse Pointer | Turns the pointer on or off in the recording |
Apple's QuickTime page also says you can choose to include the pointer or clicks in the recording from Options.
Method 2: QuickTime Player
Open QuickTime Player, choose File, then New Screen Recording, and click Record. Apple's page says this opens the same Screenshot tools, so Options and the stop button are the same as above. Use it if you like starting from a menu, or if you already keep QuickTime open for playback.
After you stop: the thumbnail, the file and trimming
- The thumbnail. If Show Floating Thumbnail is on, a small preview appears in the bottom right corner for a few seconds. Swipe it right to save the clip now, drag it into a document, email, note or Finder window, or click it to open a window where you can trim the recording or share it.
- The file. Apple's page says recordings are .mov files named Screen Recording with the date and time, and that by default they are saved to your desktop. Check Options, Save to, if you cannot find it. Where do screen recordings go on Mac covers every app.
- Trimming. Apple points to the thumbnail window for trimming. For more than a trim, an editor is the next step, and how to edit a screen recording on Mac compares the options. A free option is the video trimmer, which runs in your browser, and the MOV to MP4 converter helps when a site does not take .mov.
- Shortcuts. You can change keyboard shortcuts in System Settings, Keyboard, Keyboard Shortcuts, Screenshots, as Apple's page describes.
What the built-in recorder does not do
Apple's page lists recording tools, options and a thumbnail window. It does not list auto zoom, a styled cursor, a camera bubble, captions, music or a timeline editor. That is not a flaw for a quick bug report or a short walkthrough. It matters when the clip is a demo or a tutorial that people will watch.
Whether it records your Mac's own sound depends on your macOS version, and that has a page of its own: how to screen record on Mac with audio.
Recording a video call
For Zoom, the host can use Zoom's own Record button. For anything else, a screen recorder must capture your Mac's sound to get the other voices. How to record a Zoom meeting on Mac has both ways.
Method 3: a recorder with an editor
MotionShine is a free Mac screen recorder with a camera bubble, auto zoom on every click and a smooth cursor. You choose the whole display, one window or an area, and press record. After a countdown you work as normal and click where you want attention. Then you edit zooms, cursor, captions and sound in the editor and export.
What the maker's own pages say: it records your microphone and your Mac's own sound, it runs on macOS 13 and later, and the free version exports up to 720p with no watermark and no time limit. Pro adds 1080p up to 4K. Its first-run setup window asks you to allow Screen Recording in System Settings, and to restart the app afterwards. Its stop key is Command-Shift-2 by default.
For other apps side by side, see the best screen recorders for Mac. If you are leaving another tool, there are pages for the free Screen Studio alternative and the best Loom alternatives.
It does not work: a short checklist
- Nothing happens or the clip is blank. Open System Settings, Privacy & Security, Screen & System Audio Recording, and switch the app on. Restart the app if macOS asks.
- No sound. Open Options and choose a microphone. The built-in recorder records no sound when none is selected.
- You cannot stop it. Press Control-Command-Esc. The stop guide lists every way.
- The pointer is missing. Open Options and turn on Show Mouse Pointer.
- You cannot find the file. Open Options and read Save to, or search Finder for "Screen Recording".
Keep the built-in recorder if
You need a quick clip, a bug report or a short how-to for one person, and a trim is enough. It is free and it is already on your Mac. Switch when the clip needs zoom on clicks, a clean cursor, your face, captions or music, or when you record often enough that the setup time adds up.
FAQ
What is the shortcut to screen record on a Mac?
Shift-Command-5 opens the Screenshot toolbar. Choose a recording tool, then click Record. You can change shortcuts in System Settings, Keyboard, Keyboard Shortcuts, Screenshots.
Can you screen record on a Mac without an app?
Yes. The Screenshot toolbar and QuickTime Player are both part of macOS, so you need nothing extra to record the screen, a window or a part of it.
How do I screen record on a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro?
The steps are the same on every Mac. Press Shift-Command-5, pick what to record and click Record.
Does a Mac screen recording include sound?
It records your microphone if you choose one in Options. Your Mac's own sound depends on your macOS version, covered in the audio guide.
How long can a Mac screen recording be?
Apple's pages do not state a time limit for the built-in recorder.
What format is a Mac screen recording?
A .mov file. Use the MOV to MP4 converter if a site or app wants MP4.
How do I stop a screen recording?
Click the Stop Recording button in the menu bar, or press Control-Command-Esc.
