MotionShineShort answer: if you started the recording with Shift-Command-5 or QuickTime Player, press Control-Command-Esc, or click the Stop button in the menu bar. If you used another recorder, such as Loom or MotionShine, it has its own stop key, listed in the table below. Do not press Command-Option-Esc: that opens Force Quit.
Apple's steps come from its own Support page, which was last published on 14 September 2026. Loom's come from its help page. Everything was checked on 14 October 2026, and the keys can change with an update.
Which app is recording?
The stop key depends on the app that started the recording. Guides that give one shortcut for every recorder are wrong for any app that has its own keys.
| You started it with | How to stop it | Where that comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Screenshot app (Shift-Command-5) | Click Stop in the menu bar, or press Control-Command-Esc | Apple Support |
| QuickTime Player (New Screen Recording) | Click Stop in the menu bar, or press Control-Command-Esc | Apple Support |
| MotionShine | Press Command-Shift-2 (the default), or choose Stop recording from its menu bar icon | The app's own shortcut table |
| Loom desktop app | Use Loom's own controls. Its help page lists Control-Option-R for start, pause and resume on Mac, and says you can change the keys in Settings | Loom help center |
| Any other recorder | Use that app's Stop button or menu bar icon. Its shortcut is set in its own settings | The app |
If you cannot remember which app you used, look at the menu bar first, then at your Dock. A recorder that is running usually leaves an icon in one of them.
How do I stop a screen recording on a Mac?
1. Press Control-Command-Esc
Hold Control and Command, then press Esc. Apple lists this in its own help for both the Screenshot app and QuickTime Player, so it works for either one while the recording runs.
Mind the mix-up. Command-Option-Esc is a different shortcut: it opens the Force Quit window. A Reddit answer to a stuck QuickTime recording makes exactly this correction.
2. Click Stop in the menu bar
While a recording runs, a Stop button sits in the menu bar, near the clock. Click it once and the recording ends.
In a full-screen app the menu bar is hidden until you move the pointer to the very top of the screen. If you do not see it, move the pointer up, or use the keyboard shortcut instead.
3. Open the Screenshot toolbar again
Many guides say that pressing Shift-Command-5 again brings the recording controls back so you can click Stop. Apple's own page does not list this step, so treat it as a fallback when the first two do not work.
4. Force Quit, then Activity Monitor
Use this only when the recorder is frozen. Press Command-Option-Esc, choose the recorder, and click Force Quit. If it is not in that list, open Activity Monitor from Applications, then Utilities, pick the process and click the stop button in its toolbar.
Force quitting can lose the recording in progress, because the app never gets to finish writing the file. Try methods 1 to 3 first.
Stop screen recording in MotionShine
MotionShine's stop shortcut is Command-Shift-2 by default. You can also choose Stop recording from the MotionShine icon in the menu bar, and you can change any of the recording keys in the settings.
After you stop, you can trim and polish the recording in the MotionShine editor, then export. The free version exports up to 720p with no watermark and no time limit.
How do I know what is recording my screen?
Open System Settings, go to Privacy & Security, then Screen & System Audio Recording. Apple's page for this setting says each app in the list can be switched on or off, and that you add an app with the Add button.
That list shows which apps are allowed to record. It does not show which one is recording at this moment, and Apple's page does not describe a menu bar signal for it. So to stop an app that should not be recording, switch it off in that list, or quit it.
What happens after you stop?
- A thumbnail floats in the bottom-right corner of the screen for a few seconds, if the floating thumbnail option is on.
- Swipe it to the right to save the file at once and make the thumbnail disappear. Click it to trim, mark up or share the recording first.
- By default the recording lands on your desktop as a .mov file, named "Screen Recording" followed by the date and time. You can change the folder under Options in the Screenshot toolbar.
Keep the built-in recorder if
You need one quick clip with sound from the microphone (see how to screen record on Mac with audio for the Mac's own sound), and you do not mind that the zoom, cursor and background are exactly as recorded. The Mac's own tools stop with the key above and need nothing installed. Compare the options in the best screen recorders for Mac, or see what leaving a hosted tool looks like in the Loom alternatives for Mac.
FAQ
How can I stop screen recording on my Mac?
Press Control-Command-Esc, or click the Stop button in the menu bar. If you used a third-party recorder, use that app's own stop key, such as Command-Shift-2 in MotionShine.
My screen recording is stuck. What can I do?
First try the menu bar Stop button, then Control-Command-Esc. If the app does not respond, force quit it with Command-Option-Esc. A force quit can lose the recording, so it is the last step.
Why does the stop shortcut not work?
Check that you pressed Control and Command together with Esc, and not Command-Option-Esc or Command-Shift-Esc. If another recorder started the recording, Apple's shortcut may do nothing, because that app has its own keys. Look at the table above.
Does stopping the recording save it?
Yes. The Screenshot app and QuickTime Player save the file when you stop, by default on your desktop, and QuickTime Player opens it for you.
Can I pause instead of stopping?
It depends on the app. Apple's own pages describe Stop, not pause, for the Screenshot app. MotionShine has a pause key, and Loom lists one on its help page.
