MotionShineShort answer: open System Settings, go to Privacy & Security, then Screen & System Audio Recording, and check that the app you record with is switched on. If it is, check the Microphone choice in Shift-Command-5 Options, then look for the file in the Save to folder. Apple's Support page for this setting says you can turn recording on or off for each listed app. Checked on 24 October 2026 on Apple Support's "Control access to screen and system audio recording on Mac" and "Take screenshots or screen recordings on Mac".
Apple's pages give very little troubleshooting for recordings. Anything below that Apple does not say is marked as general advice, not an Apple instruction.
Find your symptom
| What you see | Check first |
|---|---|
| Blank or black clip | Permission for the app |
| No voice | Microphone choice in Options |
| No Mac sound | System audio is listed only for macOS 27 Golden Gate or later |
| No file anywhere | The Save to folder, and whether you stopped the recording |
| Nothing happens when you press the shortcut | The shortcut and the Shift-Command-5 toolbar |
| One app will not record | Some apps block recording |
1. Check the permission
- Open the Apple menu, then System Settings.
- Click Privacy & Security. You may need to scroll the sidebar.
- Click Screen & System Audio Recording.
- Turn on the app you record with. Apple's page says you can grant screen and audio together, or audio only.
If the app is not listed, Apple says to click the Add button below the list and pick the app. Apple's page does not say whether the app must be quit and reopened after you change this. Quitting and reopening it is a common thing to try, but that is general advice.
2. Check the microphone
Press Shift-Command-5, click Options, and look under Microphone. A checkmark must be next to your mic. None means no voice. More in does Mac screen recording record audio.
3. Check where the file went
Apple's page says recordings save to your desktop by default, and Options has a Save to setting. Files are .mov and start with "Screen Recording". If you cannot find it, read where do screen recordings go on Mac.
4. Make sure you stopped it
A recording only becomes a file when it ends. Click Stop in the menu bar or press Command-Control-Esc, as Apple's page says. If the controls are gone, see how to stop a screen recording on Mac.
5. Try the Screenshot toolbar
Press Shift-Command-5. If the toolbar opens, the recorder works and the shortcut was the problem. Apple's page says screenshot shortcuts can be changed in System Settings, Keyboard, Keyboard Shortcuts, Screenshots. If the toolbar does not open, check that list.
6. Some apps will not record
Apple's page says some apps, such as the Apple TV app, might not let you record their windows. A blank window from one of those apps is expected, not a fault with your Mac.
7. Try QuickTime Player and the toolbar, and compare
There are two Apple routes to the same recorder. Apple's QuickTime Player page says to choose File > New Screen Recording, which opens the Screenshot tools. Then you can click Options to set where the file is saved or to include the pointer or clicks, click Record, and stop with the Stop Recording button in the menu bar. Shift-Command-5 opens the same toolbar.
This helps you narrow the problem down:
- Works from QuickTime Player but not from your usual app: the problem is that app's permission, not your Mac.
- Fails in both: check the Privacy & Security list again, then the save location, then free space.
- The toolbar will not open from the shortcut but opens from QuickTime: the shortcut is the problem. Check System Settings, Keyboard, Keyboard Shortcuts, Screenshots.
Apple's QuickTime page does not cover microphone choice, system audio or limits. It also does not state the default save location. For those, use the Screenshot page, as in step 2 and 3.
8. Choose the audio source on purpose
Apple's screenshot page says the Microphone item in Options lets you pick a microphone, with a checkmark beside the one in use, or None to turn it off. That one setting is the usual reason for a silent clip. Check it each time, because it is easy to leave on None.
Apple's permission page also says an app can be allowed to record screen and audio together, or audio only. If you want sound from inside the Mac, such as a video playing, see how to record audio from your computer on Mac. If voice is missing, see how to screen record on Mac with audio.
9. Check storage and the file itself
Recordings are .mov files named "Screen Recording" plus the date and time, according to Apple. A long clip can be large. If the disk is nearly full, free some space before you record again. That is general advice, not an Apple step.
Some Apple Community threads describe a clip that would not save, or that saved as a damaged file, when the save location was not the desktop. Those are user reports, with no proven cause. As a test, set Save to as Desktop in Options and record a short clip.
Control Center and the menu bar
Apple's page says to stop a recording with the Stop Recording button in the menu bar, or with Command-Control-Esc. No Control Center step appears for recordings on the Apple pages checked, so none is given here. If the menu bar button is missing, see how to stop a screen recording on Mac.
Still failing?
Work through this short list and stop at the first step that fixes it.
- Quit and reopen the recording app after changing the permission. Apple's page does not require it, but a guide from a university IT help desk says to quit and reopen the browser if prompted. Treat that as community advice.
- Remove the app from the Screen & System Audio Recording list and add it again with the Add button that Apple describes.
- Try a different app, or QuickTime Player, to see whether it is one app.
- Record a different window or a plain desktop. If that works, the first window was one the app blocks.
- Restart the Mac, update macOS, and then repeat step 1 of this page.
- If nothing works, contact Apple Support. That is general advice.
10. General fixes Apple does not list
These are ordinary steps, not Apple instructions:
- Restart the Mac.
- Free some disk space. A recording needs room to save.
- Update macOS and the recording app.
If you want a recorder with a library
MotionShine, by the maker of this site, is a free Mac screen recorder that keeps recordings in a library. It still needs the same Screen & System Audio Recording permission, so step 1 applies to it too. It runs on macOS 13 and later. Free export goes up to 720p with no watermark and no time limit. Compare other tools in free Mac screen recording software.
FAQ
Why is my Mac screen recording black?
Check the permission in Privacy & Security, Screen & System Audio Recording. Also, some apps block recording.
Why does my screen recording have no sound?
Pick a Microphone in Options. System audio is listed by Apple only for macOS 27 Golden Gate or later.
Why can I not find my screen recording?
Check the Save to folder. The default is your desktop.
Do I need to restart the app after allowing permission?
Apple's page does not say. Restarting the app is a common thing to try.
Why does the recording button do nothing?
Press Shift-Command-5 and check the shortcut settings in System Settings, Keyboard.
Why does the Apple TV app not record?
Apple's page says some apps, such as the Apple TV app, might not let you record their windows.
