Screen recording on a Mac is a handy feature that allows you to capture and share your screen activities. It easy to do once you know the steps.
Knowing how to screen record on a Mac can save you time and help you communicate in an efficient way. “This is what you need to do” with a step-by-step video is much more powerful than a block of text that describes the steps. Efficiency, baby!
Here’s how to do it.
Step 1: Launch the Screen Recording Tool
To begin, open the built-in screen recording tool on your Mac.
- Click on the Spotlight Search icon located in the top-right corner of your screen (or press Command + Spacebar).
- In the search bar that appears, type “QuickTime Player” and hit Enter.
- Once QuickTime Player opens, click on “File” in the menu bar and select “New Screen Recording” from the dropdown menu.
Step 2: Configure Screen Recording Settings
Before you start recording, you can customize various screen recording settings.
- Click on the small arrow (∨) next to the red record button in the QuickTime Player window.
- Choose the appropriate settings as per your preference. You can select the microphone input source, show mouse clicks in the recording, and adjust the quality of the video.
- If you’re planning to record audio from your computer, make sure to select the correct audio source from the dropdown menu.
Step 3: Screen Record Your Mac Screen
Once you’ve configured the settings, you are ready to start.
- To begin recording, click on the red record button in the QuickTime Player window.
- If you want to capture the entire screen, click anywhere on the screen to start the recording. Alternatively, drag your cursor to select a specific area to record.
- When you’re ready to stop recording, click on the stop button in the menu bar, or simply press Command + Control + Esc on your keyboard.
Step 4: Save and Edit Your Recording
After stopping the recording, you can save and edit the captured video.
- Once you stop recording, the captured video will automatically open in a new window.
- To save the recording, go to “File” in the menu bar and select “Save” or “Save As.” Choose a location on your Mac where you want to store the video file, give it a name, and click “Save.”
- If you wish to trim or edit the video, click on the “Edit” option in the QuickTime Player window. This will allow you to cut out unwanted parts, add annotations, or make other modifications to your recording.
That’s it! Easy peasy.
With the built-in QuickTime Player, you have an easy-to-use screen recording tool at your disposal. This is just one more reason I have loved Macs since I started using them many years ago.
Learning how to screen record on a Mac is a useful skill that can enhance your productivity and help you communicate ideas effectively.
If you enjoyed this post, you might also enjoy some of our other tech tips for normal people. We also did a post on how to screenshot on a Mac, if you are looking for that.