How to screen record on a Mac
Press Shift-Command-5 to open the Screenshot toolbar, choose to record the entire screen or a portion of it, and click Record. Recordings are saved as .mov files named “Screen Recording” plus the date and time. That built-in method is enough for a quick capture; for product demos with smooth cursor motion, zooms and system audio, a dedicated recorder such as mocka.screen does the polishing for you.
Record with Shift-Command-5 (built in)
- Press Shift-Command-5 to open Screenshot and display the tools.
- Choose “Record the entire screen” or “Record a portion of the screen”.
- Open Options to pick a microphone. Select None to turn the microphone off.
- Click Record, then stop from the menu bar when you are done.
- The file is saved as a .mov whose name begins with “Screen Recording” and includes the date and time.
Record with QuickTime Player
- In QuickTime Player, choose File > New Screen Recording. This opens the same Screenshot tools.
- Click Record. To stop, click the Stop Recording button in the menu bar.
- Use Options to set where the recording is saved or to include the pointer or clicks.
Where the built-in tools stop
Apple’s instructions for both methods describe choosing a microphone, not capturing the audio your Mac is playing. They also record the cursor as it moves, so jittery trackpad motion and long idle moments end up in the file.
When to use mocka.screen instead
- You need system audio and microphone together on macOS 14 or later, with no BlackHole or Soundflower.
- You want the cursor smoothed and the camera to zoom in on clicks automatically.
- You want backgrounds, device frames, captions or an AI-written voiceover on the finished video.
- It needs an Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or later) on macOS 14 Sonoma or later, and a paid plan from $9/month with no free trial.
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the shortcut to screen record on a Mac?
- Shift-Command-5 opens the Screenshot toolbar, where you can record the entire screen or a selected portion.
- Where are Mac screen recordings saved?
- As .mov files whose names begin with “Screen Recording” and include the date and time. QuickTime Player’s Options menu lets you change the save location.
- Can I screen record on a Mac with sound?
- The built-in tools let you choose a microphone. To record the audio your Mac is playing on macOS 14 or later, use an app built on ScreenCaptureKit, such as mocka.screen.