Screen recordings allow you to capture on-screen activity – be it for software simulations, gaming, educational videos or any other purpose. The global screen capture software market is projected to grow at 9% CAGR from 2022-2030 as per ResearchAndMarkets. This growth underscores the rising popularity of such tools.
This guide will provide a step-by-step walkthrough to screen record on your Mac using different methods. Follow along to learn:
- How to use Screenshot Toolbar in macOS Mojave and above
- Screen recording with QuickTime Player in older macOS versions
- Best third-party recording apps for advanced features
Let‘s first understand why you may want to screen record in the first place.
Why Screen Record on Your Mac?
Here are some common use cases for capturing screen activity:
- Video Tutorials: Create walkthroughs showcasing software applications. Great for teachining others.
- Gaming: Record and live stream your gameplay footage as you play. Allows sharing gaming moments.
- Product Demos: Showcase how your product works through pre-recorded demo videos. Useful for sales enablement.
- Bug Reporting: Users can capture bugs as they occur to share with developer teams. Improves debugging.
- Presentations: Add visual flair with software mockups and simulations as you present. Holds audience attention.
As you can see, screen recording has many applications. The software market is responding to this demand with easier screen capture capabilities being built into operating systems directly as well as through third-party apps.
Recording Screen on MacOS Mojave+: Screenshot Toolbar
macOS Mojave introduced the convenient Screenshot Toolbar for screens recordings along with screenshots. This tool has carried over to later macOS versions like Catalina and Big Sur.
Here‘s how to use it for capturing your screen:
Step 1: Launch Screenshot Toolbar
Press the following keys together:
Command + Shift + 5
This will open the Screenshot Toolbar automatically at the bottom of your screen.
Let‘s go over what each icon means:
| Icon | Description | Use When |
|---|---|---|
| Solid rectangle | Record entire screen | Capturing full screen gameplay, software demo etc. |
| Dotted rectangle | Record selected portion | Focus is on a particular area like a computer window |
| Solid camera | Capture still screenshot | Want to screenshot instead of recording |
| Three dots | Expands app options | Customizing save location, timer, mouse clicks setting |
As you can see, the toolbar provides all screen capture capabilities in one place. Very convenient!
Step 2: Pick Recording Mode
Based on whether you want to record full screen or a specific area, choose the appropriate icon from the toolbar.
Full screen recording mode:
Partial screen recording mode:
Let‘s select the partial screen mode to demonstrate.
Step 3: Select Recording Area
Now click and drag your mouse cursor to highligh the part of screen to record. Size and reposition as required before starting capture.
Step 4: Click Record
With your area selected, click the solid red circle icon to begin recording.
To end capture, simply click the Stop button on the menu bar or press Esc key.
Saved recordings are automatically stored as MOV files on your desktop.
That covers the basics of using the Screenshot Toolbar. As you follow these steps, you‘ll notice how quick and intuitive the process is.
But there‘s more you can do to take it up a notch…
Pro Tip: Enable Annotations
Want to emphasize something in your recording? Draw attention to it with annotations!
When recording, click the Annotate icon from toolbar options. This lets you draw, sketch or add text callouts as you record. Great for tutorials!
Pro Tip: Use Timer Start
If you want capture to start a few seconds after you click record rather than instantly, use the Timer Start feature.
Click Timer in the toolbar options and set a 5 or 10 second countdown. This gives you time to arrange your software windows before recording begins.
Pro Tip: Save Preferred Settings
If you find yourself using the same recording settings often, save them for quick access later!
Go to Options > Remember Last Selection to turn this on. Next time when you launch the Screenshot Toolbar app, your preferred mode will be remembered.
As you can see, Apple has packed a lot of value into this often overlooked native app since Mojave. It is great for quick captures without needing third-party tools.
However, one limitation is that the maximum resolution supported caps out at 4K even if your display supports 5K or 6K. Game streamers may also desire 60 fps recordings which Screenshot Toolbar does not offer.
In such cases, let‘s look at recording options available for older Macs running pre-Mojave operating systems.
Recording Screen on Pre-Mojave macOS: QuickTime Player
The QuickTime Player app has long been Apple‘s built-in solution for not just playing video files but also recording your screen. It uses native macOS APIs to capture screen activity.
Although the Screenshot Toolbar offers a more modern interface, QuickTime Player has the advantage of broader operating system support.
Here is how to screen record using QuickTime Player:
Step 1: Launch QuickTime Player
Open QuickTime Player from your Applications folder in Finder. Next, select File > New Screen Recording from the menu at the top.
This will open a small recording window with options to select recording input.
Step 2: Choose Recording Input
Next, ensure you select the right input source depending on what you want to capture:
- Entire screen
- Specific application window
- Camera/microphone
- iPhone screen (if connected to Mac)
For this demo, let‘s record the full screen by simply clicking anywhere on the screen.
Step 3: Start Recording
With your input selected, click the red Record button to begin capture.
To include microphone narration, check the box next to microphone icon before you start.
Step 4: End Recording
Once done, click Stop button from menu bar to end recording. Your video will be automatically saved to the desktop in MOV format.
While QuickTime Player offers basic recording capabilities, a downside is that it can sometimes drain system resources compared to native tools per benchmarks. Game streamers specifically may notice choppy frame rates.
If you need advanced customizations for screen recording like tweaking video resolution, frame rates, bitrates etc. third-party dedicated apps are worth considering.
Best Third Party Screen Recorders for Mac
Here are some of the most popular and powerful third-party screen recording apps for Mac:
OBS Studio
Open Broadcaster Software or OBS Studio is rated as one of the best screen recorders for Mac. Here‘s an overview:
- Completely free and open source software.
- Initially built for video game live streaming. Provides optimized performance.
- Multiplatform – works on Mac, Windows and Linux.
- Allows unlimited customization of video settings. Get up to 240 fps, 8K recording!
- Chroma key green screening effects possible.
- Supports unlimited number of sources and scene transitions.
- steep learning curve compared to other tools. But there are many community guides and tutorials available if you need help understanding features.
Overall, OBS Studio is unmatched when you need granular control over quality and performance in your screen recordings.
Which brings us to…
ScreenFlow
ScreenFlow is considered among the best screen recorders for Mac specifically. Here‘s what you should know:
- 30-day free trial available but paid software starting at $139 USD one-time payment.
- User-friendly and intuitive interface. Easy to use even for beginners.
- Customize resolution, frame rates, bitrates. Supports 4K quality exports.
- Record computer audio and microphone sound.
- Annotations and digital zoom supported mid-recording.
- Built-in video editing tools like trimming, titles, transitions etc. Makes post processing easy.
- Primarily suited for tutorials, demo videos, educational video creation.
Over the years, ScreenFlow has been enhanced to keep up with latest macOS versions and powerful Mac hardware. Long-standing community trust also makes this tool worth considering.
Loom
Finally, Loom provides a web-based screen recorder that works across platforms:
- Freemium tool with basic version available for free. Pro plans start at $10 per month billed annually.
- No software download needed, runs directly through Chrome and Firefox browsers.
- Videos are uploaded and stored in the cloud on Loom servers.
- Users can record camera footage along with screen capture for picture-in-picture effect.
- Drawing tools allow annotating your recordings to highlight areas.
- Generate shareable links to send videos to others through email and messaging apps. Social sharing integration also available.
- View detailed analytics on video watches, drops offs and viewer engagement.
Loom is fantastic for quickly capturing short instructional videos, bug reports, product feedback etc. and sharing securely with stakeholders. Being browser-based, it enjoys wide accessibility across devices and operating systems.
Making the Choice
As we‘ve discussed, you have fantastic options to pick from including built-in Apple tools like Screenshot Toolbar and QuickTime to dedicated third-party recorders like OBS and ScreenFlow based on their strengths and limitations. Evaluate factors like:
- macOS version compatibility
- Free vs paid offerings
- Ease of use for your comfort level
- Advanced settings needed or not
- Sharing and accessibility preferences
With the detailed guidance provided in this post, you should now feel right at home screen recording on your Mac.
Have feedback or questions? Let me know in comments!
