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Mac

How to Screen Record on Mac: Capture the Whole Screen, a Window, or a Selected Area

Use Shift-Command-5 to record your whole Mac screen or a selected area, adjust microphone and save options, and stop with the menu-bar control or Command-Control-Esc.

By DocumentaryTube Team 3 min read
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Press Shift-Command-5 to open the Mac’s Screenshot controls. Choose Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion, set any options you need, then click Record. On macOS Tahoe 26 or later, Apple also documents a selected-window recording option. Stop from the menu bar or press Command-Control-Esc.

Record your Mac screen with Screenshot

  1. Press Shift-Command-5. The Screenshot controls appear on screen.
  2. Choose Record Entire Screen to capture everything on a display, or Record Selected Portion to capture only a chosen area. For a portion recording, adjust the frame around the content you want before recording.
  3. On macOS Tahoe 26 or later, you may also see Record Selected Window. Apple documents this option for Tahoe 26 or later; if it is not available on your Mac, use the entire-screen or selected-portion control instead.
  4. Open Options to set a microphone, show mouse clicks, choose a timer or save location, and—on supported Macs running Tahoe 26 or later—select a recording format.
  5. Click Record. When you are finished, click the Stop control in the menu bar or press Command-Control-Esc.
  6. Click the floating thumbnail to review or edit the recording, or wait for the file to save. By default, recordings go to the Desktop and use a filename in the format “Screen Recording [date] at [time].mov.”

Choose the right capture area and options

Entire screen, portion, or window

Use an entire-screen recording when the viewer needs to see the whole display, including changes between apps. A selected portion is better for a focused demonstration where other screen content should stay out of the video. Use selected-window recording if the option is available and the app window is the only thing you need to show. Some app windows, including Apple TV in Apple’s example, may block recording; Apple does not provide a universal workaround.

Microphone and click feedback

In Options, choose a microphone if you want to record narration or other sound picked up by that input. Apple’s instructions do not require an external microphone. To make mouse actions more visible in a tutorial, enable the option to show clicks; Screenshot displays a black circle when you click.

Timer and save location

Use the timer in Options if you need a moment to prepare before capture begins. Set Save to if you want the file somewhere other than the default Desktop destination. Choosing the destination before recording makes the file easier to find afterward.

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Recording format

On supported Mac models running macOS Tahoe 26 or later, Apple lists SDR (Most Compatible), which records standard dynamic range in H.264, and HDR, which uses HEVC. Availability depends on the Mac and its operating system, so use the choices shown in Screenshot on your device rather than assuming both formats are available.

Use QuickTime Player if you prefer

Open QuickTime Player and choose File > New Screen Recording, or press Control-Command-N. Apple’s current guide says this opens Screenshot and its controls, so follow the same area-selection and recording steps above if that is what appears.

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Some QuickTime instructions describe an older recording window. If that interface appears, use the arrow beside Record to choose a microphone and whether clicks are shown. Click to record the full screen, or drag to select an area and choose Start Recording. The controls you see determine which workflow applies.

Find, play, or edit the recording

After you stop recording, click the floating thumbnail to review or edit the video. If you leave it alone, the file saves to the location selected in Options—the Desktop by default. Apple says recordings can be opened in QuickTime Player, iMovie, and other apps that can view or edit video.

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Or let it run in the cloud

A screen recording is a video file; if your goal is to keep uploaded videos playing as a 24/7 YouTube live stream, that is a different job. StreamNeo is a cloud service for looping uploaded videos or playlists on YouTube: upload your recording, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. Nothing has to stay running on your Mac or home connection; videos stream as uploaded at any quality up to 4K 60fps for one flat price per slot, and StreamNeo automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly is $9.99 per month. See StreamNeo, or start your free day.

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