If that's the case, this is where you'll tell the QuickTime Player what you want to use as a microphone. For example, if you're giving a presentation, it makes sense to use an external microphone or a pair of AirPods. The Microphone option is what you'll want to adjust if you plan on capturing audio while you record your Mac's display. Some of these settings apply to screenshots and recordings alike, such as where to save anything you capture, along with the timer that gives you a few seconds to get everything on your screen arranged before it's captured.

Tweak your settings before you press record. Click on either option to select how you want to record, then click on Options. The first one is for recording your entire screen, while the second one with the dotted lines allows you to limit the recording to an area of your choosing. The next two icons are dedicated to screen recording. You can read more about them in this handy guide. The first three icons on the left side of your Mac's screenshot toolbar will take screenshots, so we're going to ignore those for now. Adjust the settings before you record your Mac screen With the app open, click on File in the menu bar followed by New Screen Recording. You can do that by going into your Applications folder and double-clicking on the app icon, or by pressing CMD+Spacebar and searching for QuickTime Player using the Spotlight tool. The longer way to open the screenshot toolbar is to open QuickTime Player. When you do that, the Mac's screenshot toolbar will show up on your screen. I usually press CMD+Shift and then just tap the number 5 key. On your Mac's keyboard, press CMD-Shift-5 at the same time. For me, the keyboard shortcut is the easiest, but I'll show you both methods so you can decide for yourself. If you're more comfortable opening QuickTime Player, there's nothing wrong with that. That same app also has every tool you'll need to record your screen. It's the video player that opens up when you're watching a video you've downloaded or synced from your phone to your Mac.

We all have that one time when a screen recording would have come in handy.Įvery Mac comes with QuickTime Player preinstalled. Below I'll walk you through how to record your Mac's screen and adjust its settings to fit your needs.

How to record video on mac screenshot