How to Screen Record on Mac

Record your Mac screen with audio, webcam, and editing built in. This guide covers the built-in macOS screenshot tool, QuickTime Player, and Screenify Studio — and when to use each one.

Step-by-step

1
Use the built-in macOS tool for quick captures
Press Cmd+Shift+5 to open the macOS screenshot toolbar. Select 'Record Entire Screen' or 'Record Selected Portion.' This is fast but has no audio, no webcam, and no editing.
2
Use QuickTime for basic recordings with mic
Open QuickTime Player → File → New Screen Recording. You can select a mic input, but there's no system audio capture, no webcam overlay, and the editor is minimal.
3
Use Screenify Studio for full-featured recording
Open Screenify and select your capture mode (window, full screen, or custom area). Enable mic, system audio, webcam overlay, and features like auto-zoom — all in one tool.
4
Choose your capture area
Window capture for a single app, full screen for presentations or multi-app workflows, custom area for a specific region. Screenify remembers your last selection.
5
Record, edit, and share
Hit Record, perform your task, then stop. Screenify opens the editor for trimming, captioning, and exporting. Share via link or export as MP4/GIF.

Screenify features that help

System Audio Capture

macOS built-in tools can't record system audio. Screenify installs a lightweight virtual audio driver automatically — no third-party hacks like Soundflower needed.

Auto-Zoom

Neither macOS Screenshot nor QuickTime offer post-recording zoom. Screenify auto-zooms on clicks during recording, making small UI elements visible.

Metal Export

Uses Apple Silicon GPU acceleration for fast, high-quality exports. A 10-minute 1080p recording exports in under 30 seconds on an M1 Mac.

Pro tips

The macOS Cmd+Shift+5 tool is fine for quick, silent screen grabs. Switch to Screenify when you need audio, webcam, or any editing.

QuickTime recordings save as .mov files that are often 2-5x larger than Screenify's H.265 exports. If file size matters, use Screenify.

On Apple Silicon Macs, Screenify uses the Neural Engine and Metal GPU — recording overhead is minimal. You won't see frame drops even while recording 4K.

Set a keyboard shortcut in Screenify preferences for instant recording. Cmd+Shift+R is a popular choice that doesn't conflict with other apps.