Are you wondering how to stop and start screen recordings on a Mac. There are many ways to capture video of what you see on your screen.
Recording your Mac screen is a great idea for many reasons. Perhaps you are looking to make a screencast tutorial. Maybe you are creating a business presentation. Perhaps you are interested in creating video notes for your business.
It doesn’t matter what reason it might be, it is simple and straightforward. Here are a few ways to record your Mac screen.
How to screen record on a Mac using the Screenshot Utility
Screenshot Utility is the best way to capture the screen on your Mac. Screenshot Utility allows you to capture screen recordings and screenshots.
To open the utility press Cmd + Shift+ 5 on you keyboard. You’ll find two options at the bottom of this window: Record Complete Screen or Select Portion.
A camera icon will be displayed if you select Record entire screen. This is useful if you have more than one monitor. Simply move the camera to where you want to record, and then click on the Start Recording button.
To adjust the frame size, select Record selected Portion. Drag the corners of your box to the right. You can also drag the box to another area of your screen.
You can select different options for your Mac screen recording by clicking Options. You can choose your preferred microphone and the location where you want your recording to be saved, as well as other options. To begin recording, click the Record icon.
How to stop screen recording on your Mac
After you have finished recording, it is possible to be confused as to how you can stop it. The screenshot utility window will not be visible in front. Instead, look for a small Stop button in the upper-right corner of the macOS menu. To stop screen recording from your Mac, simply click on the icon.
To stop recording, you can also hit Control + Control + Esc. Hit Shift + 5 to reappear the screenshot bar with an option for stopping recording.
The recording will save automatically to the Desktop. A preview of the recording will appear in the bottom-right corner. This is similar to taking a screenshot. You can view the whole recording by clicking on the preview and you can trim it if necessary.
Screen recording with the Screenshot Utility has many benefits
- Since macOS Mojave, the screenshot utility has been a standard feature in macOS. It is free and does not require any software installation.
- Other features include an integrated microphone for audio and a timer to record timed recordings. You can also show mouse clicks in tutorials.
- AirPlay and sharing options can be used immediately from the recorded video.
How to screen record on a Mac using QuickTime Player
QuickTime player is another way to capture your Mac screen. QuickTime player works in the same way as the Screenshot utility tool, but you can control everything from the QuickTime Player. This is useful for Macs with macOS Mojave versions older than macOS Mojave.
Open the QuickTime Player and select File > Screen Recording.
You can choose from a variety of options to record your screen by clicking this overlay. Similar to Screenshot, you can choose Record the entire screen or Select Portion.
After everything is set up, you can start recording by clicking the Record link. To stop screen recording from your Mac click the Stop button in the upper-right corner.
The video will be opened immediately. You have the option to make any edits (using Trim and Rotate tools). To save the video to a desired location, select Save or hit Cmd +S on the keyboard.
Benefits of screen recording with QuickTime Player
- QuickTime Player is automatically installed on your Mac. There are no additional costs or installations.
- QuickTime Player also offers audio and movie recording features.
- AirPlay and sharing options can be used immediately from the recorded video.
- QuickTime Player can be used on Macs that run older versions of macOS.
How to record system audio in screen recordings
You can only use the microphone to record audio with the two options above. This works well if you are recording a voice-over, podcast, or other audio content. However it is not practical if you need to record the entire system audio. There is an easy way to record the system audio on your Mac.
How to Screen Record on a MacBook with Third-Party Apps
If you need additional features or want to record your Mac’s screen , there is no reason to use the third-party apps. We have included below our top third-party software we think you might find useful, in case the built-in options don’t satisfy you.
OBS Studio
Both casual and professional users agree that OBS Studio is the best free screen recording tool. You can customize every aspect of your screen recording with the app’s features, which are available for both beginners and experts. The app also has built-in features that allow you to stream to multiple platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitch.
Download OBS Studio Free
Screenshots are as easy on a Mac as it is on a PC.
It used to be difficult to stop and start a screen recording from your Mac. It’s actually quite simple these days, as you can see. These methods should be sufficient to capture your Mac’s screen.
