Recording your Mac screen takes about ten seconds. Getting sound into the recording is where people get stuck, because your voice and your Mac’s own audio are handled separately. Here is how it works, based on Apple’s current instructions.
Record with the Screenshot app
- Press Shift-Command-5. A toolbar appears.
- Choose Record Entire Screen, Record Selected Window or Record Selected Portion. Apple notes that the selected-window option is available in macOS Tahoe 26 or later.
- Click Options to choose your settings (below).
- Click Record. If you chose a window, click the window you want.
- To stop, click the Stop button in the menu bar or press Command-Control-Esc.
A thumbnail appears in the corner. Click it to edit, or wait and the recording saves to your desktop as “Screen Recording [date] at [time].mov”.
How to add sound
- Your voice: click Options and choose a microphone.
- Your Mac’s own sound (system audio): in macOS 27 Golden Gate or later, choose Include System Audio in Options. Apple’s page names this option for macOS 27 specifically.
If you are on an older macOS version, Apple’s page does not list a system audio option in the Screenshot app, so you might hear nothing from the Mac in your recording. Check that you are on the current version first. See whether your Mac supports macOS 27.
Other helpful options
- Show Mouse Clicks draws a black circle around the pointer when you click.
- Timer lets you set a few seconds before recording starts.
- Save to lets you change where recordings go.
- On supported Macs on macOS Tahoe 26 or later you can choose SDR (H.264, most compatible) or HDR (HEVC).
Using QuickTime Player instead
Open QuickTime Player, choose File, then New Screen Recording (or press Control-Command-N). Click the arrow next to the Record button to pick a microphone. Apple notes that if you see the Screenshot toolbar, the Screenshot app is handling the recording, so follow the steps above.
My recording has no sound
- Check which microphone is selected in Options.
- If you wanted the Mac’s own sound, check that Include System Audio is chosen and that you are on macOS 27 or later.
- Use headphones if you hear echo. Apple suggests lowering the volume or using headphones with a microphone if you get audio feedback in QuickTime.
- Apple notes that some apps, such as the Apple TV app, might not let you record their windows.
Frequently asked questions
Where are screen recordings saved?
On your desktop by default. You can change that in the Options menu.
Can I edit a recording?
Yes. Click the thumbnail in the corner, or open the file in QuickTime Player, iMovie or another app that can edit video.
Sources
Last checked November 3, 2026. Apple changes its instructions between updates, so if a menu looks different on your Mac, check the linked Apple page.
