How to Record Your Screen for Free
Record your screen with sound on Windows, Mac or straight from your browser, with no watermark or time limit. Which method to use and how to keep files small.
Screen recordings are the quickest way to show someone a bug, record a tutorial or keep a copy of an online presentation. You don't need to install anything.
Option 1: in your browser
- Open the screen recorder in Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari on a computer.
- Choose whether to include your microphone and the tab's or system sound.
- Click Start, then pick the whole screen, a window or a single tab.
- Click Stop (or "Stop sharing") and download the video.
There's no watermark or time limit, and the video is created on your computer rather than uploaded. Chrome and Edge save MP4; Firefox saves WebM.
Option 2: built into Windows
Windows 11's Snipping Tool records video: press Win + Shift + S, switch to the video camera icon and select an area. The Xbox Game Bar (Win + G) also records, but only one app window at a time.
Option 3: built into macOS
Press Cmd + Shift + 5 and choose "Record entire screen" or "Record selected portion". Use Options to pick a microphone. Note that macOS doesn't record system audio without extra software.
On a phone
Mobile browsers can't record the screen. Use the built-in recorder instead: on iPhone add "Screen Recording" to Control Center; on Android it's in the Quick Settings panel.
Tips for a better recording
- Record a single tab for tutorials about a website: there are no notifications or other windows in the shot.
- Close chat apps or turn on Do Not Disturb before you start.
- Choose "Standard" quality for long recordings to keep the file manageable.
- Need a short clip for a chat or a bug report? Turn part of it into a GIF. Need only the audio? Use Video to MP3.