# How to record the screen on a Mac > Press Shift, Command and 5, choose a record tool and click Record. Stop from the menu bar or with Command, Control and Esc. QuickTime is the other way. Canonical: https://www.notchstar.com/tips/record-screen-on-mac/ Last updated: 2026-11-04 Published 2026-11-04. To record your Mac's screen, press `Shift-Command-5`, choose a record tool and click **Record**. To stop, click the Stop button in the menu bar or press `Command-Control-Esc`. This is from Apple's screen recording article, checked on 4 November 2026. ## Method 1: the Screenshot toolbar 1. Press `Shift-Command-5` to open the toolbar. 2. Choose **Record Entire Screen**, **Record Selected Window** or **Record Selected Portion**. Apple marks the window option as macOS Tahoe 26 or later. On macOS 15 the Mac User Guide lists recording the entire screen or a portion. For a portion, drag its borders to adjust it. 3. Click **Options** to choose a microphone for voice or other audio. You can also set a timer, show mouse clicks or change the **Save to** location. 4. Click **Record**. If you chose a window, click that window instead. 5. To stop, click the Stop button in the menu bar or press `Command-Control-Esc`. 6. A thumbnail appears in the corner. Click it to edit the recording, or wait for it to save. ## Method 2: QuickTime Player 1. Open QuickTime Player from your Applications folder. 2. In the File menu choose **New Screen Recording**, or press `Control-Command-N`. If the Screenshot toolbar appears instead, follow Method 1. 3. To pick a microphone, click the arrow next to the Record button. A volume slider lets you check the audio level. 4. Click **Record**, then click anywhere to record the full screen, or drag to select an area and click **Start Recording**. 5. Stop in the same ways as above. QuickTime Player opens the recording when you stop. ## Files Recordings from the Screenshot toolbar are `.mov` files named "Screen Recording" plus the date and time. They go to the **Save to** location. Apple's article says that QuickTime Player opens the recording automatically after you stop and does not state a default save location for it, so save it yourself from QuickTime Player if you need to know where it lives. ## Sound Apple's pages describe only a microphone choice. They do not describe recording the sound that plays inside the Mac. If you need that, the pages give no steps, so check the tool you use. ## Limits Some apps may block capture of their windows. See [how to screenshot on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/how-to-screenshot-on-mac/) for the still image shortcuts and [what is new on Tahoe](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/screenshot-on-mac-tahoe/). NotchStar's [Screenshot Tray](https://www.notchstar.com/features/screenshot-tray/) is for screenshots, not recordings, so it is not part of this task. ## Quick answers. ### How do I stop a screen recording on a Mac? Click the Stop button in the menu bar, or press Command, Control and Esc. ## Keep reading. - [Screenshot Tray: your screenshots wait under the notch](https://www.notchstar.com/features/screenshot-tray/): Every screenshot lands in a tray under your Mac notch. Drag it into a chat, an email or a folder, or send several at once. - [How to screenshot on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/how-to-screenshot-on-mac/): Press Shift, Command and 3 for the whole screen, 4 for a selection, 5 for the Screenshot toolbar. Steps checked against Apple's guides for macOS 13 to 26. - [How to screenshot on a Mac running macOS Tahoe 26](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/screenshot-on-mac-tahoe/): Screenshot shortcuts on macOS Tahoe 26 plus what is new: the HDR or SDR Capture Format and recording a selected window. Checked against Apple's guides. - [Where Mac screenshots are saved](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/where-mac-screenshots-are-saved/): Mac screenshots made with the keyboard shortcuts are saved to the desktop by default. How the file is named, and how to find one that is not there. ## More in Screenshots. - [How to screenshot on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/how-to-screenshot-on-mac/): Press Shift, Command and 3 for the whole screen, 4 for a selection, 5 for the Screenshot toolbar. Steps checked against Apple's guides for macOS 13 to 26. - [How to screenshot on a Mac running macOS Sonoma](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/screenshot-on-mac-sonoma/): Screenshot shortcuts and the Screenshot toolbar on macOS Sonoma 14, with the Options menu, the floating thumbnail and how to copy to the clipboard. - [How to screenshot on a Mac running macOS Sequoia](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/screenshot-on-mac-sequoia/): Take screenshots and recordings on macOS Sequoia 15: shortcuts, the Screenshot toolbar, every Options menu item and where the files go. - [How to screenshot on a Mac running macOS Tahoe 26](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/screenshot-on-mac-tahoe/): Screenshot shortcuts on macOS Tahoe 26 plus what is new: the HDR or SDR Capture Format and recording a selected window. Checked against Apple's guides. - [How to screenshot on a Mac running macOS Ventura](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/screenshot-on-mac-ventura/): Screenshot shortcuts and the Screenshot toolbar on macOS Ventura 13, with Options, the floating thumbnail, copying to the clipboard and recordings. - [Where Mac screenshots are saved](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/where-mac-screenshots-are-saved/): Mac screenshots made with the keyboard shortcuts are saved to the desktop by default. How the file is named, and how to find one that is not there.