QuickTime Screen Recording: Complete Guide (2026)

To record with QuickTime on current macOS: open QuickTime Player, choose File → New Screen Recording, select a full screen, window (macOS Tahoe 26+), or portion in the Screenshot controls, and click Record. Stop from the menu bar or press Command-Control-Escape. The .mov saves to the location shown under Options → Save to.

Apple's April 2026 support article confirms that QuickTime hands screen recording to the Screenshot interface on current macOS. This guide separates that current workflow from older QuickTime instructions still repeated online.

Search evidence: This page received 2,669 impressions and one click in the final 28-day Google Search Console window ending July 20, 2026, at average position 22.0. The July 23 live SERP was led by Apple support and emphasized save location, microphone audio, stopping, and the difference between Screenshot and QuickTime. This refresh leads with Apple's current controls and removes old red-record-button instructions.

How to start a screen recording in QuickTime#

There are two ways to open screen recording on a Mac:

Option 1: QuickTime Player

1. Open QuickTime Player (it's in your Applications folder, or use Spotlight with Cmd+Space)
2. Choose File > New Screen Recording
3. The Screenshot toolbar appears

Option 2: Screenshot toolbar (faster)

1. Press Cmd+Shift+5
2. The Screenshot toolbar appears immediately, no need to open QuickTime

Both methods open the same toolbar. From there:

• Click Record Entire Screen (the solid rectangle) to record your full display
• On macOS Tahoe 26 or later, choose Record Selected Window to isolate a window
• Click Record Selected Portion (the dashed rectangle) to draw a region

Click the Record button to start. A countdown timer option is available under Options if you need a few seconds to set up before capture begins.

To stop recording: Click the stop icon in the menu bar (top right), or press Cmd+Control+Escape.

The recording saves automatically to the location set in Options (Desktop by default).

QuickTime recording options#

Click Options in the toolbar before you start to configure:

The microphone selector is where you'd also select a virtual audio device like BlackHole if you're working around the system audio limitation (more on that below).

The system audio problem#

QuickTime's current screen-recording controls expose a Microphone choice, but not a direct system-audio source for app sounds, music, or video playback.

That is a limitation of this built-in workflow, not a statement that macOS never allows system-audio capture: third-party apps can request Screen & System Audio Recording permission under Privacy & Security. Rekort and OBS use supported capture paths rather than appearing as a microphone input.

What this means in practice: If you're recording a product demo where you play a video, demo an app with sound effects, or show anything that makes noise, that audio will be missing from your QuickTime recording. Viewers will hear your microphone (if enabled) but nothing from the screen.

Workaround: BlackHole virtual audio driver#

BlackHole is a free, open-source virtual audio driver that creates a digital "cable" between your Mac's audio output and QuickTime's input. Here's how to set it up:

1. Download and install BlackHole (the 2-channel version works for most use cases)
2. Open Audio MIDI Setup (search for it in Spotlight)
3. Click the + button, choose Create Multi-Output Device
4. Check both BlackHole 2ch and Built-in Output (so you still hear audio while recording)
5. In QuickTime's Options menu, select BlackHole 2ch as your microphone input
6. Start your recording — QuickTime will now capture system audio routed through BlackHole

This works, but it changes audio routing and requires setup. If you record often and need system audio, a screen recorder that handles the supported permission and source selection directly is simpler.

Recording full screen vs. selected area#

Full screen recording captures your entire display. It can expose notifications or unrelated windows and can make small interface text harder to read after the video is embedded or scaled.

Selected area recording lets you draw a specific region. Drag the handles to resize the selection after drawing it. The selected area remains locked for the recording session and releases when you stop.

Selected area recording is better for most product demos and tutorials because:

• It focuses viewers on the relevant part of your screen
• Smaller file size
• Avoids capturing sensitive notifications or windows outside your capture zone

There is no separate modern “QuickTime selection” workflow: File → New Screen Recording opens Screenshot. Choose Record Selected Portion, resize the frame, and click Record.

Basic editing in QuickTime#

After recording, QuickTime provides minimal editing under the Edit menu:

Trim: Drag the yellow handles in Edit → Trim (Command-T) to keep a range.

Split clip: Edit > Split Clip (Cmd+Y) splits at the playhead position. You can split a clip into sections and rearrange or delete individual sections — useful for removing a section from the middle without a proper video editor.

Rotate and flip: Edit menu has rotation options, rarely needed for screen recordings.

QuickTime can also copy, paste, rearrange, rotate, and flip clips, but it has no click-driven zoom timeline, presentation backgrounds, text overlays, or multi-track production system.

Exporting and sharing#

QuickTime saves recordings as .mov files by default. From File > Export As, you can choose:

• 1080p — Compresses to 1080p H.264 regardless of source resolution
• 720p — Further compressed
• 480p — Lower quality, smaller file
• Audio only — Extracts audio track only

The export options are limited. There's no MP4 (H.264 in .mp4 container), no GIF, no WebM. If you need those formats, convert using HandBrake (free, MP4/H.265) or use a screen recorder that exports them natively.

What QuickTime does well#

• Already installed. Zero download, zero setup for basic captures. It's on every Mac.
• Reliable for microphone capture. Straightforward audio quality from any connected microphone.
• Fast for quick, informal recordings. Bug reports, Slack videos, quick reference — QuickTime is hard to beat for speed.
• No watermarks or limits. Unlike many free screen recorders, QuickTime imposes no time limits and adds no watermarks.
• Files stay local. Nothing uploads anywhere. The recording goes where you tell it.

Where QuickTime falls short#

When QuickTime is the right choice#

QuickTime works well for:

• Quick, informal captures. Showing a bug to a teammate, recording a clip for reference, or anything you won't share publicly.
• Microphone-only recordings. Voiceover demos where system audio doesn't matter.
• macOS environments where installing apps isn't allowed. QuickTime needs no additional permissions beyond screen recording.

When to use a different tool#

QuickTime becomes a bottleneck when you need polished output. Common triggers:

You need system audio. The BlackHole workaround works, but it's tedious to set up and maintain. Apps like Rekort, Screen Studio, and ScreenFlow capture system audio natively with no extra configuration.

Your viewers can't see what you're clicking. On a high-resolution display, a small control can become hard to read after the video is embedded. Auto-zoom on click — available in Rekort and Screen Studio — turns clicks into close-up views without requiring manual keyframes for every event.

You need GIFs. QuickTime can't export GIFs. Kap is the fastest free option for GIF output. Rekort exports GIFs with zoom effects applied.

You're making product demos or tutorials. These are customer-facing recordings. Viewers expect to clearly see what you're clicking, hear the right audio, and watch something that looks intentional. QuickTime produces recordings that look like screen captures; tools with auto-zoom produce recordings that look edited.

For a full comparison of available tools, see our best screen recorder for Mac guide.

QuickTime screen recording: quick reference#

QuickTime screen recording is the right default for a quick .mov with optional microphone and basic clip edits. Use a dedicated recorder only when the job requires a different workflow. Rekort adds system audio, webcam, adjustable click zooms, backgrounds, split/ripple-delete/speed controls, and local MP4 or GIF export. See current pricing: $9 monthly, $49 annually, or $79 lifetime.