If you are a Mac user and want to record your screen for creating tutorials, sharing your gameplay, or making presentations, you’ll be glad to know that it’s a built-in feature on your Mac’s operating system. There is no need for third-party software, and it’s easy to use. In this article, we’ll guide you on how to start and stop screen recordings on a Mac.

How to Start Screen Recording on a Mac?

Step 1 – Open QuickTime Player

The first step is to open the QuickTime Player application. You can do this by searching for QuickTime Player in the Applications folder or by using the spotlight search (command + space bar) and type ‘QuickTime Player.’

Step 2 – Open New Screen Recording window

Once QuickTime Player is open, select the ‘File’ option from the menu bar at the top of your screen. From the dropdown menu, select ‘New Screen Recording.’ Alternatively, you can use the shortcut key (command + control + n) to open the same window.

Step 3 – Customize Recording Settings

Before the recording starts, you can customize your recording settings by clicking the downward arrow next to the ‘Record’ button. Here you can select the microphone you want to use for recording audio, choose whether you want to show mouse clicks or not, and select the quality of the recording from the drop-down menu. Once you have finalized your settings, click on the ‘Record’ button.

Step 4 – Start Recording

Clicking on the ‘Record’ button will start recording your screen. You can choose to record the full screen or only a selected area by clicking and dragging the cursor around the desired area.

Step 5 – Stop Recording

You can stop the recording anytime by pressing the ‘Stop’ button on the top-right corner of your screen or using a keyboard shortcut (command + control + ESC).

How to Stop Screen Recording on a Mac?

Step 1 – Access the Menu Bar

Once you’ve started recording, the QuickTime Player window will disappear to avoid being captured in the recording. To stop the recording, you’ll need to access the menu bar.

Step 2 – Open the QuickTime Player Icon

Move your cursor to the top of the screen, and you’ll see the menu bar. Click on the QuickTime Player icon in the top left corner of the screen, which will display a dropdown menu.

Step 3 – Stop Recording

From the dropdown menu, click on the ‘Stop Recording’ option, and your recording will stop. Your recording will be saved automatically to your default location set up in QuickTime Player.