There are many reasons to record your computer screen, whether you use a Windows or Mac computer, phone, or tablet – you may be creating a YouTube video, creating a tutorial, or preparing a presentation for work.
Do you need to record something on a computer screen? You will need a method or tool that makes the process quick and easy. Although recording devices such as microphones or web cameras are useful for recording external targets, it will not do much to satisfy screen recording needs. On the other hand, program options can easily record your screen. In this guide, we’ll show you how to record your computer screen with the tools you might already have on your Windows or Mac computer.
You might start out with a free screen recorder, and there are some excellent options, but you might not realize that Windows already has its own built-in registry tool, hidden in the pre-installed Xbox app.
How to record your computer screen in Windows
It’s well hidden, but Windows 10 has its own built-in screen recorder, dedicated to recording games. To find it, open the pre-installed Xbox app (type Xbox in the search box to find it), then click [Windows] + [G] on the keyboard and click “Yes, this is a game”.
Click “Start recording” or click [Windows] + [Alt] + [R] to get started, then use the same shortcut when finished. The recorded videos will be saved in the Videos / Capture folder in MP4 format.
To customize your recorder settings, log into the Xbox app and access Game DVR options. You cannot choose a different destination folder for recordings, but you can choose a quality setting, specify whether to record sound or not and set the maximum length of the clip.
To use it, you’ll need a video card that supports one of the following codecs:
- Intel Quick Sync H.260
- NVIDIA NVENC
- AMD VCE
If your computer or laptop does not qualify, take a look at our selection of the best free screen recorders for more options.
How to record on a Mac
Mac screen recording is much easier than a Windows computer. If you’re using macOS Mojave, just press Shift + ⌘ + 5 keyboard shortcut and all the controls for capturing video and still images from the desktop will appear. You can record the entire screen, section, or specific window, then trim, save, or share the resulting snapshots.
How to record screen on Android
Android 10 includes its own screen recorder, which you can find by opening the “Settings” menu and choosing “About Phone”. Click the version number seven times, then enter your unlock credentials when prompted. This will put the phone in developer mode, letting you test out unfinished features.
Return to system settings, click “Developer Options” and select “Feature Tags.” Look for the “settings_screenrecord_long_press” tab and switch the switch to activate it. You can now record your screen at any time by pressing the power button to bring up the power options menu, then pressing the screenshot button until screen recording options appear.
If you want to record gameplay shots, Google Play Games has a built-in screen recorder that will automatically start capturing snapshots when playing the game. For anything else, we recommend AZ Screen Recorder. It is easy to use and full of useful features. The free version is excellent, but additional options are available for a small fee.
How to record iPhone or iPad screen
Screen recording on an iPhone or iPad is similarly easy. Click “Settings”, followed by “Control Center” and “Customize Controls”, then click the green plus icon next to “Screen Recording.”
Download the app you want to record, then swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or down from the top-right if you’re using iPhone X or later, or iPad running iOS 12 or iPadOS. Click the “Register” button (point inside a circle) and the countdown will start For three seconds. Once this is over, the recording will start.
To end recording, click the time indicator in the top right of the screen and select “Off.” Note that all notifications you receive while recording will also be captured.
How to record screen to PC or Mac using Movavi recording software
Do you want to capture video from the screen to maintain an online seminar, Skype chat, online movie or screen activity within a program? There are several ways to record what appears on your screen: You can use a custom recording application or tools built into other programs.
If you want a high-quality recording, use Movavi Screen Recorder. This powerful and easy-to-use app enables you to record screen with sound. You can capture any screen activity, create screenshots, tutorials, and more. Learn how to save video from the computer screen in the instructions below.
- Install Movavi Screen Recorder
- Download the program, run the setup file and follow the installation steps on the screen.
- Adjust registry parameters
- Run the program and tap Screen Recording. To draw the capture frame, press and hold the left mouse button and drag the pointer. Adjust the capture frame by dragging its edges. If you want to record the screen with sound, tap the system sound icon (make sure it is green). Click the microphone icon if you want to record your voice as well.
- You can also record cursor and keyboard actions: To do this, just click the appropriate icons in the sidebar.
- Make a screen video
- Click REC and wait for the short countdown to end. You can pause or pause the process by clicking the appropriate buttons. Alternatively, you can click F9 to pause or F10 to pause. If you are a Mac user, press ⌥⌘ 1 or ⌥⌘ 2, respectively. You can also take snapshots while recording by pressing the camera icon in the sidebar or by using the shortcut key – F8 on Windows or ⌥⌘ 3 on the Mac.
- Editing the registry (optional)
- After registration is finished, a preview window will appear. Here, you can restart your video and disconnect any unnecessary parts. To remove a section in the middle of the video, place the tag at the beginning of this clip and click Cut, then do the same at the end of the clip. If the unwanted part is at the beginning or end of the recording, you only need to make one cut. After marking the unnecessary part, place the mark on it and click Delete Part.
- Save the recorded video
- Once editing is finished, click the Save As button. Select the appropriate video format from the list, choose the folder in which you want to save the file, enter the file name, and click Save.