• How Can I Screen Record On My Mac Laptop
• Can You Screen Record On Mac Laptop

Use Screen Time to see how much time you and your kids spend on apps, websites, and more. Then make informed decisions about how you use your devices, and set limits if you'd like to.

Record computer screen Cover the entire region of video by clicking on ‘Full Screen’ mode. Use ‘Stop’ for pausing the video and ‘ESC’ key to exit. Also, make modifications, by dragging out borders of the frame or shift the cursor to make adjustments on the target screen.

Turn on Screen Time

Follow these steps in macOS Catalina or later:

1. QuickTime has screen recording feature, which you can totally depend on for Mac screen capture. Regardless of your Mac model, desktop or laptop, you must need to record the screen of it for different reasons from now and then.
2. You can record the whole screen, or click and drag your mouse cursor to record just a specific part.

1. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Screen Time.
   
2. Click Options in the lower-left corner.
3. Click Turn On.
4. To be able to see usage information for every other device signed in to iCloud with your Apple ID, select “Share across devices” on each Mac. And on each iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, go to Settings > Screen Time and turn on the same setting.

If you're using Family Sharing to manage a child account, you can turn on Screen Time directly from each of your child's devices. Or follow these steps to do it from your Mac:*

1. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Family Sharing.
2. Click Screen Time in the sidebar, then select your child's name from the list on the right.
3. Click the Open Screen Time button to return to Screen Time preferences.
4. Choose your child's name from the menu in the upper-left corner.
5. Click Options in the lower-left corner.
6. Click Turn On.

Before deciding whether to select “Use a Screen Time Passcode,” learn about Screen Time passcodes.

Use a Screen Time passcode

Set a passcode so that only you can change Screen Time settings and allow more time when app limits expire. If you're a parent, use this feature to set up enforceable content, communication, and privacy limits for your child.

If you're using Family Sharing to manage a child account, follow these steps:*

1. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Screen Time.
2. Choose your child's name from the menu in the upper-left corner.
3. Click Options in the lower-left corner.
4. Select “Use Screen Time Passcode,” then enter a passcode when prompted.
5. If you're using the latest macOS, you're offered the option to enter your Apple ID to enable Screen Time passcode recovery, in case you forget your Screen Time passcode.

If you're not using Family Sharing to manage a child account, follow these steps:

1. Make sure that you're on the same Mac used by the child, and are logged in to the standard account used by the child. If you're not sure what to do, just continue with the steps below: Screen Time will help you.
2. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Screen Time.
3. Set up Downtime, App Limits, Communication Limits, and Content & Privacy with all of the limits that you want for your child.
4. Click Options in the lower-left corner.
5. Select “Use Screen Time Passcode,” then enter a passcode when prompted.
6. If you're using the latest macOS, iOS, or iPadOS, you're offered the option to enter your Apple ID to enable Screen Time passcode recovery, in case you forget your Screen Time passcode.

If you're setting a passcode while logged in to your administrator account, an alert explains that you should do this from a standard account. If you haven't set up a standard account for your child, you can either do that and log into their account, or choose from these options:

• Allow this user to administer this computer. If you choose this option, the passcode affects the current user, even though they're also an administrator of this Mac. This isn't recommended, because administrators have macOS privileges that could allow them to work around passcode restrictions.
• Don't allow this user to administer this computer. If you choose this option, you're prompted to enter your account password in order to modify your configuration. You're then guided through the steps to create a new administrator account—for use by the parent. The administrator account you're currently logged in to is converted to a standard account—for use by the child.

Learn what to do if you forgot your Screen Time passcode.

Track usage

Use the App Usage, Notifications, and Pickups features in the Screen Time sidebar to see how much time you spent using apps and websites.

Each feature offers several views:

• To see usage for only one of your devices, choose a device from the menu at the bottom of the window.
• To switch between days, click within the weekly chart, or use the arrow buttons above the chart. To see total usage by week, including how much more or less time you spent compared to last week, choose This Week from the date menu at the top of the window.
• To see usage for a child account, choose the child's name from the menu in the upper-left corner.
  

App Usage

See how much time you spent using each app. Click Categories to view usage by categories such as social networking, productivity, or entertainment. To see an app's category, click the information icon that appears when your pointer is over an app in the list. Or click the app limit icon to quickly create a new app limit for that app or category.

Notifications

See how many notifications you received from each app. Remember, you can use the devices menu at the bottom of the window to separate the notifications received on your Mac from the notifications received on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

Pickups

See how many times you picked up your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, and which app you checked first after picking up the device.

Limit usage

Use the Downtime, App Limits, Communication Limits, Always Allowed, and Content & Privacy features in the Screen Time sidebar to schedule downtime and set limits on apps and websites. Limits apply to this Mac and all of your other devices that are using Screen Time and have “Share across devices” turned on.

To set limits for a child account, choose the child's name from the menu in the upper-left corner, then set up each feature.* Or do it from each of your child's devices.

Downtime

Schedule periods during which you can use only the apps that you've allowed. A downtime notification appears 5 minutes before downtime starts. After downtime starts, the app shows a message saying that you've reached your limit on the app.

• Click OK to close the app and honor the limit you've set. Or click Ignore Limit, then choose One More Minute, Remind Me in 15 Minutes, or Ignore Limit For Today.
• If you've set a Screen Time passcode, Downtime includes an additional setting: Block At Downtime. When this setting selected and you click Ask For More Time when downtime starts, entering the passcode allows you to approve the app for 15 minutes, an hour, or all day. Child accounts can click One More Minute once, or click Ask For More Time to send their request to the parent account for approval.
  

App Limits

Set the amount of time you want to be able use apps. You can set limits on specific apps, or entire categories of apps.

An app-limit notification appears 5 minutes before a limit is reached (expires). After the limit is reached, the app shows a window saying that you've reached your limit.

• Click OK to close the app and honor the limit you've set. Or click Ignore Limit, then choose One More Minute, Remind Me in 15 Minutes, or Ignore Limit For Today.
• If you've set a Screen Time passcode, App Limits includes an additional setting: “Block at end of limit.” When this setting is selected and you click Ask For More Time when a limit is reached, entering the passcode allows you to approve the app for 15 minutes, an hour, or all day. Child accounts can click One More Minute once, or click Ask For More Time to send their request to the parent account for approval.
  

Communication Limits

Control who your children can communicate with throughout the day and during downtime. These limits apply to Phone, FaceTime, Messages, and iCloud contacts. Communication to known emergency numbers identified by your wireless carrier is always allowed. To use this feature, you must have Contacts turned on in iCloud preferences.

Always Allowed

Allow use of certain apps even during downtime or when an app limit has been set for “All Apps & Categories.” Phone, Messages, FaceTime, and Maps are always allowed by default, but you can change that here.

Content & Privacy

Restrict content, purchases, and downloads, or configure privacy settings. If you attempt to use one of the restricted items, you see a message explaining why you can't do it. For example, if you visit a blocked website, the message says that the website was blocked by a content filter. If you're using a Screen Time passcode, the message includes the option to click Add Website. You can then enter the passcode to allow the website. Child accounts can send a request for approval to the parent account.

Approve Screen Time requests

Requests

The Screen Time sidebar includes a Requests section when you have unanswered requests from a child account. From here you can manage all requests from your child. Approve the request for 15 minutes, an hour, or a day. Or click Don't Approve.

Requests for approval also arrive as notifications, and you can approve directly from the notification:

Learn more

• With Ask to Buy, you can give kids the freedom to make their own choices while still controlling their spending.
  

* If you used your iPhone to set up an Apple Watch for a family member, you need a device using iOS 14 or iPadOS 14 to set up or adjust Screen Time for that watch.

How Can I Screen Record On My Mac Laptop

Imagine you need to show someone how to log in to an online account or how to use a feature in a product. You could write out an email. Or you could capture your screen and take a few screenshots.

But best of all might be recording your screen.

When you record your screen you can include typing the address into your browser and show all your mouse movements and clicks to let people see exactly where to go and how to get there.

You can include video and audio when you record your screen too. Use microphone audio to narrate your video from your computer’s built-in microphone or an external mic.

You can also record your system audio (that’s the sound that comes out of your speakers).

If you’re comparing different screen recording tools, make sure you get a screen recorder with sound recording options built-in.

Screen recording, also known as a screencast, is perfect or creating tutorials, product demos, how-to videos, and other instructional videos. You can even record games or record presentations, or make a YouTube video.

For short, quick recordings

Short, simple recordings that won’t require much editing can be done with something like Snagit (which is what I use most of the time).

For longer, edited recordings

For longer or more complex recordings that may need more editing, something like Camtasia will be better. Camtasia even allows you to enhance the video by zooming in on areas of emphasis, highlighting your mouse clicks, adding text or graphic call-outs and more.

Record your screen today!

Download one of our free screen recorder trials to quickly and easily record your computer screen.

Choose the screen recording software you’ll use. As noted above, Snagit is great for simple, short desktop recordings, while something like Camtasia might be better for longer, more complex jobs.

However, recordings made with Snagit can be easily shared with Camtasia and assembled into longer, more complex videos there.

Today, I’ll show you how to record your screen on Windows and Mac with Snagit for simple recordings, and Camtasia for more polished videos.

How to record your desktop screen with Snagit (For screen recordings with minor editing)

Snagit is great for screenshots and quick and easy screen recordings. It’s perfect for when you want videos that look great, but don’t take hours of editing time.

Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Choose what you want to record

First, select the video tab from the Capture Window and make sure Region is selected from the drop-down.

Then, hit the big red record icon.

The Snagit crosshairs appear. Use them to select an area to record.

The selection snaps to the windows you have open…pretty sweet huh?

Step 2: Record your audio

With your region selected, it’s time to make some audio decisions.

Can You Screen Record On Mac Laptop

To record your voice, select the microphone. And if you want to record the sounds that come from your computer, like the beeps and boops you hear, select this option.

When you’re ready, click record and Snagit counts down. Now, anything that appears in the recording area is captured.

If you want your viewers to see your beautiful face, click the webcam button to toggle between recording your webcam or your screen. When finished, click the pause button to bring up the recording controls

Then click stop.

Step 3: Trim your video

Your video appears right on the canvas, in the tray below and is ready to share.

No waiting for rendering. No waiting for that loading bar. The video is ready to go.

Once you’re finished recording, you’ll probably want to edit it a little. Even the most carefully planned recordings will have something you want to cut out. With Snagit, you can easily trim your recording to remove unwanted pieces.

If you find mistakes or parts you want to remove, make a selection with the playhead, and click cut.

If you’re looking for in-depth, super-powered video editing, Snagit might not be the tool for you (Check out the Camtasia section below).

Snagit is simple, gets the job done and is easy-to-use.

Step 4: Save or share

When you’re finished with your video, click Share and choose the option that’s best for you. If you’re not sure what to choose, we recommend Screencast.

You get an easily shareable link that you can paste in an email, slack channel or wherever. (Plus, it’s free!)

If you do want to dive deep into editing your videos or want to create a more high-quality video, we recommend Camtasia, the best all-in-one screen recording and video editing software.

How to record your desktop screen with Camtasia (For polished, professional-quality screen recordings)

Step 1: Choose your recording options

To start a recording after you open Camtasia, click the Record button at the top of the tools panel.

This opens the Camtasia recorder, which by default, is set to capture everything that happens on your screen. This is essentially the control center for your screen and audio recordings.

The Camtasia recorder allows you to customize the controls for your recording.

Step 2: Choose the region you want to record

Start by selecting a recording area that only includes the relevant screen content you want to record.

For some things, it may make sense to record your entire screen. However, if you’re only showing the steps necessary for a particular piece of software or where to click on a website, you may want to choose to record only that window (or a portion of it), rather than the entire desktop.

You can choose to record the full screen or select a custom region to record.

Step 3: Record your desktop with audio (if you want to)

If you’re narrating your recording, having a script or at least some talking points is a good idea to ensure you say what you want to say in the way you want to say it.

But for now, just choose which microphone you want to record from or choose to record the system audio from your computer.

Step 4: Edit your video

Camtasia comes with a built-in video editor and it takes just a few steps and some simple video editing tips.

To start, cut out mistakes by selecting them with the playhead, then clicking cut. To trim extra footage from the ends or your recording, drag the end of the clip in.

When you finish editing the video, add your audio narration. With your narration on the timeline, you can use clip speed and extend frame to sync the audio and video in your project.

Here are a few examples of simple edits:

• If you need more time to explain a concept split the clip and use extend frame to essentially freeze the video.
• To speed up a boring part of your recording, add clip speed, then drag the handles to speed it up.
• Or to focus your viewer’s attention, use animations to zoom in on the important parts.

Step 5: Produce and share

Finally, think about where your video will live. There are many video hosting options to choose from these days. You can share your video to an online video platform like YouTube, Vimeo, or Screencast, or you can choose to save the video as a local file. You can also share directly to your favorite social media site.

We’ve found that most of our users like to store finished videos on YouTube, especially for external videos. There are many great reasons to put your education and learning videos on YouTube.

BONUS TIPS!

• Camtasia’s advanced (but SUPER-easy-to-use) video editing capabilities allow you to add audio tracks after you record your screen. Whether you want to record your narration after the fact or want to add some music, you can do it!
• Be prepared to record your screen a time or two to get what you want. Almost everyone messes something up along the way. But recording your screen is so easy, it won’t matter if you have to do it again.
• Don’t get TOO hung up on making everything perfect. If you’re demonstrating a process, make sure the steps are clear and easy to follow. If you’re narrating, you can decide how many “umms” and “uhs” you can live with. It also depends on your audience.
• Recordings meant for people outside your company probably need to be more polished than things you’re sending to one of your fellow employees.
• We also have a full list of screen recording tips that you can use to get the best recordings possible.

Record your screen today!

Download one of our free screen recorder trials to quickly and easily record your computer screen.

Frequently asked questions

Screen recording is pretty simple. Once you have your screen recorder (we like Snagit and Camtasia) it’s as simple as 1. Record 2. Edit 3. Share.

To record your voice, select the microphone. And if you want to record the sounds that come from your computer, like the beeps and boops you hear, select system audio option.

While Snagit and Camtasia can’t record your iPhone screen, TechSmith has a TechSmith Capture app that lets you quickly and easily record your iPhone screen. After you download the app: Step 1. Enable screen recording on your iOS device. Step 2. Set up your screen recorder. Step 3. Record your screen.

While there are a number of ways to record a presentation, my favorite way to record a high-quality presentation in PowerPoint with audio and video is Camtasia.