Screen Recording vs. QuickTime
macOS ships a screen recorder. Press Shift-Command-5, or use QuickTime Player's File > New Screen Recording (the same recorder with a second entry point). It's free, it's already installed, and for a quick silent capture it's all you need. This page covers its limits.
| Screen Recording | Built-in (Shift-Command-5 / QuickTime) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29 once | Free, included with macOS |
| Capture modes | Full screen, window, drawn area | Full screen, drawn area |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| System audio | Yes, on a separate track | No |
| Camera bubble | Yes, movable and resizable | No |
| Editing | Transcript-based cuts, filler-word removal, timeline trims | Trim start/end in QuickTime |
| Transcript and captions | Automatic, on device | No |
| Sharing | iCloud link viewable in any browser, or MP4 export | A .mov file on your desktop |
| Watermark / time limit | None | None |
What the built-in recorder can't do
The built-in recorder records your screen and your mic. Everything around that is missing.
- System audio. The sound your Mac plays, such as app audio, a video, or a call, is not captured, and there's no setting to change it. This is the most common reason a Mac screen recording comes out silent.
- Editing. QuickTime trims the ends. A mistake in the middle means a video editor or a re-record.
- Being in the video. There is no camera overlay, so narrated videos have a voice but no presenter.
- Captions and transcript. None, so accessibility and skimmability are manual work.
- Sharing. You get a large
.movfile, and delivering it is up to you.
Screen Recording keeps what's good about the built-in recorder. It's native, local, and instant, with no account and no upload. It fills in the rest with system audio on its own track, transcript editing, a movable camera bubble and automatic captions, and an iCloud link anyone can watch.
When the built-in recorder is enough
For a silent clip, captured now and sent to one person who watches it once, use Shift-Command-5. For step-by-step instructions, see How to screen record on a Mac.
Screen Recording is coming soon. It will start with a 7-day free trial, no account, and cost $29 once.