How to Screen Record on a Laptop

This article will explain how to record the screen on a Windows-based laptop or any Mac notebook computer from the last several years.

How to Screen Record on a Windows Laptop

The steps below show you how to use Snipping Tool or Game Bar for a quick screen recording on a Windows laptop. These tools are built-in to Windows, so they work with any and all laptop brands running Windows 11 or Windows 10, including Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc.

Using Snipping Tool

Snipping Tool might sound like a screenshotting tool, and it is, but it can also serve as a really nice screen recording utility. It can record any app, including the File Explorer and the desktop. This is a good choice if you need to screen record with audio.

1. Search Windows for Snipping Tool, then select it from the results.

2. Select the record button, then press New.

   Update your Windows apps if you don't see the record button. The recording feature was added after its screenshotting capabilities.

3. Use your mouse to click-and-drag on the screen to select the recording area.

4. Select Start to begin recording your screen.

   The other buttons along the control bar let you toggle mic and audio recording on and off. You can do so during a recording, too.

5. Select pause if you need to do that, otherwise press stop to end the recording. There's also a trash button that will scrap the recording if you'd like to start over.

6. Select save and choose where to store the MP4 recording, or select Edit in Clipchamp to import the screen recording into the Windows 11 video editing tool.

Using Game Bar

Game Bar is designed to record video games, but you can also use it to screen record any open app. Unlike Snipping Tool, it will not capture File Explorer or the desktop.

1. Go to Settings > Gaming. 

2. On Windows 10, on the Xbox Game Bar screen, check if the toggle switch for recording game clips is enabled. Windows 11 users can skip this step.

3. Exit Settings and open the app you want to screen record. 

4. Press Win+G to open the Game Bar.

5. Select the Capture icon to display the Capture widget on the side. 

6. Select the microphone icon to allow the Game Bar to record sound or your narration. Keep it on mute for silent recordings.

7. Select the Start recording button, or press Win+Alt+R, to begin a screen recording.

8. A small Capture Status widget will open on the side to display the recording time elapsed and the Stop Recording button.

9. Select the Stop Recording button to stop the recording. To view your screen capture, select Show all captures on the Capture window.

10. The Gallery window displays the current recording and all the previously saved ones. Play the current recording or select an older saved one. Use the Pencil icon to rename your files if you want.

    To open the folder where the video is saved, select Open file location. All video captures are saved as MP4 files. 

How to Screen Record on a Mac Laptop

You've got two built-in options for recording the screen of your Apple laptop. The Screenshot toolbar is available in macOS Mojave and later, and QuickTime Player works with all macOS versions. 

Using the Screenshot Toolbar

Record the entire screen or a selected part of the screen with the Screenshot toolbar. 

1. Press Shift+Command+5 to open the Screenshot toolbar and a selection overlay on the screen. 

2. Select Record Entire Screen to take a screen recording of the entire desktop. Or choose Record Selected Portion to record a smaller area.

   Before you press it, drag the boundaries of the selection box to define an area of the screen. Alternatively, drag the selection box to anywhere else from within the four corners.

3. Select Options to open a dropdown menu. Use the choices to set a different save location, record with the microphone turned on, and start the recording after a pre-defined interval. 

4. Select Record to begin the screen recording. Press the Esc key if you want to cancel the recording.

5. Press the Stop button on the menu bar to stop the recording or use the Command+Control+Esc keyboard shortcut. 

6. A thumbnail of the video appears in the lower-right corner of the screen. The next actions depend on how you want to use the recording. 

   • Swipe the thumbnail to the right to save the recording. 
   • Click the thumbnail to open and play the recording. You can use the Trim button to trim the recording or select the Share button to share it.  
   • Drag the thumbnail to move the recording to any other document or location (like a chat window or the Trash).  
   • Control-click the thumbnail for more options from the right-click menu. 

Using QuickTime Player

If you have macOS Mojave or earlier, use QuickTime Player to record your screen. In newer versions of macOS, selecting New Screen Recording from QuickTime Player opens the Screenshot toolbar.

1. Open QuickTime Player from the Applications folder. 

2. Select File > New Screen Recording from the menu bar (or press Control+Command+N). 

3. The Screenshot Toolbar works exactly as described above. Record the entire screen or record a selected portion. Use the Options dropdown to change any setting before recording the screen. 

4. Select the Stop button on the menu bar. QuickTime Player automatically opens the recording in the QuickTime Player and saves it as a MOV file in the default location (which you can change from Options). 

5. Select Edit from the menu to perform simple edits. For example, select Trim to trim your screen recording.