Want to know how to record your screen? Whether you’re using Windows, Mac, or Linux, this guide will walk you through every step. From choosing the right screen recorder to exporting your final video, you’ll learn everything you need to start recording your screen today.

Screen recording is one of the most useful skills for creating tutorials, capturing important meetings, making presentations, or sharing your screen with others. Let’s get started.

What You Need Before Recording Your Screen

Before you start recording, make sure you have the following:

• A screen recording tool – We recommend Recordly for its simplicity and powerful features
• Sufficient storage space – Screen recordings can take up significant disk space
• A stable computer – Close unnecessary applications to ensure smooth recording
• A microphone (optional) – If you want to add voice narration to your recording
• Good lighting (if using webcam) – For a professional picture-in-picture look

How to Record Your Screen on Windows

Method 1: Using Recordly (Recommended)

Recordly is the easiest way to record your screen on Windows. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Download Recordly for Windows from recordly.vip and install it on your computer

Step 2: Launch Recordly and grant the necessary screen capture permissions when prompted

Step 3: Choose your recording mode: full screen, specific window, or custom region

Step 4: Configure your audio settings: enable system audio, microphone, or both

Step 5: Optionally enable webcam overlay for picture-in-picture recording

Step 6: Click the “Record” button or press the keyboard shortcut to start recording

Step 7: Perform the actions you want to capture on your screen

Step 8: Click “Stop” or use the keyboard shortcut to end the recording

Step 9: Your video is automatically saved – you can now edit and share it

Method 2: Using Xbox Game Bar (Built-in)

Windows 10 and 11 come with a built-in screen recorder called Xbox Game Bar. While it’s primarily designed for gaming, it can also record other applications.

Step 1: Press Windows + G to open Xbox Game Bar

Step 2: Click the “Capture” widget or press Windows + Alt + R to start recording

Step 3: Perform the actions you want to record

Step 4: Press Windows + Alt + R again to stop recording

Step 5: Find your recording in the Captures folder (usually in Videos > Captures)

Note: Xbox Game Bar can only record one application window at a time and does not support recording the desktop or File Explorer. For more flexibility, use Recordly instead.

Method 3: Using Snipping Tool (Windows 11)

Windows 11’s Snipping Tool now supports screen recording. Here’s how to use it:

Step 1: Open Snipping Tool from the Start menu

Step 2: Click the video camera icon to switch to recording mode

Step 3: Click “New” and select the area you want to record

Step 4: Click “Start” to begin recording after a 3-second countdown

Step 5: Click the stop button when you’re done

Step 6: Save your recording to your preferred location

How to Record Your Screen on Mac

Method 1: Using Recordly (Recommended)

Recordly works seamlessly on macOS and offers more features than built-in tools.

Step 1: Download Recordly for Mac from recordly.vip and install it

Step 2: Launch Recordly and grant screen recording and microphone permissions in System Preferences

Step 3: Select your recording area: entire screen, specific window, or custom region

Step 4: Configure audio and webcam settings as needed

Step 5: Click “Record” to start capturing your screen

Step 6: Click “Stop” when finished – your video is saved automatically

Method 2: Using Screenshot Toolbar (Built-in)

macOS has a built-in screen recording feature accessible through a simple keyboard shortcut.

Step 1: Press Command + Shift + 5 to open the Screenshot toolbar

Step 2: Choose “Record Entire Screen” or “Record Selected Portion”

Step 3: Click “Options” to configure microphone input and other settings

Step 4: Click “Record” to start

Step 5: Click the stop icon in the menu bar to end recording

Step 6: Your recording will be saved as a .mov file on your desktop

Method 3: Using QuickTime Player

QuickTime Player is another built-in option for Mac users.

Step 1: Open QuickTime Player from your Applications folder

Step 2: Go to File > New Screen Recording

Step 3: Select your recording area and audio source

Step 4: Click the record button to start

Step 5: Click the stop button in the menu bar when done

Step 6: Save your recording via File > Save

How to Record Your Screen on Linux

Linux users have several options for screen recording. Here are the most popular methods:

Method 1: Using Recordly (Recommended)

Recordly provides a Linux AppImage that works across most distributions, offering a consistent and user-friendly recording experience.

Step 1: Download the Recordly AppImage from recordly.vip

Step 2: Make the file executable: chmod +x Recordly-linux-x64.AppImage

Step 3: Run the AppImage and grant necessary permissions

Step 4: Select your recording area and configure audio settings

Step 5: Click “Record” to start and “Stop” when finished

Step 6: Your video is saved automatically

Method 2: Using SimpleScreenRecorder

SimpleScreenRecorder is a popular open-source screen recorder for Linux.

Step 1: Install SimpleScreenRecorder via your package manager (sudo apt install simplescreenrecorder)

Step 2: Launch the application and configure recording settings

Step 3: Select the recording area (full screen, fixed rectangle, or follow cursor)

Step 4: Choose your audio input source

Step 5: Select output format and quality settings

Step 6: Click “Start recording” to begin

Step 7: Click “Stop recording” when done and save your file

How to Record Your Screen with Audio

Recording your screen with audio is essential for tutorials, presentations, and narrated videos. Here’s how to capture both system audio and microphone input:

Recording System Audio

System audio refers to the sounds your computer produces, including music, video audio, game sounds, and notification tones. Not all screen recorders can capture system audio, so make sure your tool supports it.

• Recordly: Supports system audio recording on Windows, Mac, and Linux out of the box
• Xbox Game Bar: Captures system audio automatically on Windows
• macOS built-in tools: May require additional audio routing software like BlackHole

Recording Microphone Audio

To add your voice to the recording, you’ll need to enable microphone input:

Step 1: Connect your microphone (built-in or external)

Step 2: Open your screen recorder’s audio settings

Step 3: Enable microphone input and adjust the volume level

Step 4: Do a quick test recording to verify audio quality

Step 5: Start your actual recording

Recording Both System Audio and Microphone

For the best results, record both system audio and your voice simultaneously. This is ideal for tutorials where you need to explain what’s happening on screen while also capturing the application’s audio.

How to Record Your Screen with Webcam

Adding your webcam to a screen recording creates a more personal and engaging video. This is commonly used for tutorials, product reviews, and educational content.

Step 1: Open your screen recorder (Recordly supports webcam overlay natively)

Step 2: Enable the webcam overlay feature in settings

Step 3: Position and resize the webcam window to your preferred location

Step 4: Choose the shape: rectangle, circle, or custom

Step 5: Ensure good lighting and check your camera angle

Step 6: Start recording – your face will appear as a picture-in-picture overlay

Step 7: Stop recording when finished

Tips for Better Screen Recordings

Follow these tips to create professional-quality screen recordings:

Clean up your desktop: Close unnecessary applications and hide personal files before recording. A clutter-free desktop looks more professional.

Turn off notifications: Enable Do Not Disturb mode to prevent pop-up notifications from appearing in your recording.

Use a good microphone: Audio quality matters as much as video quality. Invest in a decent USB microphone for clear voice recordings.

Plan your content: Outline what you’ll cover before recording. This reduces mistakes and keeps your video concise.

Increase display scaling: If recording for mobile viewers, consider increasing your display scaling so text is readable on smaller screens.

Use keyboard shortcuts: Learn your recorder’s hotkeys to start and stop recording without interrupting your workflow.

Record in short segments: Shorter recordings are easier to edit and more engaging for viewers. Aim for 5-10 minutes per segment.

Test before recording: Do a quick test recording to check audio levels, video quality, and frame rate before your actual take.

Best Screen Recorders by Platform

Feature	Recordly	OBS Studio	Built-in Tools
Windows	Yes	Yes	Xbox Game Bar / Snipping Tool
macOS	Yes	Yes	Screenshot Toolbar / QuickTime
Linux	Yes	Yes	SimpleScreenRecorder
Webcam Overlay	Yes	Yes	Limited
System Audio	Yes	Yes	Varies
Ease of Use	Very Easy	Complex	Easy

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I record my screen on a laptop?

The process is the same as recording on a desktop computer. Download a screen recording tool like Recordly, select your recording area, configure audio settings, and click record. It works on both laptops and desktops running Windows, macOS, or Linux.

Can I record my screen without installing software?

Some browsers offer built-in recording extensions, but they typically have limited features and lower quality. For the best experience, dedicated software like Recordly is recommended as it offers higher quality, more features, and no recording time limits.

How long can I record my screen?

It depends on your screen recording software and available storage. Recordly has no time limit – you can record as long as you need, limited only by your available disk space.

Can I record my screen on a Chromebook?

Chromebooks have a built-in screen recorder accessible through the Quick Settings panel. Click the clock, select “Screen capture,” then choose “Video” to record your screen.

Is it legal to record your screen?

Recording your own screen for personal use is legal. However, recording copyrighted content, confidential information, or private conversations without consent may be illegal. Always check your local laws and respect privacy and copyright.

How do I record my screen with internal audio?

Most screen recording tools, including Recordly, can capture internal (system) audio. Simply enable the system audio option in your recorder’s settings before starting the recording.

Why is my screen recording laggy?

Screen recording lag is usually caused by insufficient system resources. Close unnecessary applications, lower the recording resolution or frame rate, and ensure your computer meets the software’s requirements. Recordly is optimized for minimal performance impact.

What format should I save my screen recording in?

MP4 is the most universally compatible format and is recommended for most use cases. It provides excellent quality with reasonable file sizes and works on all major platforms and devices.

Ready to Record Your Screen?

Download Recordly for free and start recording your screen in seconds. Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. No watermark, no time limit. Get started at https://recordly.vip/