How-To Guides

Beginner

3 min read 6 stepsMarch 23, 2026Verified March 2026

How to Record Your Screen

Capture what's happening on your screen — great for showing a tech problem, creating a tutorial, or saving a video call moment.

At a Glance

When is screen recording useful?

~24s

Screen recording is great for: showing a tech problem to someone helping you remotely (so they can see exactly what's happening); recording a video tutorial to help someone else; saving part of a video call that you want to keep; recording something on screen that you can't otherwise save.

Quick Tip

If you're going to show your screen to tech support, be aware it will capture everything visible — close any private tabs or documents first.

Screen recording on Windows (Xbox Game Bar)

~25s

Press Windows key + G to open the Xbox Game Bar overlay. Click the record button () or press Windows key + Alt + R to start recording. The same shortcut stops it. Your recording saves to VideosCaptures on your PC.

Quick Tip

The Xbox Game Bar doesn't record the desktop itself — only active app windows. For full desktop recording, use the free app OBS Studio or the Snipping Tool in Windows 11.

Screen recording on Windows 11 (Snipping Tool)

~15s

Windows 11 includes a screen recorder in the updated Snipping Tool. Open the Start menu → search "Snipping Tool" → click the video camera icon → select the area you want to record → press Start. Stop with the stop button.

Screen recording on Mac

~20s

Press Command () + Shift + 5. A toolbar appears at the bottom of the screen. Click "Record Entire Screen" or "Record Selected Portion". Click Record. Stop recording by pressing the Stop button in the menu bar or pressing Command + Shift + 5 again and clicking Stop.

Quick Tip

Your Mac recording saves to the Desktop automatically as a .mov file.

Screen recording on iPhone

~21s

First, add it to Control Center: SettingsControl Center → tap + next to Screen Recording. Then, swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen (or swipe up on older iPhones) to open Control Center → tap the screen record button ( in a circle). A 3-second countdown begins, then recording starts. Tap the red status bar at the top to stop.

Screen recording on Android

~24s

Swipe down from the top of the screen to open Quick Settings. Look for "Screen Recorder" or "Screen Record". If it's not visible, swipe down again to see more options, or tap the pencil/edit icon to add it. Tap it to start — a countdown begins and recording starts. Tap the notification or the stop button to finish.

Quick Tip

The recording saves to your phone's Gallery or Files app under "Movies" or "Screen Recordings".

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