How to screen record on any device

MAY 8, 2026 • By Jeremy Brand Yuan

Which screen recorder should you use? A 30-second decision guide

Pick the row that matches your device and use case. Each row links to the section with full instructions.

If you're not sure: the native tool on your platform is almost always the right starting point. But native tools have real gaps—which is why we built Airtime Recorder.

How to screen record on Mac

Macs have two built-in screen recording tools—the Screenshot toolbar (modern default) and QuickTime Player (older, still works). Both ship with macOS. Neither captures system audio natively, which is the main limitation worth knowing about.

The fast version

1. Press Shift + Command + 5. The Screenshot toolbar appears at the bottom of your screen.
2. Choose your recording mode. Record Entire Screen, Record Selected Window (macOS Tahoe 26+), or Record Selected Portion.
3. Click Options to set your microphone, save location, and other preferences.
4. Click Record.
5. Click the Stop button in the menu bar (or press Command + Control + Esc) to end.

Recordings save to your Desktop by default with a filename like Screen Recording 2026-01-15 at 12.30.45.mov.

The audio caveat

The Screenshot toolbar handles microphone input fine. What it doesn't do is capture system audio—the sounds your computer is playing. That's an Apple limitation, not a tool limitation, and the workaround involves a virtual audio device like BlackHole.

Our complete Mac guide walks through the audio workaround, as well as QuickTime Player, the new macOS Tahoe 26 features, troubleshooting, and when Airtime Recorder (which captures both microphone and system audio in one step) is the cleaner answer.

How to screen record on Windows

Windows has two built-in screen recorders, depending on your version. Snipping Tool is Windows 11's modern option, with screen, microphone, and system audio all supported as of the 2025 update. Xbox Game Bar ships on both Windows 10 and 11, and despite the gaming branding, it works for any application.

The fast version (Windows 11)

1. Press Windows + Shift + R to open Snipping Tool in video mode.
2. Click "New" and drag a rectangle around the area you want to record.
3. Optional: open Settings (three-dot menu) and toggle Microphone and System audio.
4. Click Start, perform the recording, click Stop.

Recordings save to Videos/Screen Recordings by default.

The fast version (Windows 10)

Snipping Tool video isn't available on Windows 10. Use Xbox Game Bar instead:

1. Open the app you want to record (Game Bar records the active window).
2. Press Windows + G to open the Game Bar overlay.
3. Click the record button in the Capture widget, or press Windows + Alt + R.
4. Press Windows + Alt + R again to stop.

Recordings save to Videos/Captures.

The audio caveat

Windows audio is improving. Snipping Tool's 2025 update handles both microphone and system audio reliably. Xbox Game Bar handles them with the right settings, but reliability varies—Game Bar's audio is famously hit-or-miss.

Our complete Windows guide walks through both tools in depth, the audio configuration for each, troubleshooting, and when Airtime Recorder is the more consistent option.

How to screen record on iPhone or iPad

iOS has a built-in screen recorder, but it's hidden in Control Center—you have to add the button before you can use it.

One-time setup

1. Open Settings → Control Center.
2. Find "Screen Recording" in the list and tap the green + button.

Recording

The fastest way to start a screen recording on iOS is through Control Center—open it with a quick swipe and tap.

1. Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen on Face ID models, or swipe up from the bottom on home-button models. Control Center appears.
2. Tap the Screen Recording button (a solid circle inside another circle). There's a 3-second countdown, then recording starts.
3. Long-press the button instead of tapping it if you want to enable microphone audio. Then tap Start Recording.
4. To stop, tap the red status bar at the top of the screen, or open Control Center and tap the recording button again.

Recordings save to your Photos library.

A few iOS specifics

• System audio is captured automatically. Unlike on Mac, iOS captures the sounds the device is playing without any workaround.
• DRM-protected content won't record. Apple TV+, Netflix, Disney+, and similar apps will produce a black screen in your recording, which is intentional.
• The status bar timer can be distracting. It appears at the top of the screen during recording. There's no way to hide it.

For deeper iOS troubleshooting, Apple Support has the full documentation.

How to screen record on Android

Android added native screen recording in version 11 (2020), so most current devices support it without an app.

Recording

1. Swipe down twice from the top of the screen to open the full Quick Settings panel.
2. Tap "Screen Recorder." If you don't see it, tap the pencil/edit icon and add Screen Recorder to your active tiles.
3. Choose what to record (everything or just one app) and whether to capture audio (mic, device audio, or both).
4. Tap Start. A 3-second countdown, then recording begins.
5. To stop, swipe down from the top and tap the recording notification, or tap the stop button in the floating overlay.

Recordings save to your gallery, usually in a "Movies" or "Screen recordings" folder.

Manufacturer differences

Samsung, Google, OnePlus, and other Android manufacturers tweak the screen recorder slightly. The basic flow is the same on all of them, but the specific settings and recording options differ. If your phone is older than Android 11, you'll likely need a third-party app—we won't recommend specific apps here because the landscape changes too fast.

How to screen record in your browser

Browser-based screen recording works on any device with a modern browser—Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari—without installing anything. It's especially useful on locked-down work computers where you can't install desktop apps, or on Linux and ChromeOS where native screen recorders are limited.

The Airtime way

Airtime Recorder is our browser-based screen recorder. It handles screen, microphone, and system audio in one step, uploads to a shareable URL the moment you stop recording, and plays back in a viewer that adapts to whatever device the recipient is on. No install, no admin permissions, no file management.

Other browser-based options

Loom's Chrome extension is the other widely-used browser recorder. Different feature set, different sharing model, but a legitimate option worth knowing about.

A note for ChromeOS users

If you're on a Chromebook, ChromeOS has had a built-in screen recorder since 2020. Press Shift + Ctrl + Show Windows (the key with overlapping rectangles), then choose between screenshot and recording from the toolbar that appears.

Where built-in tools fall short

Most of the time, native screen recorders are fine. Quick tutorial for a teammate, a one-time bug report, a clip for the group chat—you don't need anything beyond what your OS gives you.

But native tools fall down in four specific places, and if you're hitting any of them, a dedicated screen recorder is genuinely worth using.

Sharing friction. Native recordings save as files on your device—.mov on Mac, .mp4 on Windows, into your Photos on iOS or your gallery on Android. To share one, you find the file, upload it somewhere, send a link, and hope the recipient can play it. Airtime Recorder uploads to a shareable URL automatically when you stop recording. No file management, no upload step. Stop recording, copy link, paste link.

Watching across devices. A native recording is a fixed-size file. Watching a recording made on a 27-inch monitor on a phone means tiny detail or pinch-to-zoom. Airtime Recorder playback adapts to whatever device the viewer is on—a recording made on your laptop watches well on a phone, and vice versa.

Detail in the recording. Tutorials and demos often hinge on small things—a button, fine text, a UI element. Native tools record at fixed resolution; viewers see what you saw. Airtime Recorder lets viewers double-click any region of the recording to zoom in, examining details at their own pace. Once you've watched a recording where the audience can zoom into the part that matters, going back to a fixed-size video feels limiting.

Cross-platform consistency. Native tools work where they live. Mac tools on Mac. Windows tools on Windows. Different shortcuts, different audio behavior, different file formats. Airtime Recorder works the same way on every platform you use, including the browser. If you record on multiple devices—or share recordings with people who use different ones—you don't have to learn five different workflows or hope the receiving device handles your file format.

Airtime Recorder runs in any browser (no install) and as a desktop app for Mac and Windows. Recording, audio, sharing, viewer zoom, presenter overlay—one workflow, one link, one place.

Frequently asked questions