How to Record Your Screen Without Installing Software

Three ways to record without installing anything

Whether you’re recording a tutorial, presentation, error to send to support, or lesson, you have three options already available:

• The built-in screen recorder (Windows or Mac).
• The browser-based recorder, which works on any computer.
• PowerPoint’s screen recording feature, if you already use Office.

The choice mainly depends on one thing: whether you need to record your computer’s audio (the sound from a video or call) in addition to your microphone.

Windows

• Snipping Tool: In recent versions of Windows 11, it can record video as well as take screenshots. Open the tool, switch to video mode (the camera icon), select an area of the screen, and click Start. Depending on your version, you can include your microphone and system audio.
• Xbox Game Bar: Press Windows + Alt + R to start and stop recording. It records an app window (not the desktop or File Explorer) and saves the video to Videos › Captures. It’s designed for gaming but works with most apps.

Mac

Press Cmd + Shift + 5. The capture panel has buttons for Record Entire Screen and Record Selected Portion. Under Options, choose your microphone and where to save the file. To stop recording, click the stop button in the menu bar. By default, the file is saved as MOV to your Desktop.

The built-in Mac recorder captures your microphone, but not your computer’s internal audio unless you install additional software. If you need to capture the sound from a video that’s playing, use your browser as described below.

Record your screen with audio in your browser

1. On your computer, open the online screen recorder in Chrome or Edge.
2. Choose whether to include your microphone, then click to start.
3. Your browser will ask what you want to share: a tab, a window, or your entire screen.
4. To record audio, check Share audio in that window. Tab audio works on any operating system; system-wide audio is only available on Windows and ChromeOS.
5. Stop recording, preview your video, and download it.

The browser’s default recording format is WebM, which works in Chrome, VLC, and most video editors. For WhatsApp, iPhone, or PowerPoint, use the tool’s built-in option to convert the video to MP4. Mobile browsers don’t allow screen recording, so use your device’s built-in recorder, as explained in How to record your phone screen.

After recording

• Trim the beginning and end, where you click Start and Stop, with Trim video.
• Make the file smaller for email or messaging with Compress video. Screen recordings compress well because much of the image stays still.
• For long videos, such as lectures, upload them to a video or cloud storage service and share the link.

Tips for a clear screen recording

• Close tabs and turn off notifications before recording. Enable your system’s “Do Not Disturb” mode.
• Zoom in on the browser or app so the text is easy to read on smaller screens.
• Record a window or tab instead of your entire screen to avoid showing emails and files.
• Make a 10-second test recording to check that the audio is being captured.
• Use headphones with a microphone for clearer audio and to prevent speaker echo.

Recording meetings and classes: let people know first

Before recording a video call, let participants know and get their consent. Many meeting platforms have a built-in recording feature that notifies everyone; if you record another way, it’s your responsibility to let people know. For classes, follow your school’s and instructor’s rules for recording and sharing content.

Frequently asked questions