Window / App capture
Record a single window, a whole app, or multiple windows at once — with fewer distractions.
macOS 12.3+ · SwiftUI · Lightweight & Fast
A focused screen recorder
that makes every frame look great
ScreenRec is a lightweight, high-performance macOS screen recorder. Under 10MB, no bloat — just the essentials for a clean, reliable recording workflow.
Window/App capture
Screen area crop
Dual-track audio
In-app audio capture
Presenter Overlay
Built-in trimmer
GIF export
HEVC with Alpha
Why ScreenRec
- Small footprint: under 10MB
- High performance: stable, low overhead
- Pro features: Alpha channel & Presenter Overlay
- Practical extras: cursor highlight, hide desktop icons
- Powerful audio: dual-track mic + system audio
- Built-in trimmer, GIF & MP3 export
- 17+ languages supported
Features
Built for quality and speed, from everyday recording to pro workflows.
Recording targets
Screen area crop
Draw a custom rectangle to capture exactly the region you need. Great for focused demos and tutorials.
Full display recording
Record any connected display in its entirety. Multiple-monitor setups are fully supported.
Mobile device recording
Record connected iOS / iPadOS devices over USB for app demos and tutorials. Display in a floating overlay or record directly.
System audio-only
Capture just your Mac's audio output — no video — for podcasts, music playback, or audio review.
In-app audio capture
Isolate audio from the target app or window when you need only that sound source.
Audio
Microphone recording
Record your voice alongside the screen. Select any connected input device from settings.
Dual-track audio
Microphone and system audio are saved to separate tracks, so you can mix and edit them independently in post.
Acoustic Echo Cancellation
Built-in AEC reduces room echo picked up by your microphone for cleaner voice recordings.
Audio ducking
System audio automatically lowers when your microphone detects speech — three intensity levels to match your setup.
Audio quality control
Choose from Normal (128 Kbps), Good (192 Kbps), High (256 Kbps), or Extreme (320 Kbps) audio bitrates.
Camera overlay audio
Optionally capture audio from your camera or presenter overlay independently, or mute it entirely.
Camera & Presenter
Presenter Overlay (macOS 14+)
Full support for macOS 14 Presenter Overlay with real-time camera compositing directly into the recording.
Camera floating window (macOS 12 / 13)
On earlier macOS versions, a floating camera window keeps you on-screen alongside your content.
Mirror & flip camera
Flip the camera horizontally so text and content reads correctly in presentations.
Video & output
H.264 & H.265 / HEVC
Choose between H.264 for broad compatibility and H.265 for smaller files. Hardware encoder support for both.
HEVC with Alpha
Export with a transparency channel for compositing overlays in iMovie and Final Cut Pro.
HDR recording
Capture in HDR when supported by your display and hardware for true-to-life colour reproduction.
MOV & MP4 output
Save recordings as MOV or MP4. Pick the format that best fits your editing and sharing workflow.
Resolution & frame rate control
Choose Auto or full-resolution capture, adjust frame rate, and optionally downscale output while capturing at full quality.
Video quality levels
Low, Medium, and High quality presets balance file size against image fidelity for every use case.
Editing & export
Built-in video trimmer
Trim the beginning and end of any recording right inside ScreenRec — no external editor needed. Export back to MOV or MP4.
GIF export
Convert recordings to animated GIF for quick sharing in docs, issues, and chat (requires Gifski).
MP3 audio export
Extract the audio track from any recording as an MP3 file in one click.
Floating preview & screenshot
A thumbnail preview appears after each recording. Hover to keep it open, or save the current frame as a screenshot.
Recording tools
Cursor highlight
A visible ring follows your cursor. Left-click turns blue, right-click purple — makes actions easy to follow in tutorials.
Screen magnifier
A real-time 3× magnifier follows your mouse so viewers can read small UI details without zooming in post.
Hide desktop icons
Automatically clear desktop clutter during recording to keep the focus on your content.
Custom background
Replace the desktop wallpaper with a solid colour (yellow, green, blue, red, grey, custom…) or keep the original wallpaper.
App exclusion / blocklist
Add specific apps to the blocklist so they never appear in your recordings — useful for sensitive windows or overlapping UIs.
Countdown timer
Set a delay (0–99 seconds) before recording starts so you have time to get your setup ready.
Menu bar inclusion toggle
Choose whether to include or exclude the macOS menu bar from your recording frame.
Control Center icon hiding
Automatically hide the clock, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and volume indicators for a cleaner menu bar in recordings.
Workflow & system
Customisable keyboard shortcuts
Assign hotkeys to record screen, record topmost window, select area, toggle magnifier, and more — all configurable in settings.
Menu bar controller
Access recording controls from the menu bar at any time. Optionally hide the Dock icon for a minimal footprint.
Launch at login
Start ScreenRec automatically when you log in so it is always ready when you need it.
Sleep prevention
ScreenRec prevents your Mac from sleeping while a recording is in progress — no interrupted takes.
Multiple display support
Detects display changes on-the-fly and updates the screen selector, making multi-monitor workflows seamless.
Built with SwiftUI
Native macOS app — fast launch, efficient resource usage, and a look that fits right in with the system.
Use cases
Tutorials & product demos
Cursor highlight, screen magnifier, and window capture keep your message focused. Add a countdown timer so you are always ready before recording starts.
Meetings & presentations
Presenter Overlay and camera compositing keep your face on screen. Dual-track audio lets you separately control microphone and system audio in the final cut.
Editing & compositing
HEVC with Alpha exports a transparency channel for overlays in iMovie and Final Cut Pro. HDR recording preserves full colour depth from supported displays.
Mobile app demos
Connect your iPhone or iPad over USB and record its screen directly, or show it in a floating overlay alongside your Mac content.
Developer & QA workflows
Capture a specific app window or screen area, exclude irrelevant windows with the blocklist, and use hotkeys to start and stop recordings without breaking your flow.
Content creation
Trim recordings in-app, export as GIF for quick sharing in docs and issues, or extract the audio track as MP3 — all without leaving ScreenRec.
Requirements
macOS
12.3 or later · Presenter Overlay requires macOS 14+
Permissions
Screen Recording (required) · Microphone (optional) · Camera (optional) · Accessibility (optional, for cursor highlight and screen magnifier)
Video output
MOV / MP4 · H.264 · H.265 (HEVC) · HEVC with Alpha · HDR (hardware-dependent)
Audio output
AAC · MP3 · Opus · Dual-track (microphone + system audio as separate tracks)
App size
Under 10 MB
Languages
English, 简体中文, 繁體中文, Deutsch, Español, Français, 日本語, Русский, العربية, Italiano, Português, ภาษาไทย, Türkçe, Tiếng Việt, Bahasa Indonesia, हिन्दी, 한국어, Bahasa Melayu, Polski, Nederlands, and more
Note: permissions are only used for the features you enable. See Privacy Policy.
Download ScreenRec
FAQ
Why does ScreenRec need Screen Recording permission?
macOS requires this permission for any app that captures your screen, window, or app content.
Does ScreenRec upload my recordings?
No. ScreenRec is designed for local capture and local saving. See the Privacy Policy for details.
What is HEVC with Alpha used for?
It includes a transparency channel in the exported video, useful for overlays and compositing. iMovie and Final Cut Pro offer strong support.
Can I record my microphone and system audio at the same time?
Yes. ScreenRec supports dual-track recording — your microphone and system audio are saved as separate tracks in the output file so you can mix them independently in any editor.
How do I record just part of my screen?
Use the Screen Area capture mode. Draw a custom rectangle over the region you want to record, and only that area will be captured.
Can I record my iPhone or iPad screen?
Yes. Connect your iOS or iPadOS device via USB and select it as a recording target. You can record it full-screen or show it as a floating overlay alongside your Mac content.
How do I export a recording as a GIF?
Right-click a completed recording in the preview and choose Export as GIF. This feature requires the free Gifski app to be installed.
Can I trim a recording without leaving the app?
Yes. ScreenRec includes a built-in video trimmer. Open a recording, drag the trim handles to set your in and out points, then export back to MOV or MP4.
What does the screen magnifier do?
The 3× real-time magnifier follows your cursor and shows an enlarged view in the recording. Viewers can read small UI labels and text without you needing to zoom in post-production.
Can I prevent certain apps from appearing in my recording?
Yes. Open Settings › Blocklist and add any app you want to exclude. Those windows will be hidden from all your recordings automatically.
Does ScreenRec support keyboard shortcuts?
Yes. You can assign custom hotkeys to record the current screen, record the topmost window, select an area, toggle the screen magnifier, pause/resume, and more — all configurable in Settings › Hotkey.
What audio formats does ScreenRec support?
ScreenRec can output AAC, MP3, and Opus audio. You can also extract audio from a video recording as a standalone MP3 file.