> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.openrecorder.xyz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Open Recorder: free macOS screen recorder and editor

> Open Recorder is a free, open-source macOS app for recording your screen, capturing screenshots, and exporting polished video — all stored locally.

Open Recorder is a native macOS app built with Swift and Rust that lets you record your display, a window, or a hand-drawn area; capture screenshots; and export the result as a polished MOV file. Everything stays on your Mac — no account, no cloud upload, no subscription. Project metadata, recording registration, screenshot indexing, and export bookkeeping are handled by a lightweight background service, while the main app focuses on the capture UI, recording controls, playback, and Finder integrations.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Installation" icon="download" href="/installation">
    Download and install Open Recorder on your Mac.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Permissions" icon="shield-check" href="/permissions">
    Grant Screen Recording and Accessibility access.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Record your screen" icon="circle-dot" href="/recording/screen-recording">
    Capture a display, window, or region.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Export video" icon="upload" href="/exporting/export-video">
    Export a polished MOV at the resolution you need.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## What Open Recorder can do

* **Record a display, window, or area** — choose a full display, a specific application window, or draw a custom region on screen before you start recording.
* **Capture screenshots** — take a screenshot of a full display, a window, or a hand-selected area, saved automatically to `~/Pictures/Open Recorder`.
* **Project library** — browse all your recordings and screenshots in a native project library. Each capture gets a `.openrecorder` metadata file managed by the Rust service.
* **Timeline editor** — trim clips, add zoom regions with smooth ramp-in and ramp-out animations, place text annotations, and adjust clip speed — all on a visual timeline.
* **Background styling** — wrap your recording in a gradient, solid color, wallpaper image, or transparent background, with controls for padding, border radius, shadow, and inset.
* **Cursor overlay** — record cursor telemetry during capture and render a styled cursor overlay on top of your export, with position synchronized frame-by-frame.
* **Export at multiple resolutions and frame rates** — export as a MOV file at 480p, 720p, 1080p, or 4K, at 15, 24, 30, or 60 FPS (default: 1080p at 30 FPS).

## Local-first storage

Open Recorder stores everything on your Mac. No data leaves your machine.

| Content          | Location                                      |
| ---------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| Recordings       | `~/Movies/Open Recorder`                      |
| Screenshots      | `~/Pictures/Open Recorder`                    |
| Project metadata | `~/Library/Application Support/Open Recorder` |

You can open any of these folders directly from **Settings → Folders** inside the app. Nothing is uploaded to any external service.