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Prerequisites

  • macOS Screen Recording permission granted to Open Recorder. You can open the relevant privacy pane from inside the app. After granting access, restart the app so macOS refreshes the permission state.

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Start a recording

  1. Open the recording HUD. The HUD stays hidden when Open Recorder launches. Choose Show Recorder or New Recording from the menu bar dropdown, or press a global capture shortcut, to bring it up.
  2. Use the mode switcher to choose between recording and screenshot mode.
  3. Click the source chip labeled Choose Source to open the source picker.
  4. Pick a screen, a window, or drag an area in the Choose Source picker. See Capture sources for details on each tab.
  5. Toggle system audio, microphone, and camera as needed.
  6. Start the recording.
After you start, Open Recorder shows a countdown overlay before capture begins. Press Esc during the countdown to cancel. The overlay closes, no recording starts, and the HUD returns to its ready state so you can adjust the setup and start again. The current-display shortcut selects the display containing your pointer; the current-window shortcut selects the active app’s frontmost capturable window. Both open the HUD before recording. Area recording also opens the HUD after selection. If a direct target is unavailable, Open Recorder opens the source chooser.

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The recording HUD

The HUD is the floating control strip that holds the mode switcher, source chip, audio and camera toggles, and the capture button.
  • Open Recorder launches quietly. The HUD stays hidden when the app starts and appears when you choose Show Recorder from the menu bar dropdown, start a new capture with New Recording or New Screenshot, or press a global capture shortcut. Open Recorder restores your last capture source in the background, so the HUD opens with your previous setup. On first run, onboarding still appears so you can grant permissions.
  • The HUD displays over full-screen macOS apps. You can start and control recordings without leaving a full-screen app.
  • The HUD joins all Spaces. It stays visible and interactive when you swipe between Spaces or click into another app.
  • Drag the HUD by its handle to reposition it. Open Recorder keeps it on screen when display geometry changes.
  • Right-click anywhere on the HUD and choose Quit Open Recorder to exit the app. The menu item is available while the HUD is idle and while a recording is in progress.

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Stop a recording

Stop from the HUD, the menu-bar icon, or the start/stop shortcut (default ⌥ ⇧ R). Capture-target shortcuts do not stop an existing recording. Open Recorder saves the capture and opens it in the editor.

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Troubleshooting

If capture is blocked after granting Screen Recording permission, restart Open Recorder. macOS only refreshes the permission state for an app process after a relaunch.