Developers · problem and fix
How to record your screen on Mac for bug reports: Shift-Command-5 steps, 2026
To record your screen on Mac, press Shift-Command-5, pick Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion, then click Record. Press Command-Control-Esc, or click the Stop button in the menu bar, to finish. The file saves as a .mov on your Desktop by default. Below you get the QuickTime route, the audio and window options, and the fixes for when a recording goes wrong.
The short answer
- Press Shift-Command-5, pick a recording mode, then click Record.
- Stop with the Stop button in the menu bar or Command-Control-Esc.
- The file is a .mov on your Desktop, unless you change the save location.
- QuickTime Player (Control-Command-N) adds a microphone menu and mouse-click display.
- A recording shows the bug. Written steps, the version, and the expected result still matter.
41%
of respondents in Undo's report named reproducing a bug as the biggest barrier to fixing bugs faster
Undo: Report: Debugging Efforts Cost Companies $61B Annually16.9 hours
per week that engineering teams spend debugging, in a 2026 survey sponsored by Undo
InfoQ: Survey Finds AI-Generated Code Increases Debugging and Failure Rates83%
of developers in the Bettenburg et al. (2008) survey cited steps to reproduce as useful in a bug report
The Debugging Book: Tracking BugsWhat recording the screen to show a problem costs you
Back-and-forth messages
Every reply that asks what you clicked adds a round trip. A bug that takes two messages to reproduce can take a day when time zones get in the way. Reproduction work is hard to see from outside, so it often gets underestimated.
Bugs that come back
If the steps are unclear, the fix may target the wrong cause. Then the bug returns, and you pay for the work twice. A 2019 ESEC/FSE paper says low-quality steps lead to excessive manual effort in triage and resolution.
Colleagues waiting on you
Other people often wait on a fix or a review. A reviewer cannot approve a change they cannot see. A clear recording shortens the wait, but only when the written steps are clear too.
Your own focus
Each time you retype the same steps, your attention leaves the code. Record once, then reuse the file and the written steps for the next report instead of starting over.
Private data in a shared file
A recording captures the whole display. A customer name or a token in a corner can end up in Slack or a public issue tracker. Removing it after upload takes more effort than checking first.
Short free limits
Free tiers of third-party recorders have short limits. Loom's free Starter plan caps each video at 5 minutes, and Jam's free plan caps recordings at 5 minutes too. Long bugs may need the built-in tools instead.
Why it happens
The bug depends on your setup
Many bugs depend on a version, a language setting, a login, or a cache. The reporter may not know which one matters. A recording shows what happened on screen, but not why. You still need the environment written next to the video.
Reproducing is the hard part
Undo's report says 41% of respondents named reproducing a bug as the biggest barrier to fixing bugs faster. Undo sells failure-replay tools, so treat that figure as directional. It still matches how most teams describe their pain.
Access limits block reproduction
In one arXiv study, some developers could not reproduce issues because of access limits. One had restricted access to API calls and source files. Two were blocked by authentication. One said, we do not know what it is we are requesting.
Steps get written from memory
People often write the bug report after the fact. They forget the order of clicks and the exact wording of the error. A recording keeps the order. In Bettenburg et al. (2008), steps to reproduce were the item developers rated most useful, at 83%.
Debugging takes a large share of the week
A 2026 survey of 300 senior engineering leaders, sponsored by Undo, reports 16.9 hours per week spent on debugging. That is 42% of the average working week. The sample mostly works with C and C++, so check whether it fits your stack.
Still images miss the sequence
A screenshot shows one moment. It cannot show a loading state, a flicker, or a click that failed silently. A short screen recording keeps the sequence, which is often the part that explains the bug.
How to fix it
These work with or without any app.
Record with Shift-Command-5
Press Shift-Command-5, then choose Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion. Click Options and confirm the save location. Click Record when the screen shows the state you want to capture. Stop with Command-Control-Esc or the Stop button in the menu bar.
Test the microphone before the real take
Open Options and turn on the microphone. Record one sentence, then play it back at a normal volume. If the voice is faint, move closer to the mic. If it is silent, check the input device in System Settings > Sound before you try again.
Use QuickTime when clicks matter
Press Control-Command-N, or choose File > New Screen Recording. Click the arrow beside Record and turn on mouse-click display. Then record the walk through. Clicks show on screen, so the reviewer can follow the path without guessing.
Record one window when the screen shows private tabs
Press Shift-Command-5 and choose Record Selected Window. Apple says this needs macOS Tahoe 26 or later. On an older version, use Record Selected Portion and drag the area around the app. Close unrelated tabs before you start.
Check the version before you promise system audio
Include System Audio needs macOS 27 or later, according to Apple. Open the Apple menu, choose About This Mac, and read the version. If you are older, narrate with the microphone or write the sound cue into the steps.
Fix a recording that will not start or save
Press Esc to clear a stuck toolbar, then try again. Check that the Save to folder exists and has room. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security and look for the screen recording section. The exact name changes between macOS versions, so search the page for screen recording.
Hide private data with a clean setup
Use a separate browser profile with no saved logins before you record a customer issue. Close chat windows and password managers. Check the menu bar and Dock, since they show on screen too. Review the file once before you share it.
Write the steps next to the file
Use a short template: app and version, OS version from About This Mac, numbered steps, expected result, actual result, and the file name. Paste it above the video in Linear, Slack, or your issue tracker. The reviewer reads the steps first, then watches the clip.
You need a recording when the bug only shows up on your machine. A written report that says the button does nothing leaves the reviewer guessing. A short video shows which button, which screen, and what the error looks like.
A recording is evidence. It does not fix the bug. It does save the next person a round of questions, and that is often where the real time goes.
How to record your screen on Mac with Shift-Command-5
Shift-Command-5 is the fastest route. It is built into macOS, so there is nothing to install. Apple's own steps are the ones below. Follow them in order the first time you try it.
- Press Shift-Command-5. A capture toolbar appears on screen.
- Pick Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion. Record Selected Window needs macOS Tahoe 26 or later.
- Click Options to set a microphone, a timer, or a save location. Desktop is the default save location.
- Press Esc before you click Record if you want to cancel.
- Click Record, then do the steps that show the bug.
- Stop with the Stop button in the menu bar, or press Command-Control-Esc.
Where the recording goes
Apple saves the recording as a .mov file. The name starts with Screen Recording, followed by the date and time. The file lands in the folder set under Save to, and Desktop is the default. If you cannot find it, open Finder and search for Screen Recording. Check the Options menu before you record again, so you know where the next file goes.
How to record your screen on Mac with QuickTime Player
QuickTime Player is the second route. It is useful when you want mouse clicks visible in the video, because a reviewer can follow your path. Open QuickTime Player from Applications or from Spotlight. Then choose File > New Screen Recording, or press Control-Command-N.
- Click the arrow beside the Record button. Choose a microphone if you plan to narrate.
- In the same menu, turn on mouse-click display. Each click shows on screen while you record.
- Click Record, then move through the bug at a normal pace.
- Click the Stop button in the menu bar when you finish.
- QuickTime opens the recording as soon as it stops. Play it back before you share it.
QuickTime is a good choice for a quick walk through an app. Use the Shift-Command-5 route when you need a single window, a timer, or a specific save folder. Both routes give you a .mov file that most tools accept.
Audio, single windows, and what Mac cannot record
Audio is the first thing to check. Turn on the microphone in the Options menu before you record. Recording the sound your Mac plays is a separate setting. Apple lists Include System Audio in the Screenshot app, and it requires macOS 27 or later.
Apple also says some apps might not let you record their windows. Its example is the Apple TV app. If one app refuses to record, record the whole screen instead, then crop the file later in a tool you already own.
| Method | What it records | Version or limit | Where the file goes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shift-Command-5, Record Entire Screen | Whole display | Built into macOS | Desktop by default, as .mov |
| Shift-Command-5, Record Selected Window | One window | macOS Tahoe 26 or later | Folder set under Save to |
| Shift-Command-5, Include System Audio | Sound the Mac plays | macOS 27 or later | Folder set under Save to |
| QuickTime Player, New Screen Recording | Whole screen, optional microphone, mouse clicks | Built into macOS | Opens in QuickTime when you stop |
Why reproducing a bug takes most of the time
Most debugging pain sits before the fix. You have to make the bug happen again first. In a recent arXiv study of professional developers, participants spent an average of 12% of their time reproducing an issue. They spent 57% updating their mental model of the code.
The study is small. It covered 7 professional developers and 5 live-streamers, so treat the split as a signal, not a law. Still, it shows that reproduction recurs. Developers came back to it while they debugged.
Vendor surveys point the same way. Undo, a company that sells failure-replay tools, reports that 41% of respondents named reproduction as the biggest barrier. We found no independent source for that figure, so read it as directional.
What bug reports lose when the steps are missing
Researchers have studied bug reports for years. In a 2008 survey of developers from the Apache, Eclipse, and Mozilla projects, 83% said steps to reproduce were useful. Stack traces came in at 57%, and test cases at 51%.
The Debugging Book summarizes the problem. Incomplete information is the main issue with bug reports, and steps to reproduce are the item most often missing. A recording fills part of that gap, but only the part you actually film.
A 2019 paper from ESEC/FSE makes the cost plain. Low-quality steps to reproduce lead to excessive manual effort spent on bug triage and resolution. Its tool, Euler, correctly identified 98% of existing steps to reproduce, and 58% of missing ones.
What a screen recording can and cannot prove
We could not find a controlled study that measures whether a screen recording makes a fix faster. Vendors of recording tools make that claim, but their numbers are not independent. This page does not promise a faster fix.
What a recording does well is show the exact click order and the state of the screen. It also captures error text that is hard to type from memory. That helps most when the written report is vague.
- Shows the exact click order and the state of the screen.
- Shows error text that is hard to copy from memory.
- Does not show the build number, OS version, or network state unless you say so.
- Does not show what happens in the code, the server, or the database.
- Can capture private data, such as names, tokens, or customer records.
Mistakes people make when recording a bug
- Recording the whole screen with a bank tab or a private chat open.
- Forgetting the microphone, then narrating only in your head.
- Stopping too early, so the error never appears on screen.
- Sending a file with a private name, such as a customer's account name.
- Recording a bug but skipping the steps. The video shows what happened, not how to repeat it.
- Saving the file, then searching for it in the wrong folder.
When a third-party recorder makes sense
Loom and Jam both offer free plans. Loom's free Starter plan lists $0, up to 25 videos per person, and 5 minutes per video. Jam's free plan lists recordings up to 5 minutes, including its Mac app, and 30 Jams per month.
Jam's Team plan lists $14 per creator per month, billed yearly, with a 60-minute Mac recording limit. Check each pricing page before you choose, because plans change. The built-in Apple tools need no account and no upload.
Your next step after you record
Play the file once, from start to finish. Check that the error is visible, and that the sound works if you narrated. Then write the steps in plain order, with the version, the browser or app name, and the time you recorded it.
Attach the file to the issue or the Slack thread. Put the written steps above the file, so the reviewer reads them first. If the file is large or private, share a link with restricted access instead.
A reviewer who can see the steps can reproduce the bug faster. That is the outcome to aim for. The recording helps, and the written steps make it useful.
Faster with Lazur
Where Lazur helps with recording the screen to show a problem
Hold ⌥ ⌘ and say what you want. Lazur sees your Chrome window. Lazur draws a circle and a label around the button or menu you need.
- 1
Hold ⌥⌘ and talk
- 2
Lazur draws a circle and a label around the button or menu you need.
- 3
You stay in Chrome. Nothing to copy into a chat window.
More things to say in Chrome
- “Where is the Record button?”
- “Walk me through recording my screen with the microphone on.”
- “What does this error on my screen mean?”
- “Draft a bug report from the steps I just described.”
- “Hold fn and speak the steps, then release.”
Free for 3 days, then $18/month. Download for Mac
You say“Hold Option and Command, then ask where Record Entire Screen is.”
Lazur · points at itLazur circles the option and labels it. You see where to click, then click it yourself.
What developers say to Lazur for this
Each one is a single hold of ⌥ ⌘.
“Where is the Record button?”
Lazur circles the Record button on your screen and labels it. It does not press Record for you, so you click it yourself.
Points at it
“Walk me through recording my screen with the microphone on.”
Lazur guides you one click at a time and waits for each click before it moves to the next step.
Walks you through it
“What does this error on my screen mean?”
Lazur answers out loud about what is on screen. It helps you describe the error clearly in your report.
Explains what's on screen
“Draft a bug report from the steps I just described.”
Lazur drafts the report text. You check the steps against the recording before you send it.
Drafts it
“Hold fn and speak the steps, then release.”
Lazur dictates clean, formatted text at your cursor in any app, so you can write the steps by voice while you watch the bug.
Types what you say
A plan you can start this week
- Day 1
Record a test on your Desktop
Press Shift-Command-5, choose Record Entire Screen, record a short test, and stop with Command-Control-Esc. Find the file on your Desktop and play it back. Check that the name starts with Screen Recording.
- Day 2
Check the microphone and audio
Open Options and turn on the microphone. Record yourself saying one sentence, then play it back at a normal volume. If the voice is faint, move closer to the mic or change the input device in System Settings > Sound.
- Day 3
Try QuickTime with mouse clicks
Press Control-Command-N, turn on mouse-click display from the arrow beside Record, and record a short walk through one task. Compare the two files. Keep the one a reviewer can follow faster.
- Day 4
Write a bug report template
Write a short template with fixed lines for app, version, steps, expected result, and actual result. Save it as a note. Use it for the next bug you record, so every report looks the same.
- Day 5
Send one real report
Record a real bug, write the steps, and send it in Slack or your issue tracker. Ask a colleague to reproduce it from your steps alone. Note the exact point where they stop, and fix that line.
Questions people ask
Where is my screen recording on Mac?
Apple saves it as a .mov file in the folder set under Save to. Desktop is the default. The name starts with Screen Recording and includes the date and time. Search Finder for Screen Recording if you cannot find it.
What is the shortcut to stop a screen recording on Mac?
Press Command-Control-Esc, or click the Stop button in the menu bar. Some guides list plain Esc. Apple's support page names Command-Control-Esc, so start there.
Can I record just one window on Mac?
Yes. Press Shift-Command-5 and choose Record Selected Window. Apple says that option needs macOS Tahoe 26 or later. Apple also says some apps, such as the Apple TV app, might not let you record their windows.
How do I record system audio on Mac?
Use Include System Audio in the Screenshot app. Apple says it requires macOS 27 or later. To check your version, open the Apple menu and choose About This Mac.
Does QuickTime Player record the screen?
Yes. Choose File > New Screen Recording, or press Control-Command-N. Click the arrow beside Record to choose a microphone and turn on mouse-click display. QuickTime opens the recording when you stop.
Should I use Loom or Jam instead of the built-in tools?
Only if you want a shareable link or a viewer built into a tool. Loom's free plan caps each video at 5 minutes. Jam's free plan caps recordings at 5 minutes too. Check their pricing pages, because plans change.
Can a screen recording replace written steps?
No. A recording shows the bug. Written steps give the version, the environment, the input, and the expected result. Send both, with the steps first.
Can Lazur record my screen for me?
Lazur does not click buttons or operate other apps for you, so it will not press Record. It can point at the Record button, explain what you see, and guide you one click at a time.
What if my recording shows customer or patient data?
Hide or crop the private part before you share the file. If you work with client or patient data, follow your employer's rules first. Lawyers, nurses, and accountants should check their policy before they upload anything.
Sources
- How to record the screen on Mac · Apple Support · checked 2026-11-07
- Take a screenshot or screen recording on Mac · Apple Support · checked 2026-11-07
- macOS · Apple · checked 2026-11-07
- Report: Debugging Efforts Cost Companies $61B Annually · Undo · checked 2026-11-07
- Survey Finds AI-Generated Code Increases Debugging and Failure Rates and Creates a Comprehension Gap · InfoQ · checked 2026-11-07
- Tracking Bugs - The Debugging Book · The Debugging Book · checked 2026-11-07
- A Grounded Theory of Debugging in Professional Software Engineering Practice · arXiv · checked 2026-11-07
- Assessing the Quality of the Steps to Reproduce in Bug Reports · arXiv (ESEC/FSE 2019) · checked 2026-11-07
- Loom Pricing · Loom · checked 2026-11-07
- Jam Pricing · Jam · checked 2026-11-07
Fix recording the screen to show a problem with Lazur, free for 3 days
Hold a key and ask. Lazur sees your screen, points at the button and talks you through it, in any Mac app. No credit card.