The simplest way to record your PC

Windows 10 and 11 come with a built-in screen recorder called Xbox Game Bar that works on any PC without installing anything. Press Windows key + G to open it, click the red record button (or press Windows key + Alt + R), and it captures your screen and microphone audio together. When you stop recording, the video saves automatically to your Videos folder in a file called Capture.

If you use a Mac, QuickTime Player is built in and works the same way. Open QuickTime, go to File > New Screen Recording, click the red record button, and choose whether to include system audio and your microphone. The file saves to your Desktop by default.

Both of these tools record in standard video formats that play on any device. You do not need to buy software or sign up for anything. The trade-off is that they have fewer options than paid programs — you cannot easily edit the video afterward or add overlays while recording.

Key Takeaways

  • Windows 10 and 11 have a free screen recorder built in called Xbox Game Bar, opened with Windows key + G.
  • Mac users can use QuickTime Player, found in Applications > Utilities, which records screen and audio without extra software.
  • If you need to edit the video, add a webcam feed, or record only part of your screen, third-party software like OBS Studio (free) or Camtasia (paid) gives you more control.
  • Audio quality depends on your microphone and whether you record system sounds, process sounds, or both.
  • Video files can be large — a one-hour recording at standard quality takes 1 to 3 gigabytes of disk space.

Recording just your microphone without the screen

If you only need to record audio — for a podcast, voiceover, or meeting notes — use Audacity, which is free and works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. read it from audacityteam.org, open it, click the red record button, and speak into your microphone. When you finish, go to File > Export and choose MP3 or WAV format.

Windows also includes a voice recorder app called Voice Memos (search for it in the Start menu). It is simpler than Audacity but saves files in a format that is harder to share. Audacity is the better choice if you plan to send the audio to someone else or edit it later.

Recording your screen with a webcam feed at the same time

OBS Studio is free software that lets you record your screen, your webcam, and your microphone all together, and you can position the webcam feed anywhere on the screen. read it from obsproject.com, and the setup takes about five minutes. You add your screen as a source, add your webcam as another source, arrange them how you want, and press Start Recording.

OBS is more powerful than Xbox Game Bar but also more complex. If you only need to record your screen and audio, stick with the built-in tools. If you want to add a picture-in-picture of yourself, a logo, or text overlays, OBS is worth learning.

Choosing between system audio and microphone audio

When you record, you can capture three different audio sources: your microphone (what you say), system sounds (what your PC plays), or both. Most people want both — your voice explaining what is on screen, plus the sounds from the process you are recording.

On Windows, Xbox Game Bar records both by default. If you want to change this, open Settings > System > Sound and scroll down to Volume mixer. You can mute the microphone or system audio before you record, and the recorder will respect those settings.

On Mac, QuickTime lets you choose your microphone from a dropdown menu before you start. To include system audio, you need to install a free tool called BlackHole (from existential.audio) first, which takes a few minutes. Without it, QuickTime only records your microphone, not what your Mac is playing.

File size and storage space

A one-hour screen recording at 1080p resolution uses roughly 1 to 3 gigabytes of disk space, depending on how much motion is on screen. A video with a lot of movement (like a game or animation) takes more space than a static screen (like a document or spreadsheet). Audio-only recordings are much smaller — an hour of voice takes about 50 to 100 megabytes.

Before you record something long, check how much free space you have. Right-click your C: drive (Windows) or Macintosh HD (Mac) and choose Properties or Get Info. If you have less than 5 gigabytes free, delete old files or move them to an external drive first. Running out of space while recording can corrupt the file.

Where your recordings save and how to find them

On Windows, Xbox Game Bar saves videos to C:\Users\[Your Name]\Videos\Captures. You can change this by opening Settings > Gaming > Captures and clicking Browse. The files are named Capture, Capture (1), Capture (2), and so on.

On Mac, QuickTime saves to your Desktop by default. You can move them to your Videos folder or any other location afterward. Audacity saves audio files wherever you choose when you export them — it does not have a default location.

All of these programs create standard video files (MP4 on Windows, MOV on Mac) that you can play in any media player, upload to YouTube, or email to someone else.

Troubleshooting common recording problems

No audio is recording. On Windows, check that your microphone is not muted in the system tray (bottom right corner). On Mac, go to System Preferences > Sound > Input and make sure your microphone is selected and the volume is not at zero. If you want system audio too, remember that QuickTime on Mac needs BlackHole installed first.

The video is choppy or stutters. This usually means your PC is working too hard while recording. Close other programs, especially web browsers with many tabs open. If you are recording a game or video, lower the resolution or frame rate in the recorder settings. OBS lets you adjust these; Xbox Game Bar records at whatever your screen is set to.

The file is huge and takes forever to upload. You can compress the video using free software like HandBrake (from handbrake.fr) after recording. It reduces file size by 50 to 80 percent with little visible quality loss. This takes 10 to 30 minutes depending on the video length.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I record a Zoom call or Teams meeting?

Yes. Both Zoom and Teams have built-in recording buttons during a call. Click Record in the meeting controls, and the software saves the video to your computer automatically. You do not need a separate screen recorder. Check your organization's policy first — some workplaces require permission before recording meetings.

What is the difference between recording at 720p and 1080p?

1080p is sharper and larger (1920 by 1080 pixels), while 720p is smaller and blurrier (1280 by 720 pixels). 1080p takes up more disk space and is better for sharing online. 720p is fine for internal use or if disk space is tight. Most built-in recorders use your monitor's native resolution, so you cannot easily change it without third-party software.

Can I record my PC screen on my phone at the same time?

Not directly. Your phone and PC are separate devices. You can record your PC screen on your PC, then separately record your phone screen on your phone, but they will not sync automatically. If you need both in one video, record them separately and use video editing software to combine them afterward.

Is it legal to record someone else's screen or voice?

Recording laws vary by location. In most places, recording someone without their knowledge is illegal. Always tell people you are recording them, especially in meetings or calls. For your own screen and voice, you can record freely.

Why is my recording blurry?

This usually happens when you record at a lower resolution than your monitor displays, or when the video is compressed too much afterward. Record at your monitor's native resolution (usually 1920 by 1080 on modern PCs). If you compress the file later with HandBrake, use a higher quality setting to keep it sharp.