How to Screen Record a Window on Mac (Every macOS Version)

To screen record a single window on a Mac, press ⇧⌘5, choose Record Selected Window, then click the window you want. That option arrived in macOS 26 Tahoe, so it's also in macOS 27 Golden Gate. On macOS 15 Sequoia, choose Record Selected Portion and drag the frame around the window instead, or use an app such as OBS Studio or Smooth Recorder that records one window directly.

One thing to know before you start: a window recording shows only that window. Menus, popovers and tooltips are separate windows in macOS, so they can be missing from the video. We cover when that matters, and what to do instead, below.

Not sure which version you have? Choose Apple menu > About This Mac.

Every way to record one window on a Mac

Prices as of October 2026. If you're on macOS 26 or later and only need a quick clip, the built-in tool is enough.

Record a selected window with ⇧⌘5 (macOS 26 Tahoe and later)

Apple's guide lists Record Selected Window as available in macOS Tahoe 26 or later.

1. Open the window you want to record and get it ready: the right tab, the right size, nothing private on show.
2. Press ⇧⌘5 to open the Screenshot toolbar.
3. Click Record Selected Window.
4. Click Options if you need sound or other settings: choose a Microphone for your voice, a Timer, Show Mouse Clicks, or where to Save to. On macOS 27 Golden Gate, Include System Audio records your Mac's own sound too.
5. Click the window you want to record. Recording starts.
6. To stop, click the Stop button in the menu bar or press ⌃⌘Esc.

The recording saves to your Desktop by default, and a thumbnail appears in the corner of the screen first. Click it to trim, or swipe it away to save straight away.

For the sound side, including the ⇧⌘5 options on each macOS version, see how to screen record on Mac with audio.

Record one window on macOS 15 Sequoia

macOS 15 Sequoia's Screenshot toolbar has Record Entire Screen and Record Selected Portion, but no window option. The workaround is to draw the portion around the window.

1. Put the window where it will stay for the whole recording. Moving it later doesn't move the recording frame.
2. Press ⇧⌘5 and click Record Selected Portion.
3. Drag the frame's edges and corners until they sit just outside the window's edges. The toolbar remembers the last portion, so the next recording starts from the same frame.
4. Click Options to choose a microphone or a timer.
5. Click Record inside the frame.
6. Stop with the Stop button in the menu bar or ⌃⌘Esc.

This records an area of the screen, not the window itself. That has two side effects:

• Anything on top shows up. Another window dragged over yours, a notification or the Dock will appear in the video. Close or move what you don't need, and hide the Dock if the window sits near it.
• Menus and popovers show up too, as long as they open inside the frame. On Sequoia this is actually the more forgiving option for demos.

QuickTime Player

QuickTime Player is the other built-in route. Choose File > New Screen Recording or press ⌃⌘N. On current macOS versions, this opens the same Screenshot toolbar as ⇧⌘5, so you get the same choices: a selected window on macOS 26 and later, a selected portion on macOS 15. When you stop, QuickTime opens the recording, and Edit > Trim cuts the ends.

Why menus and popovers go missing (and when to record an area)

This is the part most guides skip, and it's the most common surprise with window recording.

In macOS, a lot of what looks like part of an app is actually its own small window: the menu that drops from the menu bar, a right-click menu, a popover from a toolbar button, a color picker, an autocomplete list, a tooltip. A recorder that captures one window captures that window's content. Those extra windows can be left out, so in your video a menu "opens" with nothing on screen, or a click lands on a popover that isn't there.

You'll also lose anything that happens outside the window: a file dragged in from the Finder, a second app, a system dialog asking for permission, or a sheet that opens in another window.

Record a single window when:

• The whole story happens inside one window, like a web page, a document or a code editor.
• You want a clean video with nothing else from your desktop, and no risk of notifications.
• You'll move or resize the window while recording (with an app that follows the window).

Record an area or the full screen instead when:

• You open menus, right-click menus, popovers, pickers or tooltips that viewers need to see.
• You switch between apps, or drag things between windows.
• You're recording a bug where a system dialog or menu is part of the problem. See how to record a bug report video.

OBS Studio: Window Capture

OBS Studio is free and open source. On a Mac, its macOS Screen Capture source uses Apple's ScreenCaptureKit, and the OBS guide lists three methods: Display Capture, Window Capture for a single window, and Application Capture for all visible windows of one app.

1. In OBS, click + under Sources and choose macOS Screen Capture.
2. Set Method to Window Capture, then pick the window from the Window list.
3. If your window isn't listed, turn on Show windows with empty names or Show fullscreen and hidden windows / applications. Both are off by default.
4. Size the source to fit the canvas (Control-click it and choose Transform > Fit to screen).
5. Click Start Recording, and Stop Recording when you're done.

Application Capture is a useful middle ground: it captures every visible window of one app, so another window from the same app shows up, while other apps stay hidden. Whether that includes its menus depends on how the app draws them, so test first. OBS needs Screen & System Audio Recording permission in System Settings > Privacy & Security, and audio from this source needs macOS 13 or later.

OBS gives you a lot of control, with a learning curve and no automatic polish after you stop.

Smooth Recorder: click a window and press R

Smooth Recorder is our Mac app, so we're biased. Here's what window recording looks like in it:

1. Press ⌥1 to open the capture overlay.
2. Move the pointer over the window you want and click it.
3. On the bar under it, choose your Camera, Microphone and Mac sound if you need them. Mac sound is on by default.
4. Press R to record.
5. Stop from the pill in the notch at the top of the screen. The menu bar icon shows a red dot and the elapsed time while you record.

It captures just that window and follows it if you move it. Other windows don't appear, and neither do the window's menus, popovers and tooltips, for the reason above. If you need those, press ⌥1 and drag an area, or pick the whole screen.

After you stop, the recording opens in Studio. A window recording on its own can look bare, so Studio can add a background, padding, rounded corners and a shadow, turn your clicks into zooms, smooth the cursor, and add captions transcribed on your Mac. Export MP4 or MOV, up to 60 fps, at 16:9, 9:16, 1:1 or 4:5, or a GIF. It runs on macOS 15 and later, so you get window recording on Sequoia too, and costs $19 once during early access (pricing).

Other options are worth a look depending on your needs. CleanShot X and Screen Studio also record on a Mac; see our comparisons with CleanShot X and Screen Studio, or the full list of the best screen recorders for Mac.

Bonus: take a screenshot of one window

If you need a still image rather than a video, macOS has had a window screenshot for years:

1. Open the window you want.
2. Press ⇧⌘4, then press the Space bar. The pointer turns into a camera.
3. Move it over the window so it's highlighted, then click.

The screenshot saves to your Desktop, with the window's shadow on a transparent background. Apple says to hold the Option key while you click to leave the shadow out. This works on every recent macOS version, including macOS 15. You can also press ⇧⌘5 and choose Capture Selected Window.

Need the whole page, not just what's visible? See how to take a scrolling screenshot on Mac.

Troubleshooting window recordings

I can't find Record Selected Window. It needs macOS 26 Tahoe or later. On macOS 15 Sequoia, use Record Selected Portion around the window, or an app.

Menus or popovers are missing from the video. Expected with single-window recording. Record an area or the full screen instead.

Another window or a notification is in my recording. You recorded a portion of the screen, which captures everything inside the frame. Close or move other windows, turn on Do Not Disturb, or use a true window recording.

The window moved but the recording didn't. A selected portion is a fixed area of the screen. Keep the window still, or use a tool that records the window itself.

The recording is black or the window isn't listed. The app needs Screen & System Audio Recording permission in System Settings > Privacy & Security (called Screen Recording before macOS 15). Turn it on, then quit and reopen the app. Some apps also block capture of protected video, so streaming players can record as black. For more fixes, see screen recording not working on Mac.

There's no sound. In ⇧⌘5, open Options and make sure Microphone isn't set to None. For your Mac's own sound, see how to screen record on Mac with audio.

The video looks small or has blank space around it. Window recordings keep the window's own shape. Crop or reframe it before you share, or put it on a background. For a closer look at the important parts, see how to zoom in on a screen recording.