Step-by-Step Guide on How to Screen Record on a Laptop

If you are interested in improving productivity, communication, and learning with your work team, you should know about the great tool that can record your computer screen.

This option, which emerged a few years ago and has now become popular for its great utility, is ideal for explaining in detail everything that happens on your computer screen. It allows you to make explanatory videos where the viewer can follow the instructions given step-by-step.

So, if you don't know how to start recording your laptop or computer screen, keep reading. This article is perfect for you!

What Is Screen Recording, and Why Is It Useful?  

Recording the screen allows you to share with others exactly what you are seeing through the computer or other electronic devices, which is a valuable tool.  

By recording your computer screen, you can inform and give a detailed and accurate explanation of any procedure that you need to communicate, whether to make tutorials, record important presentations, webinars, or even solve technical problems.

As it is a pre-recorded video, it allows you to stop, rewind, or watch it as many times as necessary until you understand the information or the steps you need to perform. Many people even simultaneously record their faces through the webcam.

This is why it is used in multiple professional environments, both to educate and to make specific processes known, enabling effective communication and knowledge sharing by capturing tutorials, presentations, onboarding processes, problem-solving guides, etc.

This is an even more valuable tool in the digital landscape, particularly distance work, online learning, and content creation. However, having good quality tools, such as Guidde, can simplify the user experience through great editing features and high video quality. 

Built-in Tools For Screen Recording?

Depending on your computer, both Windows and Mac operating systems contain built-in tools that allow you to take screenshots and record the screen without downloading secondary applications. We tell you about them:

How to Record on Windows

Xbox Game Bar

Windows 10 and 11 come equipped with the Xbox Game Bar. This is a built-in feature designed with gamers in mind to record gameplay on your computer but it is versatile enough for general screen recording. 

However, for privacy protection, you cannot record the screen on the desktop or in File Explorer.

How to use:

• Press the Windows key + G on your keyboard at the same time. This shortcut will open a menu with the open game bar at the top of the screen.
• Click on the widget that has a camera icon in the top bar.
• To record the screen, click on the widget with the dot in the middle, which corresponds to the record button.
• On the right is an icon that shows a microphone, which you can enable or disable depending on whether you want audio in your recording.
• If you want to record audio, from the settings, select the option «Record audio when I record a game» on Windows 10 or «Capture audio when recording a game» on Windows 11.
• Another option is to simply press the Windows + Alt + R keys simultaneously, and the recording starts automatically. An overlay window will appear, indicating how long the recording has been running.
• To review the recording, access the Xbox Game Bar in the «show all screenshots» option, or save them under the video-capture folder.

On most devices with Windows 10, the Xbox app is pre-installed, but if that is not your case, you can download it without problems from the Microsoft Store. 

A disadvantage of this tool is that it may not function correctly in full-screen mode for certain applications. 

Snipping Tool

For users with the Windows 11 operating system, the snipping tool formerly worked only to take a screen capture and edit them. However, the latest update, it allows us to record the screen and edit the video in Clipchamp. 

How to use:

• Press Windows + Shift + R keys, which will open a menu bar at the top of the screen.
• Select the video camera that appears in the tab and select the area of the screen you want to record.
• Press «start» and when you finish your video recording, select the button for «stop».
• The recordings are automatically saved in the Screen Recordings folder as an MP4 video file.

How to Record on Mac

If you have a Mac computer, don't worry; it also has built-in options for screen recording. Here we present them to you:

Screenshot Toolbar

MacOS Mojave and later versions offer a built-in Screenshot toolbar for screen recording.

How to use:

• You must simultaneously press the keys: command + shift + 5 and several widgets will appear on a menu bar on the screen.
• The last two widgets are in charge of recording. The third icon allows you to record the entire screen, while clicking the fourth icon allows you to select a specific area of the screen to be recorded.
• In recording options, you can set the sound, microphone, and recording time.
• Once you want to stop recording, click on the «stop» icon located at the right corner of the screen.

QuickTime Player

It's a tool that allows you to edit videos from your computer. It allows editing, trimming, rotating, rearranging, and manipulating individual clips.

How to use:

• Open the QuickTime Player application and select File, and click on «New Screen Recording» in the upper left corner.
• You will see the same bar with widgets as above, where you can follow the same steps for screen recording.

To learn more, you can explore the QuickTime Player user manual by clicking the «Table of Contents» option at the top of the screen, or you can enter a keyword in the search box.

The Mac system has some limited functions, so it has the disadvantage of being unable to record system audio. So, if you are looking for that option, it is better to resort to a third-party app instead of built-in screen recording tools. 

It is important to note that when your computer's processing power is low, screen recordings often become choppy. However, this can be resolved by lowering the resolution or frame rate of the recording.

Screen Recording Made Easier With Guidde

As technology has advanced, many applications allow free screen recording. Just as we have seen that built-in tools are convenient for everyday use, third-party applications offer advanced features to enhance experiences.

Guidde is an all-in-one screen recording solution. It is a versatile and easy-to-use application, ideal for creating high-quality and engaging content that is effortlessly crafted. This screen recording software captures everything on your screen, including your cursor movements and clicks. 

This application has advanced features that will allow you to take your content to another level, whether it is used for tutorials, documenting workflows, or sharing optimized content.

It has multiple benefits, such as:

• All-in-one tool with AI integration for optimized content.
• Interactive and engaging video creation without watermarks.
• Video editor and important features that also allow trimming segments.
• Broadcast feature for employees and clients.
• Text-to-speech conversion offering more than 100 voices in several languages.
• Automatic script creation.
• Allows adding logos, colors, and elements to videos, including zooms. 
• Optimized audio recording. 

How to Record the Screen Using Guidde

How to use:

• Sign up to Guidde and access your account.
• Enable Guidde extension in Google Chrome.
• Select the add to Chrome button and once you confirm, the extension will be added to your browser.
• Click on the red «G» icon in Guidde to record a step-by-step video.
• Select the tab where you want the recording to start and click «Capture Workflow».
• Go through the workflow you would like to capture. Guidde identifies your clicks, typed inputs, and URL changes.
• Once you have completed recording the workflow, hover over the red «G» icon in the right corner of the screen and click the stop button.
• Within a few seconds, a new tab with the automated step-by-step video will be displayed.

Ready to take your screen recording to the next level?

Guidde makes capturing, editing, and sharing high-quality videos easy. Create professional tutorials, onboarding materials, and more with just a few clicks. Start today!