How to Record a Video on Mac

To record a video on Mac, open Photo Booth, click the Record Video button, and click Stop when you're done. For more control over the camera, microphone, and quality, open QuickTime Player and choose File → New Movie Recording instead.

Both apps come with every Mac and use the built-in camera by default. You can also use your iPhone as the camera, which gives a sharper picture than most Mac webcams.

How to record a video on Mac with Photo Booth

Photo Booth is the quickest way to record yourself. From Apple's Photo Booth guide:

Open Photo Booth from your Applications folder.
If you see a View Photo or View Video button, click it to get back to the camera.
Click the Record a movie clip button at the bottom left to switch to video.
Click the Record Video button. A short countdown runs first; hold Option while clicking to skip it.
Click Stop when you're done.

Your clip appears as a thumbnail at the bottom of the window. Drag it to your desktop or a folder to save a copy you can edit or share. Photo Booth keeps the original in its library inside your Pictures folder.

Photo Booth is fine for a quick message, but it doesn't let you pick the microphone or quality. For anything you plan to post, use QuickTime.

How to record a video on Mac with QuickTime Player

QuickTime Player lets you choose the camera, microphone, and quality. From Apple's QuickTime guide:

Open QuickTime Player from your Applications folder.
Choose File → New Movie Recording.
Click the small arrow next to the record button to choose:
- Camera: the built-in camera, a USB webcam, or your iPhone.
- Microphone: the built-in mic or an external microphone.
- Quality: High records H.264 video, which keeps files a manageable size. Maximum records Apple ProRes, which is better for heavy editing but uses a lot of storage.
Turn up the volume slider if you want to hear yourself while recording (use headphones to avoid echo).
Click the record button to start, and click it again to stop. To pause, Option-click the record button, then click it again to resume.
Choose File → Save to name the recording and pick a folder.

For most people, High is the right quality. Choose Maximum only if you're color grading or editing in a pro app and have plenty of free space.

How to record yourself on Mac with your iPhone camera

Your iPhone's rear camera is much sharper than a Mac webcam. With Continuity Camera, your Mac can use it like a webcam:

Check the basics: an iPhone XR or later on iOS 16 or later, a Mac on macOS Ventura or later, both signed in to the same Apple Account, and the iPhone within about 10 meters (30 feet) of the Mac.
Mount the iPhone in landscape on a stand or a clip on top of the Mac, with the rear camera facing you.
Open QuickTime Player, choose File → New Movie Recording, and choose your iPhone from the Camera menu.
Record as usual. You can keep using the Mac's microphone or a USB mic.

If your iPhone doesn't show up wirelessly, connect it with a USB cable. QuickTime also lists a cable-connected iPhone or iPad as a camera.

How to record yourself on Mac and look good

The app matters less than your setup. Before you hit record:

Raise the camera to eye level. Put the MacBook on a stand or a stack of books. A camera below your chin is the least flattering angle there is.
Face a window or a soft light. Light from in front of you, slightly to one side, looks natural. A window behind you turns you into a silhouette.
Frame from mid-chest up, with a little space above your head.
Use an external microphone if you can. Sound quality matters more to viewers than picture quality. See our USB microphone picks and webcam picks for Mac.
Tidy what's behind you, or pick a simple background. Our guide to good video backgrounds has ideas.
Keep notes close to the camera. Reading from far away makes your eyes wander. A teleprompter helps for scripted videos.
Record a 10-second test and play it back with sound before the real take.

Record your screen and yourself

To show your screen while you talk, keep the QuickTime camera window floating over your screen and record both with the Screenshot toolbar. Our guide on how to screen record on Mac has the steps.

After recording: cut the pauses and add captions

Talking to a camera means pauses, restarts, and "um"s. You can cut them by hand in QuickTime (Edit → Trim for the start and end) or in iMovie, but it's slow for anything longer than a minute.

BlitzCut is built for this on Mac. Open your recording and it removes the silences in one pass. Then you delete retakes by deleting their words from the transcript, add animated captions, and export for YouTube, TikTok, or Reels.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I record myself on my Mac?

Open QuickTime Player, choose File, then New Movie Recording, and click the record button. Photo Booth also works for quick clips. Put the camera at eye level and face a window for the best picture.

Does a Mac have a camera app?

There's no app called Camera, but Photo Booth and QuickTime Player both record video from the built-in camera, and FaceTime uses it for calls.

Where does Photo Booth save videos?

In the Photo Booth library inside your Pictures folder. The easiest way to get a copy is to drag the clip's thumbnail from the bottom of the Photo Booth window to your desktop.

How do I record a video on Mac with an external camera?

Connect the camera or webcam, open QuickTime Player, choose File, then New Movie Recording, and pick it from the Camera menu next to the record button. You can also choose an iPhone there with Continuity Camera.