3 Simple Ways to Record Your Screen in Windows 10

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Make high-quality screen recordings, with or without audio

Co-authored by Nicole Levine, MFA Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: December 5, 2024 Fact Checked

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• Using the Xbox Game Bar
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• Using Microsoft Clipchamp
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• Using OBS Studio
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• Video
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• Q&A

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If you want to record your Windows 10 screen, you have several free options. If you want to record a game or application window but not the entire screen, you can use the built-in screen recorder Xbox Game Bar. To record the whole screen, you can use free, easy-to-install software like Microsoft Clipchamp or OBS Studio. All these options allow you to screen record with audio, and you'll even have the option to add your voice to the recording. Read on to learn the easiest ways to record your screen in Windows 10.

How to Record the Screen in Windows 10

Press the Windows Key + Alt + G to open Game Bar, then press Windows key + Alt + R to start recording. Click the square when you're finished. To record your entire screen, use Microsoft Clipchamp or OBS Studio—both are free and easy to set up.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using the Xbox Game Bar

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1. 1
   Open the Game Bar app. If you want to screen record a game or other program on Windows 10, you can use the Xbox Game Bar. To open Game Bar, type game bar into the Windows search bar and click Game Bar, or use the keyboard shortcut Windows key + Alt + G.

   • While this tool won't record the entire screen, it can come in handy if you want to record yourself playing a game or demonstrating something in an app.
   • If Game Bar doesn't open, it may be disabled. To enable it:
     • Open the Start menu and select Settings.
     • Select Gaming > Game Bar.
     • Set "Enable Game Bar for things like recording game clips, chatting with friends, and receiving game invites" to On.
2. 2
   Adjust your screen recording preferences (optional). If you’d like to fine-tune your screen recording option, you can do so in your Windows Settings. Here’s how:

   • Open the Start menu and click Settings.
   • Click Gaming.
   • Click Game Bar in the left column.
   • Scroll down on the right panel to adjust your audio and video preferences.
   • Close the Settings window when you're finished and return to the Xbox Game Bar.
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3. 3
   Press ⊞ Win+Alt+R to start recording the screen. A bar displaying your progress will appear at the top-right of the screen.

   • Click the microphone icon on the bar to toggle voice recording on or off.
   • To record a game or application you're using full-screen, use Windows key + Alt + G to start and stop recording instead.
4. 4
   Click the square when you’re finished recording. It’s on an indicator that displays your progress. Your screen recording is now saved to a folder called Captures, which is inside your Videos folder.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Microsoft Clipchamp

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1. 1
   Install Climpchamp from the Microsoft Store. This free Microsoft app makes it super easy to record your entire screen on Windows 10. This is a great option if you want to record the entire screen with audio, and you'll even have the option of recording yourself on your webcam at the same time.

   • Open the Microsoft Store app in your Start menu.
   • Search for "Clipchamp."
   • Click Get and follow the on-screen instructions to install.
2. 2
   Open Clipchamp and click Create a new video. After signing in with your Microsoft account, you'll see a purple button near the top of the right panel. If you don't see it, scroll down a bit to "Your videos," then click Create your first video here.
3. 3
   Click Record & create in the left panel. It's the option with a video camera, and you'll see it in the upper-left area of the window.
4. 4
   Select a recording option. The recording options allow you to record both your screen and camera, just your camera, just your screen, or just audio.

   • If you select just the Screen option, you can still record yourself speaking if you'd like. In addition to audio captured from the screen, you can connect an external microphone (such as the one in your headset) or use your computer's built-in mic.
5. 5
   Allow Clipchamp access to your microphone and camera. If you want to record with audio or use your webcam, give Clipchamp permission to access your camera and microphone by selecting Allow or Always allow.
6. 6
   Click the red Record button. This opens a screen where you can select what you'd like to include in your screen recording.
7. 7
   Select Entire Screen to capture the whole screen. Alternatively, you can record just a browser tab or a single window.

   • If you are using multiple desktops and choose to record the entire screen, select the image of the desktop you want to record.
   • If you want to record audio, toggle on the "Also share system audio" option.
8. 8
   Click Share to start recording. You can record up to 30 minutes with Clipchamp. If you want to make a longer video, just record multiple videos. You can even use Clipchamp to combine the videos at the end to make one longer recording.
9. 9
   Click Stop sharing when you're finished. This completes the screen recording and allows you to watch what you've recorded. If you're unhappy with it, click Retaking recording to try again.

   • If you want to keep your recording, click Save and edit.
10. 10
    Edit and save your screen recording. You can now use Clipchamp's editing tools to add text, create transitions, and more. To save your recording when you're finished, click the purple Export button and choose a video quality. You can then give the video a name, click Save to your computer, and select a saving location.

    • If you want to make a screen recording longer than 30 minutes, click Record & create again and record your next video. When you save that one, you'll see both recordings in the media panel. You can easily drag the second recording to the timeline right after the first to make one long video.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using OBS Studio

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1. 1
   Install OBS Studio. You can use OBS to record the entire screen with audio, full-screen gameplay, individual windows, and even audio. Download this free screen recording and broadcasting software from https://obsproject.com.

   • Once downloaded, double-click the file and follow the on-screen instructions to install it.
2. 2
   Open OBS Studio and complete the wizard.

   • If you are just using OBS Studio to record the screen, select Optimize just for recording, I will not be streaming. You can always opt to add streaming features later. Click Next to continue.
   • OBS Studio will determine the best resolution and FPS for your recordings. Click Next to continue.
   • Click Apply Settings when you're finished.
3. 3
   Click + under "Sources." A list of sources from which you can stream and record will appear.
4. 4
   Select Display Capture and then click OK. This option allows you to record the entire screen. Alternatively, you can select Window Capture to record just one window, or Game Capture to record a full-screen game.
5. 5
   Select your preferences and click OK. "Automatic" is fine for the Capture Method. If you have multiple displays, select the one you want to record from the "Display" menu. You can also choose whether to include your mouse cursor in the recording.
6. 6
   Customize your audio preferences. OBS Studio is set to record your system audio and your system microphone by default. If you don't want to record system audio, click the mute button under "Desktop Audio." If you don’t want the screen recording to record your voice or ambient sound around you, click the mute button next to "Mic/Aux."
7. 7
   Choose your video settings. Before you start recording, you can choose where to save the file, the type of file to create, and other details.

   • Click Settings in the lower-right corner.
   • Click the Output tab.
   • Choose the saving location by clicking Browse next to "Recording Path." By default, OBS Studio will save the recording in your Videos folder.
   • Choose a file type (such as MP4 or MOV) from the "Recording Format" menu. The default is MKV.
   • Click OK to return to OBS Studio.
8. 8
   Click Start Recording. This instantly begins recording your screen with your selected settings.

   • Click Stop Recording when you're finished. This saves the video at the location you selected.
   • Want more tips for recording a screen's sound and video on Windows? Check out what wikiHow users say on our How do I screen record sound and video on Windows? forum.
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Community Q&A

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• Question

  How to face-cam on Windows 10?

  

  AbigailMiller

  Community Answer

  If you mean to record your webcam on Windows 10, I'll recommend some screen recorders. Firstly, OBS is a free and powerful recording tool that enables you to record your webcam. But it is not friendly to newbies. You can search for tutorials about OBS. Paid and affordable software, which is easier-to-use include Bandicam (it's nice for gameplay recording), RecMaster (It has a simple main interface), Camtasia (many people know it). You can choose any of them according to your needs. They're all great screen recorders.

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