The short answer
In the recorder below, tick Tab or system sound and, if you want to talk, Microphone. Press Start recording. The browser asks what to share: choose a tab for the cleanest sound, or the entire screen if you need several windows. Tick the option to share audio in that dialog, then confirm. After a 3 second countdown the recording starts. Press Stop or the browser's stop sharing button, check the preview and press Download.
This works in Chrome, Edge and Firefox on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook. Phones do not allow screen sharing in the browser, so use the built in screen recorder on the phone instead.
Try it here: Screen Recorder
Open the full tool pageTab, window or entire screen
What you share decides which sound can be recorded. The browser, not the website, controls this, and the rules differ by system.
- Firefox records the screen and your microphone, but it does not capture tab or system sound. Use Chrome or Edge when you need the computer's audio.
- The tab that runs the recorder is left out of the list on purpose, so you do not record the recorder itself.
| What you share | Sound you can record | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Browser tab | Sound of that tab, on all systems in Chrome and Edge | Web apps, online videos, slides in the browser |
| Window | No system sound in most browsers | One program when sound is not needed |
| Entire screen on Windows | All system sound, if you tick share system audio | Desktop apps, games, several windows |
| Entire screen on Mac | Usually no system sound | Use a tab if you need the sound |
| Any choice, Microphone ticked | Your voice, mixed into the same track | Tutorials, bug reports, narration |
Built in tools on Windows, Mac and Chromebook
Each system also has its own recorder. They are useful when you need something the browser cannot do, such as system sound on a Mac.
- Windows 11: the Snipping Tool has a record mode (Windows + Shift + S, then the video icon, or open the app). Current versions can include system sound and the microphone. Files are saved as MP4.
- Windows 10 and 11: the Xbox Game Bar (Windows + Alt + R) records one app or game window with its sound, but not the desktop or File Explorer.
- Mac: press Shift + Command + 5 for the screenshot toolbar, or use QuickTime Player > File > New Screen Recording. Under Options you can choose a microphone; system sound is not recorded without extra software.
- Chromebook: open Quick Settings and choose Screen capture, then the video icon. The settings let you record the microphone; whether system sound is offered depends on the ChromeOS version.
- In the browser: the recorder on this page saves straight to your downloads folder, with no watermark and no time limit.
Quality, format and file size
The recorder saves MP4 when the browser can write it, otherwise WebM. MP4 plays almost everywhere and uploads directly to YouTube, Teams, Slack or a support ticket. WebM plays in all current browsers and in VLC; the duration is written into the file, so you can skip forward in any player. If you need MP4 from a WebM file, a video converter can change it afterward.
The Quality setting chooses the video bit rate. Sound is recorded at 160 kbps. The sizes below are the upper end: a mostly static screen, such as slides or a document, compresses much better and gives smaller files, while fast motion uses the full rate.
| Quality setting | Video bit rate | Size per minute, at most |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (smaller file) | 2.5 Mbps | About 20 MB |
| High | 6 Mbps | About 45 MB |
| Maximum | 12 Mbps | About 90 MB |
No sound in the recording: fixes
- Tab or system sound was not ticked before you pressed Start recording. It must be on before the sharing dialog opens.
- Share audio was not ticked in the browser dialog. In Chrome and Edge, the option appears under the preview for tabs and for the entire screen on Windows.
- You shared a window. Most browsers cannot record window sound; share the tab or the entire screen instead.
- You used Firefox. It does not record tab or system sound; switch to Chrome or Edge.
- The tab was muted. A muted tab records silence. Unmute it and keep the system volume up, although the recording level does not depend on your speakers.
- Microphone missing: if the browser could not use it, the recorder shows a message and keeps recording without it. Allow the microphone for the site and try again.
Tips for a clean recording
- Close notifications and private tabs before sharing the entire screen. On Windows, Do not disturb hides pop ups.
- Use a headset if you record your voice together with system sound, so the speakers do not echo into the microphone.
- Use Pause and Resume to skip waiting time instead of editing it out later.
- Keep the recorder tab open and download before closing it. The page warns you if you try to leave with an unsaved recording.
- Long recordings are kept in memory until you download them. For recordings over an hour, choose Standard quality on computers with little RAM.
- Set the display scaling and browser zoom before recording so text is readable; small text is the first thing to blur under compression.
- If you narrate with the microphone, make a 10 second test recording first and check the balance between your voice and the system sound.