How to Record Your Screen and Webcam at the Same Time on Mac

Recording your Mac screen and your face together is common for tutorials, sales walkthroughs, course videos and bug reports. macOS has no single “screen and webcam” button. We start with the method we recommend (ZoomCap, which we make), then the built-in trick and the other apps, with the steps for each, what each captures (including audio), and when each fits.

The five methods compared

ZoomCap is the tool we build and use. The QuickTime, OBS, Loom and Presenter Overlay steps follow Apple's, OBS's and Loom's own documentation. Prices were checked in September 2026.

1. ZoomCap: webcam bubble you can edit later (recommended)

Evidence: tested by us (we make ZoomCap). ZoomCap's browser recorder runs in Chrome or Edge on your Mac with nothing to install. It records the screen, a window or a tab, plus your camera and mic. The camera is stored as its own track, so in the editor you can:

• drag the webcam bubble anywhere, or snap it to a corner;
• resize it (from 10% to 35% of the frame);
• switch between a circle and a rounded square;
• turn it off for a version without your face.

Steps:

1. Open /record in Chrome or Edge.
2. Turn on the camera and microphone, and allow access when the browser asks.
3. Pick what to share: entire screen, a window or a tab.
4. Record, then stop. The recording opens in the editor.
5. Place and shape the webcam, add a background, captions (generated in your browser with Whisper) and zooms, then export an MP4 (720p to 4K) or a GIF.

Price: the free plan includes 2 exports a month with a small watermark; Pro and Lifetime ($29 once (or $12.49/month)) remove the watermark and the export cap. Commercial use is allowed on every plan.

Limits, honestly: the browser only sees clicks inside its own tab, so on these recordings you add zooms with a click in the editor. Automatic zoom comes from ZoomCap's command-line recorder, which is a paid feature and doesn't record the webcam. There is no hosted share link and no motion blur: you export a file and send or upload it yourself. If you need motion blur, Screen Studio (Mac only, $108/yr ($9/mo billed yearly)) records the camera too, according to its site.

Privacy: the recording, including your camera, stays on your Mac. ZoomCap edits and encodes in the browser and never uploads the video; see the security page for the data flow. Payments go through Dodo Payments, with a 14-day refund if it doesn't work for you (refund terms).

2. QuickTime and a floating camera window (free)

Evidence: built into macOS (Apple's QuickTime documentation). This works on any recent macOS with no extra software. The idea is simple: show your camera in a small window that stays on top, then record the whole screen, camera window included.

1. Open QuickTime Player (in Applications).
2. Choose File > New Movie Recording. A window shows your camera. Don't press its record button.
3. Choose View > Float on Top so the window stays above other apps.
4. Resize the camera window and drag it to a corner where it won't cover anything important.
5. Press Shift-Command-5. Choose Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion (make sure the selection includes the camera window).
6. Click Options and pick your microphone under Microphone.
7. Click Record. To stop, click the stop button in the menu bar or press Command-Control-Esc.

Photo Booth instead of QuickTime: Photo Booth also shows a live camera window, but it has no Float on Top option, so it disappears behind whatever app you click. It works only if you keep it in a corner that nothing else overlaps.

What it captures: the screen, the camera window as part of the screen, and your mic. Whether Shift-Command-5 can also capture system audio depends on your macOS version; see does Cmd+Shift+5 record audio? for what each version does.

Downsides: the camera is baked into the recording, so you can't move it later or remove it for a cut-down version. It is a plain rectangle with a window frame. And if a full-screen app or a menu opens over it, the camera can be hidden for that moment.

3. Presenter Overlay (macOS Sonoma and later)

Evidence: from Apple's documentation; we have not tested every app. Presenter Overlay arrived in macOS Sonoma (14). When a supported video app is sharing your screen with your camera on, you can turn it on from the Video menu in the menu bar. It has two modes:

• Small: you appear in a movable bubble over your shared screen.
• Large: you appear in front of your screen, with the shared content framed next to you.

The catch for recording is that Presenter Overlay is a camera effect for video apps such as FaceTime and video-conferencing apps. It ends up in a file only if the app you are using records its own camera-plus-screen output, for example a local recording of a call. Apple's Mac User Guide (search for “Presenter Overlay”) lists the requirements, including which Macs support it; check it before you plan a workflow around it.

Best for: live presentations and recorded calls where you want the “presenter in front of the slides” look. For a tutorial you will edit, one of the methods below gives you more control.

4. OBS Studio (free, layout fixed before recording)

Evidence: from OBS's documentation. OBS Studio is free and open source and runs on Windows, macOS 12+, Linux. It composes a scene from layers (sources), so the webcam is its own layer you can size, crop and mask before recording.

1. Install OBS and grant it Screen Recording, Camera and Microphone permissions when asked.
2. In Sources, click + and add macOS Screen Capture (choose a display, a window or an app).
3. Add a Video Capture Device and pick your webcam. Drag its corners to resize it and move it to a corner.
4. For a round webcam, right-click the camera source, choose Filters, add an Image Mask/Blend filter and point it at a black-and-white circle image.
5. Add your mic with Audio Input Capture if it isn't already in the audio mixer, and check its level while you speak.
6. In Settings > Output, set the recording path and format. Prefer MKV (or, in recent versions, Hybrid MP4), because a crash mid-recording doesn't corrupt the whole file; convert MKV to MP4 afterwards with File > Remux Recordings.
7. Click Start Recording.

What it captures: screen, camera and mic, and on recent macOS versions the screen capture source can include app audio. Downsides: setup takes 15 to 30 minutes the first time, the webcam layout is fixed once you record, and OBS has no editor or automatic zoom (only through third-party plugins). We compare it in more depth in OBS vs ZoomCap.

5. Loom (hosted link)

Evidence: from the vendor. Loom runs on macOS, Windows, Chrome extension, iOS, Android. In the Mac app you choose a mode that records your screen and camera together, and your camera appears as a bubble in a corner of the screen while you record. When you stop, the video uploads and you get a link to share, with comments and view notifications.

Best for: quick async messages, such as a walkthrough for a teammate or a follow-up to a prospect, where a link in five minutes beats an edited file tomorrow.

Price and limits (checked September 2026): the free plan allows 25 videos per person, 5-minute limit, 720p; the Business plan is Business $18/user/mo (Business $180/yr).

Downsides: recordings are stored in Loom's cloud, and there is no automatic zoom, so small interface text stays small. Our post on Loom for messages vs demos explains where the line sits.

Audio tips

• Use an external mic if you have one. A USB mic or a wired headset a hand's width or two from your mouth beats the built-in mic, which picks up fan noise and room echo.
• Pick the mic explicitly in the recorder. macOS may default to a display or webcam mic you didn't intend to use.
• Wear headphones if your recording includes system audio or a call, so the speakers don't feed back into the mic.
• Test the level first. Speak normally and aim for the meter to sit around half to three-quarters, rarely touching the top. Our free webcam and mic test shows a live camera preview and a level meter in your browser without recording or uploading anything.
• System audio is a separate question. If you need sound from your Mac (a video, an app's alerts), see how to record your Mac screen with system audio.

Camera and framing tips

• Light your face from the front. A window or lamp behind the screen, not behind you.
• Put the camera bubble where nothing happens. Usually bottom-left or bottom-right. Move it if it covers a button you click.
• Keep it small: around 15–20% of the frame is enough for a tutorial; a bigger face competes with the product.
• Look at the camera when you speak to the viewer, and at the screen when you are working. Both are natural.
• Record the screen at a readable size. A full Retina display shrunk into a video player makes text tiny; record a window around 1280×800 or zoom in on the action. See why screen recordings look blurry.

Permissions and troubleshooting

macOS asks for three separate permissions, and a missing one is the usual reason a recording comes out black or silent. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security and check:

• Camera: the app (or Chrome/Edge, for browser recorders) is switched on.
• Microphone: same.
• Screen & System Audio Recording (called Screen Recording on older macOS versions): same. Apps usually need to restart after you grant this.

If the camera is black even with permission, another app (a video-call app, OBS, a virtual camera) may be holding it. Quit the others and try again. For more on every built-in method, see how to record your screen on a Mac.

Which method should you use?

• A tutorial, demo or course video with a webcam bubble you can adjust later: ZoomCap's browser recorder. Nothing to install, nothing uploaded, $29 once for watermark-free exports.
• A raw one-off clip with no editing: QuickTime with a floating camera window.
• If you're presenting live or recording a call: Presenter Overlay in your video app.
• If you stream: OBS.
• If you need a hosted link with comments in minutes: Loom.

Frequently asked questions

Record your screen and webcam now

Open the free browser recorder in Chrome or Edge, turn on your camera and mic, and record, with no download and no card. When you want exports without the watermark, it's $29 once on the pricing page.

Making a product demo with your face in it? Our product demo guide covers when a webcam helps and when it gets in the way, and the pricing page lists what each ZoomCap plan includes.