How to Record Your Screen on Windows

Windows 11 includes two screen recorders. Snipping Tool records any part of the desktop; Xbox Game Bar records a single app window. Both save MP4 files with no extra software.

Open Snipping Tool in record mode

Press Windows + Shift + S, then click the video camera icon in the toolbar at the top of the screen. Or open Snipping Tool from the Start menu, click Record, then New.

Select the area and start

Drag a rectangle over the part of the screen to capture. To narrate, click the microphone icon in the toolbar before starting; newer versions of Snipping Tool also offer a system audio toggle next to it. Click Start. A three-second countdown runs, then recording begins.

Stop and save

Click the red stop button in the toolbar. The recording opens in Snipping Tool for preview and trimming. Click the Save icon or press Ctrl + S. Recordings go to Videos, Screen Recordings as MP4 by default.

Record a single app with Xbox Game Bar

Click inside the app window, press Windows + G, and in the Capture widget click the Record button. Or press Windows + Alt + R to start and stop without opening the overlay. Turn on the microphone icon in the Capture widget for narration. Game Bar records only the active window; it will not record the desktop, the Start menu, or File Explorer. Files land in Videos, Captures.

Record from PowerPoint

Open PowerPoint, choose Insert, Screen Recording, drag to select an area, and click Record. Stop with Windows + Shift + Q. The video drops onto the slide; right-click it and choose Save Media as to export an MP4.

If Game Bar says recording is not available. Open Settings, Gaming, Captures and confirm recording is turned on, then make sure a normal app window, not the desktop, is active when you press the shortcut.

For longer or multi-window recordings. OBS Studio (free, obsproject.com) captures the whole desktop, several windows and a webcam at once, and has no length limit. It is the standard tool once the built-in recorders run out of options.