Features
Everything you need for reliable, local-first screen recording on macOS.
Capture options
- Full screen, custom region, or single window Record the whole display, select a custom rectangle, or capture one app window in Plain mode.
- Multiple displays Choose which monitor to capture when using full-screen or custom-region recording.
- Quality presets Low, Medium, and High presets let you balance clarity, performance, and file size.
- System audio + optional microphone System audio is always captured. Add microphone input when needed and choose a specific input device.
- MOV and MP4 output Save as MOV directly, or choose MP4 and let PlainRec export automatically after recording stops.
Annotation and presentation tools
- Annotation mode Draw on screen while recording with an on-screen canvas, color choices, and pen size controls.
- Drawing shortcuts Switch drawing modes quickly with shortcuts such as Cmd+D and Cmd+T.
- Focus spotlight Highlight the pointer area with spotlight magnifier to direct viewer attention.
- Recording effects Optional mouse highlight circle, click ripple animation, and keyboard key display.
- Camera overlay Add an optional camera preview overlay during annotation recording.
Workflow and control
- Menu bar app Start or stop recording from the menu bar without keeping the main window in front.
- Auto-save and Finder reveal Recordings are saved automatically. You can quickly reveal the latest file in Finder.
- Completion notifications Get a notification when a recording is saved (if notification permission is granted).
- Local-first storage Choose your own save folder. PlainRec does not upload recordings to cloud storage.