Recording your screen in Chrome takes a minute. Making a recording that people can follow takes a little more thought: what to share, how it sounds and how big the important parts are on screen. This guide covers both.
Before you record
- Close what you don't want seen. Notifications, other tabs, a password manager, a chat window. On Windows and macOS, turn on Do Not Disturb.
- Make text bigger. Press Ctrl + (Cmd + on a Mac) once or twice. Text that's readable on your screen is often too small in a video watched on a laptop or phone.
- Use a quiet room and a headset if you have one. A cheap headset microphone close to your mouth usually sounds better than a laptop microphone across the desk.
- Know your first and last click. You don't need a script, but you should know where you start and where you stop.
Choose what to record: tab, window or screen
Chrome lets a recorder capture three kinds of things. Pick the smallest one that shows everything you need.
| Choose | When | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| A tab | Everything happens in one website or web app | Only that tab is recorded, so other tabs, bookmarks and notifications stay private. The tab's sound can be included. |
| A window | You move between tabs, or use one desktop app | Everything in that window is recorded, including the address bar. |
| The entire screen | You switch between apps | Everything on that screen is recorded, so tidy up first. |
Wekiflo adds two more: a region (draw the part of the screen you want) and camera only (just you, no screen).
Get the sound right
A recording can have up to three sounds: your microphone, the tab's sound (a video or call playing in the tab) and the computer's sound (other apps). Turn on only the ones you need. For a walkthrough, your microphone is usually enough.
Say a sentence before you start and watch the level meter: it should move clearly when you speak and stay low when you don't. If it barely moves, move closer to the microphone rather than turning the volume up.
Add your webcam
A small camera bubble makes a demo or a tutorial feel personal, and helps viewers follow your voice. Put it in a corner that doesn't cover the part of the page you'll click, and look at the camera when you introduce yourself. Skip it for bug reports and quick how-tos, where the screen is all that matters.
Record with Wekiflo, step by step
- Open the recorder. Click the Wekiflo icon in Chrome's toolbar, or press Alt+Shift+R.
- Choose what to record. Pick a tab, a Chrome window, your entire screen, an app window, a region, or just your camera.
- Turn on your microphone and camera. Choose your microphone (the level meter shows it is working) and, if you want, your webcam.
- Set the countdown and frame rate. A short countdown gives you time to get ready; 30 fps suits most screens, 60 fps suits fast movement.
- Record, then stop. Do what you want to show. Press Alt+Shift+R or the stop button when you are done; the editor opens with the zooms already placed.
Tip: In a hurry? Choose Record this tab now in the popup to start recording the tab you're on straight away.
Settings that make a recording easy to watch
- Zoom on what you click. A full-screen recording shrinks everything. A zoom on each click shows the button or field you used at a readable size. Wekiflo places these zooms for you; see how to zoom in on a screen recording.
- Cut the pauses. Waiting for a page to load or thinking about the next step feels longer on video. Trim them, or let Auto Edit do it.
- Add captions. Many people watch with the sound off. See how to add captions.
- Pick the right format. 16:9 for YouTube and most websites, 9:16 for Shorts and Reels, 1:1 for social feeds.
- Export at the size you need. 1080p is plenty for most videos; 4K helps when people will pause to read small text.
Common questions
Does Chrome have a built-in screen recorder?
Not as a feature you can press record on. Chrome can share a tab, a window or the screen with a website or extension, and a screen recorder extension uses that to record.
Can I record a Chrome tab with its sound?
Yes. When you choose a tab, Chrome can include the tab's audio, so a video or a call in that tab is recorded along with your microphone.
Why is my recording blurry?
Usually because a large screen was exported at a small size, or because text was too small to begin with. Zoom in on what you click, use a larger browser zoom while recording, and export at the size you need.