Your Mac offers several screen recording options that allow you to capture and save high-quality recordings. Each method has its own way of stopping the screen recording, tailored to different needs. For instance, using hotkeys enables you to quickly exit the screen recorder, while the Stop button ensures your recording is saved properly.
1. Using Keyboard Shortcuts or Hotkeys
If you have set up keyboard shortcuts to start screen recording, you can also set up keyboard shortcuts or hot keys to stop your screen recordings on a Mac screen. It’s a convenient alternative for ending your recording.
- Open QuickTime Player, adjust your recording settings, and start recording on the Mac
- When you’re ready to stop, simply press “ Ctrl + Command + Esc ” at the same time to end the recording instantly.
- The screen-recorded video will appear on your screen; simply click on it to play the recording. After that, you can upload it to other platforms or share it with friends.
2. Use the Touch Bar to stop the recording if applicable
If you own a Mac with a Touch Bar, the Touch Bar will show a Red stop button when the screen recording starts. You can tap this button to stop your recording.
3. How to Stop QuickTime Screen Recordings
QuickTime Player is a handy and flexible option for Mac screen recording, especially since it’s free. It’s often the go-to choice for many users because of its simplicity. However, one common issue is that it’s not always obvious how to stop the recording, as there’s no clear “stop” button on the screen.
- Find your menu bar at the top of your screen during your screen recording.
- Look for the recording indicator, a small circle with a square inside
- Click on the recording indicator to open a drop-down menu.
- Select “ Quit QuickTime Player ” in the drop-down menu to end your screen recording session.
4. Force Quit QuickTime Screen Recording
Another method to stop QuickTime screen recording on your Mac is to force quit the app, but this isn’t recommended if the app is functioning normally. You should only consider force quitting in specific situations, such as:
- When QuickTime freezes or becomes unresponsive.
- If playback gets stuck.
- When certain media files cause the app to hang or display errors.
- If QuickTime is slowing down your Mac.
- When QuickTime extensions are malfunctioning.
- If the app has compatibility issues with your Mac following an update.
- Click on the Apple Menu and select “ Force Stop .”
- Find and select QuickTime, and then hit Force Quit in the lower right corner of the window.
- After that, the QuickTime player app should be closed, and the screen recording on the Mac will stop.
- Right-click on QuickTime’s icon on the screen and select “Force Quit” from the dock menu.
5. Use Activity Monitor
Similar to how Windows has Task Manager, Mac uses Activity Monitor to show all your running applications. The Activity Monitor gives a detailed view of all the processes and applications running on your Mac. However, you can also use it to quit a running app. However, this might not be the most practical option. You might lose your screen recordings as they do not get saved by using this method, so ensure you use caution with this option.
- You’re a tech enthusiast and want to explore all the options to stop screen recordings
- The methods I’ve shared above aren’t working for you for some reason.
- Go to Finder > Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor , and then launch it. Alternatively, you can search and launch Activity Monitor from the Launchpad.
- Under the CPU tab, have a close check in the list and select QuickTime Player.
- Click the “ X ” Quit icon in the top-left corner.
- In the new window, click on Quit. QuickTime Player will terminate, and the screen recording on your Mac will stop automatically.
- Alternatively, using the search field in the Activity Monitor, search for “ screen .” From the results, select the screenshot process, and then click the (X) Quit icon, and then click Quit again. This will end your recording.
6. Best Alternative Method to Start and Stop Screen Recording on Mac-Zight
While QuickTime Player is the go-to tool for recording your Mac screen and offers several ways to stop a recording, it might sometimes leave your recordings unsaved. This can be frustrating and is a common issue that’s hard to avoid. In this situation, it’s a good idea to switch to a more reliable and feature-packed third-party screen recording software for Mac. Zight is the best option and a great alternative to QuickTime Player for screen recording. The Zight screen recorder stands out for several reasons. Why?
- Look for the Zight menu in the menu bar at the top of your screen.
- Click on the Zight icon in the menu bar and select “ Stop Recording ” from the dropdown menu.
- After stopping, Zight will prompt you to save your recording. Choose your desired location and file name.
- Once saved, you can choose to edit your video within Zight or share it directly via various platforms.
- Once the clip is saved, an AI video editor trims pauses, removes mistakes, and prepares the recording for sharing.
Conclusion
As easy as it is to screen record on Mac, to stop recording is not a hard task as long as you know how to go about it. Luckily, we have provided different ways to do this above. Choose the method that works best for you, and never worry about accidentally recording your screen for longer than desired.