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How to Record on Webcam on Your PC or Mac

Use your built-in laptop camera to make movies

By Patrick Shawn Hearn Patrick Shawn Hearn Writer Columbus State University Patrick Hearn has been a freelance technology writer for 6+ years. He has written for CBSi, GameSpot, Xfinity, and many others. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on July 20, 2020 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email

In This Article

Expand Jump to a Section Use iMovie Use Photo Booth Use QuickTime Player Use Your PC Webcam Advances in webcam technology and the built-in webcams on computers make it easy to record video on a Mac or PC. There are several programs for the Mac that record video from a webcam. iMovie, Photo Booth, and QuickTime Player are the main three. On a PC, the Camera app in Windows 10 is the way to go. Information in this article applies to Windows 10 and macOS Catalina (10.15) through OS X El Capitan (10.11). Smith Collection / Getty Images

How to Record Video in iMovie

If you don't have iMovie, download it from the Mac App Store. It's free to all Mac users. Then, record from your Mac webcam directly into iMovie. Launch the iMovie app on a Mac. Then, either go to the iMovie menu bar and select File > New Movie, or go to the iMovie projects screen and select Create New. Click the down-facing Import arrow at the top of the iMovie screen. Go to the Cameras section in the left panel, then select FaceTime HD Camera. If this is the first time you've selected the FaceTime camera in iMovie, you are asked to grant the app access to the Mac's microphone and camera. Click the Import to drop-down menu at the top of the iMovie screen and select the project you are working on. Click the circular Record button at the bottom of the screen to begin recording. Click it again to stop recording. Press Close at the bottom of the screen to close the recording window. Click Projects in the upper-left corner of the iMovie window to save the recording and return to the main iMovie projects menu.

How to Record Video in Photo Booth

Photo Booth is a built-in application on most Mac computers and one of the easiest ways to record video. Here's how. Open the Photo Booth app by clicking its icon in the Mac Dock or choosing it in the Applications folder. In the lower-left corner of the screen, click the Record a movie clip icon (it looks like a film reel). To record, press the red Record button in the center of the screen. Press it again to stop recording. Thumbnail images appear under the main image. These thumbnail images represent the videos or photos you took with Photo Booth. Select the one you want to export. The one you last recorded is on the right. Click the Share icon in the lower-right corner of the window, then choose a sharing method.

How to Record Video in QuickTime Player

QuickTime Player is a free download that is available on most Macs. In addition to being an excellent tool for recording video, it also plays a variety of video formats. Here's how to record a movie with it. Go to the Applications folder and open Quicktime Player. Go to the menu bar and select File > New Movie Recording. By default, this option opens the front-facing camera on the Mac. Press the red Record button in the center of the screen to begin recording. Press it a second time to stop recording. Go to the menu bar and select File > Save to save the recording. Or, select the red circle in the upper-left corner of the QuickTime Player screen to exit the screen. You are prompted to give the recording a name and location to save it.

How to Record Video on Your PC Webcam

The built-in webcam on your PC can also record video. However, it isn't as high-quality as a dedicated camera. Here's how to record a video on Windows 10. Go to the Start menu and open the Camera app, or go to the search bar and search for Camera. Select the video camera icon to select the recording option. Select the video camera icon to start recording. Click the Stop button to stop the recording. Use the Pause button to stop the camera temporarily and restart it later. The default location for photos and videos you take using Camera is This PC > Pictures > Camera Roll. There are dozens of applications you can use to record video on Windows. Still, the built-in Camera app is the most accessible. If you do not have Windows 10, you may need to find a third-party application that allows you to record. VLC Media Player and FonePaw are both good options for Windows users. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Screen Record with Audio in Windows 11 How to Screen Record on a Laptop How to Install and Connect a Webcam to Your PC How to Make Screencasts With Windows 10 Xbox Game DVR How to Record Your iPad Screen to Your Mac for Free How to Stop Screen Recording on Mac How to Test a Webcam How to Mirror an iPhone to a Mac How to Screen Record on the iPhone 12 How to Screen Record on Your Mac How to Record Your Screen on Windows 10 How to Import Video to iMovie How to Record a Phone Call on iPhone How to Use the Motorola Camera App How to Use Problem Steps Recorder in Windows How to Use the iPhone Camera Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies