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How to Stop Screen Recording on Mac? 5 Different Methods

Charu Thakur
Updated on September 13, 2024

Do you think that the QuickTime Player on your Mac is confusing? Are you using a macOS device for the first time? If your answer is yes, you are in the right place, my friend. So, let’s just dive in.

The screen recording tool of Mac, QuickTime Player, is extremely easy and user-friendly. However, you may find it confusing if you are recording the screen for the first time. The most common query is ‘How to Stop a Screen Recording on Mac?’.

In this article, we will provide you with 5 quick and effective ways to stop screen recording on your device. So without ado, let’s explore how to stop screen recording on Mac.

5 Methods to End Screen Recording on Mac 

QuickTime Player is an inbuilt Apple app that performs various multimedia tasks, such as audio and video playing, screen recording, and more. However, you are most likely to struggle while finding the recording bar when you want to end the screen recording.

This will waste a lot of your time and storage as the recording duration will extend. Thus, you should learn how to quickly end the screen recording on your Mac. In this article, we will talk about the following 5 methods to stop the recording on time.

  • Method 1: Use hotkeys or keyboard shortcuts to exit the recording quickly.
  • Method 2: Find and hit the Stop button to save your file.
  • Method 3: Utilize your Activity Monitor, especially if your system is slowing down.
  • Method 4: Force Quit to stop the frozen QuickTime Player
  • Method 5: Use a third-party app as an alternate recording tool for your Mac.

Want a detailed step-by-step process for each of these methods? No worries; continue reading this article, and you will find everything necessary.

How to Stop Screen Recording on Mac Using Keyboard Shortcuts?

The first method is the most straightforward of all; you can just use the keyboard to stop the recording. Follow the given steps to learn how to end screen recording on your Mac.

  • Step 1: Open the QuickTime Player on your device.
  • Step 2: Now, go to the file menu and then click on New Screen Recording.
    click File Menu then New Screen Recording
  • Step 3: Your screen will display a screen recording prompt. Here, specify the settings and press the Record button to start the screen recording.
    Hit the Record button
  • Step 4: Finally, when you want to end the recording, simply press the Ctrl + Command + Esc buttons on your keyboard.

Using these hotkeys will stop the recording of your screen immediately. Let’s get on to the next method in the following section.

How to End a Screen Recording on Mac Using the Stop Button in QuickTime?

Using the stop button in QuickTime is still a good method to end a recording. You can use it if you are too bad at memorizing different shortcuts for your computer, or if you are just skeptical about the shortcut methods to save your recording file.

You should choose this method, especially if you plan to cut and edit your video file. Let’s see how to stop screen recording using the stop button of QuickTime.

  • Step 1: Launch the QuickTime Player and hit the Record button as mentioned in the first few steps of the shortcut method.
  • Step 2: Now, whenever you are satisfied with the video, just click on the Stop button (top right of the screen) appearing in the toolbar of your macOS device.
    Click on the Stop button on the toolbar

That’s it! This is how simple it is to use the Stop button to effectively end, trim, and save your screen recording.

How to Stop Screen Recording Mac Using the Activity Monitor?

You can also use the Activity Monitor on your Mac to manage the applications. Using it, you can easily end the screen recording on your device. This is a very effective method if your system is slowing down, and you are unable to use the above 2 methods.

Here are the easy steps to stop the recording in QuickTime:

  • Step 1: Launch the Activity Monitor on Mac. You can go to Finder > Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor. Or if you are an efficient person, you can just search for it on Spotlight.
  • Step 2: Next, select QuickTime Player from the list on your screen.
    Click on QuickTime Player from the list
  • Step 3: Just click on the Quit option to effectively end recording and the application.
    Click on the Quit option

The only drawback of using this method is that the recording file will not be saved because it ends all the ongoing processes of the application.

Useful Tip: You can quickly access the Spotlight Search by pressing cmd + Space on your keyboard.

Use Force Quit to Stop Screen Recording on Mac

The solutions mentioned above can be used in normal situations, but what will you do if the QuickTime app suddenly stops responding to your commands?  Well, in that case, Force Quit is your last resort to end the screen recording process.

You can use the Force Quit option on Mac in 2 different ways. Let’s discuss both of them.

Use the Apple Menu

  • Step 1:  Go to the Apple Menu and click on Force Quit.
    Go to Apple Menu then Force Quit
  • Step 2: A Force Quit application window will pop up on your screen. Here, select the option of QuickTime Player.
  • Step 3: Finally, click on the Force Quit option to confirm your action.
    Select QuickTime Player and click on Force Quit

Use the Keyboard Shortcut

  • Step 1: Press the Option + Command + Esc keys together to open the Force Quit application.
  • Step 2: Find the QuickTime Player in the list of applications.
  • Step 2: Click on it and then choose the Force Quit option to end the screen recording and the application itself.
    Select QuickTime Player and click on Force Quit opt
Notes

You should know that you cannot save your screen recording if you opt for this method. Both Activity Monitor and Force Quit methods do not allow you to save the ongoing recording.

Use Third-party Software for Screen Recording on Mac

Till now, we have discussed 4 different methods, but none of these are foolproof. While the first few methods can only be applied under normal conditions, the other two will not save your recordings. 

So, if you want a better way to deal with this issue, and you are ready to use third-party software, it would be better to use a powerful and secure Mac screen recorder. There are various softwares available on the market, but you should only rely on the best ones in the game.

Here are a few things you should consider before finalizing a third-party recorder:

  • The software should be lightweight so that it can operate without slowing down your system.
  • Versatile functionality; you should be able to record the device’s audio and your voice at the same time.
  • Ability to record meetings on Zoom, Google Meet, and others.
  • Strong and secure data management policy.

A few platforms that meet these criteria are Tella, EaseUS RecExperts, Movavi Screen Recorder, and Loom. This is not an exhaustive list; you can easily find more reliable tools on the web.

We hope that we don’t need to explain how to end screen recording using these third-party platforms. But still, to discuss briefly, just install the screen recorder, specify the recording settings, and start recording your screen. After that, whenever you are ready, just end the screen recording on Mac and save the file.

Conclusion

Alright, we have provided you with detailed steps for each of the five methods. Now, we hope that you have effectively learned how to stop screen recording Mac.

For most occasions, you will be able to end the recording easily once you are accustomed to the controls of QuickTime. However, if you do not want to take the risk of losing your recording, the best way to record your Mac screen is to use good quality and secured third-party software. 

We hope that this article will ensure that you never lose your recordings. Please share it with your friends to make them aware.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to start a screen recording on a Mac?

There are two different ways to record a Mac screen. You can either use the keyboard shortcut (Command + Shift + 5), or you can launch the QuickTime player.

How to stop screen record on Macbook?

You can simply use the Stop button on the toolbar to end the recording on QuickTime. Another way to do this is by using the Force Quit option to end the application process.

What is the shortcut to stop screen recording on a Mac keyboard?

The keyboard shortcut to end recording is Command + Option + Esc. This method is effective if you are unable to find the Stop button.

How do I quit a screenshot on my Mac?

You should try to press the Esc key. If you still see a thumbnail of the screenshot in the bottom right corner of your screen, click on it to edit or delete the screen capture.

How do I make a screen recording with sound on a Mac?

You need to use third-party software to record the audio of your system. However, you can add a voiceover using Apple’s native functionality. Just press Command + Shift + 5 to open the screen-recording menu, click on Options, and select a microphone.

Charu Thakur

Expertise


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