How to stop screen recording in QuickTime

One of the most impressive features of QuickTime is the effortless screen recording. You don’t need to be tech-savvy to start recording your screen, but you may have trouble ending your session. This can happen if you can’t find the “Stop” button.

We will help you solve the problem by showing you how to stop screen recording in QuickTime in different ways. The article will also cover how to edit a QuickTime recording before stopping it and how to stop recording in other popular applications.

How to stop screen recording in QuickTime

QuickTime is a relatively easy platform to use. Here’s what you need to do to start and stop screen recording:

1. Launch the application and press “File.”
   
2. Go to “New Screen Recording”. The program should now start filming your screen. Alternatively, activate the feature by pressing the “Ctrl + N” or “Command + Option + N” shortcut, depending on whether you use a Windows or Mac computer.
   
3. Adjust your screen recording preferences such as audio source and press the red button to start recording.
   
4. After filming your screen, hover over the recording bar and click “Stop.” If you can’t locate your recording bar, press the “Escape” button, which should display the “Stop” command. You can also press “Ctrl + Escape” or “Command + Escape” to end the process.
   
5. Return to the menu, choose “File” and select “Save” to save your recording to the device.
   

The above solution works very well in most situations. However, QuickTime may not always work correctly on your device. The app is prone to freezing, making it unresponsive to your commands. In this case, you may need to force quit the application.

You will need to use Task Manager if you are a Windows user.

1. While recording your screen in QuickTime, press the key combination “Ctrl + Alt + Delete”.
   
2. Choose “Task Manager.”
3. Navigate to the “Processes” tab and find the program you want to force quit (QuickTime).
   
4. Press the “End Task” button and wait for the operating system to finish the process.
   

If you are a Mac user, you can use three methods to force quit QuickTime screen recording.

1. Navigate to your Apple menu.
   
2. Select the “Force Quit” window to open your Force Quit application.
   
3. Choose “QuickTime Player.”
   
4. Press “Force Quit” to confirm your decision. The system should now close the application and finish recording. Please note that this interrupts your session.
   

Here is another way to force close QuickTime recordings on Mac.

1. Press the “Option + Command + Escape” keys simultaneously.
2. Browse the “Force Application” window until you find “QuickTime Player.”
   
3. Highlight the app and press “Force Quit” to end recording. Again, you won’t be able to save your recording if you close the app this way.
   

Finally, you can manage active apps on your computer using Activity Monitor. Like Task Manager on Windows PCs, this program allows you to end various programs and processes, such as QuickTime screen recordings. This is how the method works:

1. Open “Finder,” followed by “Applications” and “Utilities.”
   
2. Choose “Activity Monitor.” If you can’t find this utility, use Spotlight Search.
   
3. Browse the processes and choose “QuickTime Player”.
   
4. Tap “Exit” to close the program and end recording. The process works the same as force quitting the app, so you won’t be able to recover your screen recording after closing the program.
   

How to edit a recording in QuickTime before stopping it

Before finishing your QuickTime recording, you may want to make some edits. Trimming the video is one of your options.

1. Open QuickTime Player and start recording.
   
2. Go to the “Crop” or “Edit” menu, depending on your version.
   
3. Select the part of the recording you want to save using the yellow indicators. The highlighted area will be the saved clip.
   
4. To adjust recording, use the left and right arrow keys. They allow you to change the beginning and end of the video. Once you’ve moved the playhead left or right, type “i” to relocate your starting position. Also, type “o” to designate the end point.
5. If necessary, press and hold the yellow sliders to zoom in on the playhead. This feature allows you to edit content more precisely, ensuring proper start and end positions.
   
6. Save the recording to your device.
   

Another option is to configure your microphone.

1. Open your QuickTime player.
   
2. Press “File,” followed by “New Screen Recording.” You should now see the “Screen Recording” message.
   
3. Before clicking the red record button, press the arrow next to it to set up your recording.
   
4. For example, you can choose the preferred microphone to record your voice. Press the prompt that allows you to do this, but make sure you have a working external or internal microphone.
   

The app also allows you to emphasize mouse clicks.

1. Open the app and tap “New Screen Recording” in the “File” section.
   
2. Hit the arrow next to the record button and look for the “Show mouse clicks in recording” message if you want the app to emphasize mouse clicks.
   
3. Check the box on the left if you want to highlight the cursor with a black circle. Check the box to the right if you want to de-emphasize mouse clicks.
   

Additionally, you can instruct the app to record the entire screen or just a portion of it. That is how:

1. Launch the application and press the “File” button.
   
2. Choose “New Screen Recording” and tap the record button.
   
3. Wait for the registration pop-up to appear in the middle of your screen.
   
4. Tap anywhere on your screen if you want to record the entire screen.
   
5. If you only want to record a display section, highlight it by clicking and dragging with the cursor.
6. Press “Start Recording” and you’re ready to go.
   

Just be sure to make these changes before you start recording your screen. It’s generally easier than adjusting the video once it’s saved to your device. Additionally, you may not be able to access some functions after pressing the “Stop” button.

How to stop screen recording in other apps

QuickTime is not the only software that allows you to record your screen. It has a convenient interface, but initially you may have trouble finding the “Stop” button. You can consider other platforms to facilitate the process.

Loom

Loom is a video messaging tool that allows you to record your screen. Most people use shortcuts to start and end their recordings, as well as make other settings. Below you will find a list of the most common shortcuts.

Mac

• Command + Shift + L – start and stop recording
• Option + Shift + P – pause and resume recording
• Option + Shift + C – cancel recording
• Command + Shift + 2: Take a screenshot of the selected area
• Command + Shift + 1 – full screenshot
• Command + Shift + R – fast reboot

Windows PC

• Ctrl + Shift + L – start and stop recording
• Alt + Shift + P – pause and resume recording
• Alt + Shift + C – cancel recording
• Ctrl + Shift + 2: Take a screenshot of the selected area
• Ctrl + Shift + 1 – full screenshot
• Ctrl + Shift + R – fast restart

Browser extension

• Option/Alt + Shift + L – activate extension
• Option/Alt + Shift + P – pause and resume recording
• Option/Alt + Shift + C – cancel recording
• Option/Alt + Shift + R – fast reboot

camtasia

Camtasia is also a popular screen recorder with an easy-to-use interface. Stopping your recordings is easy if you installed the program on your Windows PC.

1. Open the app and start a recording.
   
2. Press the “Stop” button on your toolbar. Alternatively, press the F10 button on your keyboard or press the recorder icon on your taskbar and press “Stop.”
   

Ending a recording is just as easy on your Mac.

1. Launch Camtasia and record your screen.
   
2. Press the “Stop Recording” button on the toolbar. You can also press the key combination “Command + Option + 2”. Another option is to tap the Camtasia symbol in the menu and select “Stop Recording.”
   

obs

OBS has a built-in stop function.

1. Start OBS and go to “Tools”.
   
2. Open “Exit Timer” and set the time limit for which your screen recorder will be active. The function will stop automatically once the count reaches zero.
   

Movavi video converter

There are several ways to stop a recording in Movavi Video Converter.

• Navigate to the control panel and tap the “Stop” button.
  
• Go to the top section of your capture frame and look for an orange panel. Click the “Stop” button.
• Press the default keyboard shortcut (F10).
  
• Go to the system tray and right click on the Movavi icon. Select “Stop Recording.”

Whatever you choose, your recording will end and open in a video player where you can edit it.

Get the most out of QuickTime

Whether you’re working on a presentation or a tutorial, QuickTime’s “Stop Recording” button will come in handy. Just don’t forget to edit your content before ending your sessions and, if necessary, make some adjustments to the video player.

How often do you record your screen with QuickTime? What is the longest recording you have made? Tell us in the comments section below.