How to Record Your Screen With Audio on Any Device

To record your screen with audio, choose the screen or app you want to capture, select your microphone and computer audio separately, then make a short recording and play it back. Microphone audio captures your voice; system or device audio captures sound from an app, browser or game. Enabling one does not necessarily enable the other.

This guide covers Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android, with a checklist for proving that both sound sources reach the saved video. It is a practical starting point for a narrated demonstration or bug report, including a workflow that moves between apps and a recording made for a support team. For detailed routing and browser-specific limitations, see our guide to screen recording with internal audio.

Choose the audio you actually need

Recording goal	Audio sources	Playback check
Explain a task in your own voice	Microphone; app audio only if useful	Your explanation is clear without unrelated sounds
Show a sound problem in an application	System or application audio; optional microphone	The problem is audible in the saved clip
Demonstrate a task that includes sound	Microphone and the relevant app audio	Your voice and the app can be heard separately and together
Report a problem to a support team	Microphone; app audio only when the sound is part of the issue	Your explanation matches the action and result on screen
Capture a meeting replay	Check the meeting platform’s recording feature first	All required participants and shared content are included

A microphone pointed at your speakers is not the same as direct computer-audio capture. It can pick up room noise and produce an echo. Use headphones while recording narration alongside app sound, and check the file rather than relying on what you hear during capture.

How to record your screen with audio on Windows

Use Xbox Game Bar for an app recording

Microsoft documents Game Bar recording for Windows 10 and 11. Open the game or app you want to capture, then:

1. Press Windows + G to open Game Bar.
2. Open Settings → Capturing. To include computer sounds, select All under the audio-recording choices.
3. Press Windows + Alt + R to start recording.
4. Use Windows + Alt + M to toggle your microphone as needed.
5. Press Windows + Alt + R again to stop, then open the MP4 in Videos → Captures.

These controls come from Microsoft’s Game Bar recording instructions. Choosing All can include sounds you did not intend to publish, so close unrelated audio sources before the test.

Choose a different capture route when needed

Game Bar captures supported games and applications; it is not a general recorder for every Windows surface. Dell’s Windows capture instructions note limitations with the desktop and applications such as File Explorer and Notepad, so test the actual target app before planning a long recording around it.

For a selected desktop area on Windows 11, Snipping Tool offers video capture: press Windows + Shift + R, select an area and start recording. Check the audio controls available in your installed version and test their output. Do not assume every capture mode or tool uses the same audio settings as Game Bar.

If you need a configurable combination of screen, microphone and output audio, use the OBS setup below. For a webcam overlay, follow our separate screen-and-camera recording guide rather than assuming Game Bar has a webcam recording option.

How to record your screen with audio on Mac

Start with the Screenshot toolbar

1. Press Shift + Command + 5.
2. Choose an entire-screen or selected-portion recording. A selected-window recording is available on macOS Tahoe 26 or later.
3. Open Options and choose the microphone you want to use.
4. On macOS 27 Golden Gate or later, Apple’s current instructions also list Include System Audio. Enable it if computer sound is required and the option is available.
5. Click Record. Stop with the menu-bar Stop control or Command + Control + Esc.
6. Open the saved recording and listen to both sources.

See Apple’s Mac recording instructions for your version. The microphone menu alone does not prove that computer audio is included. If your Mac does not offer the required system-audio option, use a compatible recorder with a documented audio-capture method. For another recorder, also check that app’s access under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording, as described in Apple’s recording access guide.

If you need help finishing the capture or finding the saved file, see how to stop screen recording on Mac. It separates the Apple stop controls from third-party save and submit steps, then explains what to check before sharing the result.

Use OBS for app or desktop audio on a compatible Mac

OBS documents desktop and application audio capture on macOS 13 or later. The macOS Screen Capture source can capture audio; OBS Studio 30 and later also offer a macOS Audio Capture source for all desktop audio or a specific application. Older macOS versions need a different routing approach, which may involve additional software.

Follow the official OBS Mac audio guide for your combination of macOS and OBS. A virtual audio driver is not a universal requirement on current supported combinations. Selecting a driver as a microphone also does not automatically combine your own voice with computer audio.

Set up screen, microphone and app sound in OBS

OBS is useful when you need explicit control over the captured picture and audio. Start with its Quick Start Guide:

1. Run the Auto-Configuration Wizard and choose settings appropriate for recording.
2. Add a screen source to the scene: Display or Window Capture on Windows, or macOS Screen Capture on Mac.
3. Inspect the Audio Mixer. Speak into your microphone and check that its meter moves. Play a harmless sound in the app and check the relevant output or app-audio meter separately.
4. If the wrong device is selected, check Settings → Audio. On Mac, use the version-specific capture source described above.
5. Check Settings → Output, start a test recording, stop it and review the file.

Keep each device captured once. The OBS audio-source documentation warns that adding an input or output source while also capturing the same device globally can cause an echo. If you use scene-specific audio devices, disable their duplicate global captures.

The OBS recording output guide recommends MKV for recording resilience and documents File → Remux Recordings when you need an MP4 copy. Play the converted copy as well as the original before sharing it.

Capture a workflow that moves between apps

A window source suits a demonstration that stays inside one window. If the task moves to a file dialog or another application, a single-window recording can miss that step while your narration continues. For several apps on one monitor, use a display source instead. OBS documents Display Capture on Windows and XSHM or PipeWire sources on Linux in its display capture guide. On a Mac, macOS Screen Capture can target a display, window or application; the OBS Mac source guide lists it without audio on macOS 12.3–12.6 and with audio on macOS 13 or later. With two monitors, confirm which display holds the task, because a source does not follow a window you drag to another screen.

If a source is missing or hidden, check its order in the Sources list (higher sources appear on top), its eye icon and its bounding box in the preview, as the OBS source guide explains.

Record your phone screen with audio

iPhone

Open Control Center and add Screen Recording if needed. To include your voice, touch and hold the recording control, turn Microphone on and start the recording. Wait for the countdown, show the task, then stop recording. The video is saved in Photos.

Apple’s iPhone guide notes that some apps do not permit their content to be recorded, and screen recording cannot run alongside screen mirroring. Test the particular app and audio you need; the microphone switch is not a guarantee that a call’s remote participants will be recorded.

Android

Swipe down twice, find Screen recorder and add it to Quick Settings if necessary. Choose what to record and whether to include audio before starting. Stop through the recording notification. Google’s Android screen-recording instructions explain that availability and steps vary by phone and Android version.

Use the audio choices shown on your device. If it offers microphone and device sound separately, test each before testing them together. If the required control is missing, check your manufacturer’s instructions instead of following a menu intended for another phone.

Run this short audio test before the real recording

A repeatable test is more useful than an unverified promise that a recorder captures “all sound.” Use a harmless app sound and a sample screen without private information. A short test catches basic source-selection problems; make a longer trial if your planned recording is lengthy or resource intensive.

Recording task:
Device and operating-system version:
Recorder and version:
Screen, window or app selected:
Microphone selected:
Computer/app audio source selected:

Test sequence:
1. Say: “Microphone check.”
2. Stop speaking and play a harmless app sound.
3. Speak while the app sound plays.
4. Stop recording and open the saved file.

Playback results:
Voice alone audible: yes / no
App sound alone audible: yes / no
Both audible together: yes / no
Echo, clipping or unwanted sound:
Screen text readable:
Change made and retest result:

For an illustrative support example, suppose an app plays a notification twice when it should play once. Record the app sound directly so the duplicate is captured, and use the microphone to explain the action that triggers it. In the test, listen for the app sound alone before narrating over it. A recording of your explanation without the actual duplicate sound would not demonstrate that symptom.

If the real recording moves between apps, make the practice clip follow the same route and say a short transition sentence as you switch. Check that the saved clip shows each dialog and destination app, that your voice stays audible through the change and that no unrelated notification appeared.

Narrate a recording for a support report

A recording can show that something failed without explaining why you expected a different result. When the clip is going to a support team, cover five parts:

Part	What to say	What to show
Goal	“I’m trying to…”	The starting page or relevant item
Starting conditions	“This happens when…”	The selected account role, option or state, without exposing secrets
Action	“I select…”	The exact control and the action
Observed result	“Instead, I see…”	The error, unchanged state or unexpected output
Expected result	“I expected…”	A reference example if available, clearly separated from the failing attempt

Name the control before selecting it, then pause long enough for the outcome to appear. For a fictional export problem: “I’m trying to export the demo project. I’m signed in as an editor. I open Export and choose CSV. After I confirm, this message says the export could not finish. I expected a CSV download. I have reproduced this twice today, but I have not tested another browser yet.” Replace each detail with what you actually know.

Keep error text, a non-sensitive reference ID and the steps you tried in writing as well, and never speak passwords, recovery codes or full payment details. If the issue does not reproduce, say so and describe the conditions you know rather than manufacturing a failure. End with the question you need the reviewer to answer.

Record through a Screendesk link from support

If your support team sends a recording link, Screendesk’s documented customer flow works in the browser without a customer account or installation:

1. Open the link and turn on Microphone. Allow microphone access when requested.
2. Click Start Recording and choose a screen, application window or browser tab in the capture prompt.
3. Demonstrate the issue while explaining it.
4. Click Stop Recording, fill in any requested title, email or description, then click Submit and wait for the confirmation.

The submission is attached to the support request. If you recorded without the microphone and support needs audio context, record again.

Fix missing, quiet or duplicated audio

Change one setting at a time and repeat the same short test, so a successful retry shows which adjustment helped.

What the saved file does	First check	Retest
Your voice is missing	Correct microphone, recorder mute and permission settings	Speak with app audio stopped
App sound is missing	System/app audio source, selected device and OS support	Play the app sound without speaking
Audio echoes or doubles	Speaker sound entering the microphone; duplicate audio capture	Use headphones and capture each source once
Voice disappears under app sound	Relative microphone and app levels	Lower the app level and repeat simultaneous playback
Voice is faint, distant or distorted	Speaking position and microphone input level	The same sentence at a normal voice from a consistent position
A window or dialog is missing	Window versus display source, source order and visibility	Rehearse the full route with the corrected source
Voice is clear, but the task is confusing	The order of explanation, action and visible result	Name the control, act, then leave the result visible
Video or audio is absent in one app	That app’s capture restrictions and the actual selected source	Try a harmless permitted app to isolate the problem

If your voice is missing, check access before buying equipment. On Windows 11, see Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone, including the desktop-app setting (Microsoft’s paths by version). For a browser recorder in Chrome, check Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → Microphone (Google’s instructions). Also check a headset’s mute switch and which input is selected if you connected it after opening the recorder. Our microphone permission guide covers more cases. Once the recording works, our record, edit and share tutorial covers trimming mistakes and checking the exported result.

Questions about recording your screen with sound

Can I record computer audio without my microphone?

Yes, when the selected recorder and capture source support computer audio independently. Disable the microphone, play an app sound and check the saved test. Muting your microphone is different from muting the app’s output.

Why can I hear sound but the recording is silent?

Your headphones may be playing a different device or source from the one being captured. Trace the sound to the selected recording source and verify the file. Hearing live playback is not evidence that audio reached the recording.

Do I need a special microphone?

Not usually. A built-in microphone or headset can be enough for a short explanation; judge it from playback in your actual room. A new microphone will not fix a muted input, denied permission or the wrong selected device. If the recording is unclear, first work out whether the cause is room noise, placement, levels or the selected source.

Does screen recording capture every voice in a video call?

Not automatically. Your microphone captures your voice, while remote voices usually need a supported call-recording or computer-audio route. Check the meeting platform’s recording permissions and test the output with participants. Use our platform recording guide for native Zoom, Teams and Meet controls.

For support workflows, Screendesk helps teams use video in customer conversations. Whether you use a support recording tool or an operating-system recorder, check that the result shows the issue clearly before attaching it to a ticket.