How to Stop Screen Recording on Mac

Stopping a screen recording on a Mac is easy once you know how to go about it — but the exact steps depend on how you started recording.

Most Macs record the screen in one of two ways: the built-in Screenshot toolbar (Shift + Command + 5), the native macOS screen recorder available on macOS Mojave and later, or QuickTime Player. Below are five quick ways to stop screen recording with either tool, plus what to do when a recording won't stop.

How to start a screen recording on Mac

Using the Screenshot toolbar (the native way):

1. Open the Screenshot toolbar: Press Shift + Command + 5.
2. Choose what to record: Click "Record Entire Screen" or "Record Selected Portion".
3. Begin recording: Click Record. A small stop icon appears in the menu bar while you record.

Using QuickTime Player:

1. Open QuickTime Player: You can find it via Launchpad (click the Launchpad icon in the Dock or use the Control Strip) or in your Applications folder.
2. Start a New Screen Recording: Go to the File menu and select New Screen Recording.
3. Set Up Your Recording: Adjust the recording settings as needed.
4. Begin Recording: Click the Record button.

How to stop screen recording on Mac

There are five quick ways you can stop a screen recording on a Mac — which one to use depends on how you started recording. The first two work for Screenshot toolbar and QuickTime recordings alike; the last three are for recordings started in QuickTime Player on older versions of macOS:

Note: On macOS Catalina and later, QuickTime's File > New Screen Recording opens the Screenshot toolbar, and the Screenshot app handles the recording from there. If that's how you're recording, stop it with the menu bar Stop button or the keyboard shortcut (methods 1 and 2) — force quitting QuickTime Player won't end the recording.

1. Click the Stop button in the menu bar

If you started recording with the Screenshot toolbar (Shift + Command + 5), the fastest way to stop is right at the top of your screen:

• Click the Stop button (a square inside a circle) in the menu bar at the top right of your screen. Your recording is saved automatically, and a thumbnail appears in the bottom-right corner.

2. Use keyboard shortcuts

If you want a fast way to stop screen recording, using keyboard shortcuts is your best bet. This method works for both Screenshot toolbar and QuickTime recordings, and it reduces the risk of losing your recording. Here’s how to do it:

• Press Ctrl + Command + Esc on your keyboard. This will instantly stop the recording.

3. Use the stop button in Quicktime

The Stop button in Quicktime is another straightforward way to end a screen recording. This is particularly reliable for making sure your recording is saved correctly.

• When you're done, click the Stop button located in Quicktime’s menu bar at the top right of your screen. This ensures your recording is safely saved.

4. Force quit

Sometimes, QuickTime Player might freeze, making it difficult to stop your recording using the same old methods. In these cases, force quitting the app can help. To do this:

• Open the Apple menu by clicking the Apple logo at the top left of your screen. Select Force Quit from the dropdown menu.

• You can also choose QuickTime Player in the list of applications, and click Force Quit. This will close the app and stop the recording. Note that your recording might still be recoverable.

5. Use Activity Monitor

If you suspect QuickTime Player is causing your Mac to slow down, using Activity Monitor can help you end the recording and improve system performance.

1. Go to Finder, then Applications. You can either search for Activity Monitor in the search bar or click on a folder called Utilities.

1. Once you do, you can launch Activity Monitor.

1. In the list of processes, locate QuickTime Player. An easy way to find it is to search for it in the search bar.

1. Select QuickTime Player and click the Quit button, which is marked by an X in the top toolbar.

It will ask you again if you’d like to quit or force quit the application. This will close the application and stop the recording, though it might not save the recording reliably.

FAQs

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

The shortcut to stop screen recording on a Mac is Command + Control + Esc. If the recording doesn't respond, click the Stop button in the menu bar — on macOS Catalina and later the Screenshot app handles the recording, even when you started it from QuickTime. Only on older versions of macOS, where QuickTime records directly, should you press Option + Command + Esc to open the Force Quit Applications window, select QuickTime Player, and click Force Quit to end the recording.

How do I quit a screenshot on my Mac?

To quit a screenshot on your Mac, press the Esc (Escape) key. If you see a thumbnail in the corner of your screen, you can click it to edit the screenshot.

How do I stop recording on my Mac Screenshot toolbar?

To stop recording on your Mac Screenshot toolbar, click the Stop Recording button in the menu bar.

Why won't my screen recording stop on Mac?

If the Stop button or the Command + Control + Esc shortcut doesn't end your recording, the recorder has usually stopped responding. For QuickTime recordings on older versions of macOS, force quit it: press Option + Command + Esc (or open the Apple menu and choose Force Quit), select QuickTime Player, and click Force Quit. If nothing else works, quit the process from Activity Monitor. Recordings ended this way don't always save reliably, so try the menu-bar Stop button first.

Try Tella: An Easy Screen Recorder Alternative

Looking for an alternative to QuickTime Player? Tella’s screen recorder for Mac is a great option when you want to record your screen, camera, microphone, and system audio in one workflow. It's easy to use for screen recording:

1. Start Recording: Open Tella and click to start recording your screen.
2. Stop Recording: Click the stop button to end the session.
3. Save and Edit: Tella saves your video to your device's gallery. Open Tella again, select the video, and start editing.