From an idea to a take.
Everything you need to capture a clear explanation, without sending your recording to a server.
1. Choose what to share
Open the studio over HTTPS or localhost in a supported desktop browser. Click Choose what to share, then use the browser picker to select a tab, window, or display. Browser screen-sharing permission is required for each new session. A single window usually makes a cleaner recording. Check for private information before continuing.
2. Choose your audio and camera
Camera overlay and Microphone are separate, optional switches. Neither is required to record your screen. Enable them only when you want them included. Shared audio depends on your browser, operating system, selected surface, and the audio checkbox in the capture picker. ScreenTake’s preflight says whether an audio track was actually supplied.
Camera placement can be changed by dragging the overlay or focusing it and pressing arrow keys. Hold Shift for larger moves. Use the size slider and appearance controls before recording.
3. Record, pause, and finish
Check the preflight, then Start recording. Pause keeps the session open and excludes paused time from the displayed recording duration. Finish recording finalizes the local file and releases the screen, camera, microphone, and audio processing. If sharing ends externally or a device disconnects, ScreenTake stops and preserves the available clip.
Browsers may throttle background tabs. Keep this page visible when possible, use a short test recording first, and verify the final playback. The frame rate selector is a target, not a delivery guarantee.
4. Download before you leave
Play your recording locally, then download the WebM or MP4 file your browser encoded. ScreenTake does not transcode a file by renaming its extension. The recording stays in this tab’s memory until you discard it or navigate away. My recordings shows only that current session file, not a persistent library.
If something goes wrong
The picker was cancelled or permission was denied
Try Choose what to share again. If access is blocked by your operating system, check screen-recording privacy settings for your browser and restart the browser if required. Managed devices can require administrator approval.
No shared audio appears
Stop sharing, check Request shared audio, and choose a supported surface with audio enabled in the browser picker. Some browsers cannot capture system audio in some modes. A microphone can be enabled separately; ScreenTake never labels it as shared/system audio.
The camera or microphone is unavailable
Check the site’s permissions, your system’s camera/microphone privacy controls, physical device switches, and other apps holding the device. You can still record a silent screen without these devices.
The clip is choppy or the text is small
Keep ScreenTake visible, close heavy background applications, and try 720p or 15 fps. Share a smaller window, enlarge text in that window, and review a short recording before recording a full explanation.
The recording stopped at a limit
The default guardrails are five minutes or 150 MB of retained encoded chunks. You can choose lower limits before recording. A final chunk can exceed the threshold, and assembling the downloaded file also consumes memory. There is no unlimited recording mode or remote storage fallback.
Local by design
No media uploads, tracking, advertising, or cloud processing. Your hosting provider receives ordinary application-file requests. Downloaded files follow your own device’s storage and backup policies.