Screen recording.
Capturing the contents of a computer screen as a video file, with or without audio narration. Screen recording underpins async standups, bug reporting, product demos, customer support, and training.
How it works in a browser
Modern browsers expose `navigator.mediaDevices.getDisplayMedia()` — the Screen Capture API. The browser asks the user which screen, window, or tab to share, then returns a `MediaStream` you can pipe into a `MediaRecorder` to produce a WebM or MP4 file.
How it works on the desktop
Native apps (OBS, QuickTime, Snagit, Camtasia, Loom desktop) hook into the OS's screen-capture frameworks (AVFoundation on macOS, the Desktop Duplication API on Windows, X11/Wayland on Linux).
Common file formats
WebM (VP8/VP9), MP4 (H.264 or H.265), MOV. WebM is the default in browsers because it requires no extra licensing.
Frequently asked
Do I need an extension?
For browser-based recording, no. The Screen Capture API is built into Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, Brave, Arc, and Opera.
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