Being able to record your screen is essential for tutorials, software demos, presentations, and gameplay commentary. Many creators use separate tools for recording and editing — but switching between programs slows down your workflow and adds extra file management.
Wondershare Filmora 15 has a fully built-in screen recorder that lets you capture footage and edit it in the same interface. In this step-by-step guide, we show you how to use it, and share tips for getting the best results.
If you do not have Filmora 15 yet, see our full review to learn about all its features and pricing plans.
What You Can Record With Filmora’s Screen Recorder
The built-in recorder supports all common screen capture use cases:
- Full screen recording
- Custom selected area recording
- Simultaneous system audio + microphone audio
- Webcam picture-in-picture overlay
- Mouse cursor highlighting and click effects
- Scheduled automatic recording
It works for everything from software tutorials to presentation recordings to online lesson content.
Step-by-Step: Record Your Screen in Filmora 15
- Open Filmora and start a new project Launch Filmora 15 and create a new project in your desired resolution (1080p is recommended for most screen recordings).
- Open the screen recorder Go to the Record menu in the top toolbar and select Record PC Screen. A separate control panel will appear.
- Choose your recording area Select from three options:
- Full Screen: Records your entire display
- Custom: Drag to select a specific area of your screen
- Target Window: Records only one specific application window
For most tutorials, custom area or target window works best so viewers can focus on what matters.
- Configure audio settings Toggle on:
- System Audio: Records sound from your computer (great for software demos)
- Microphone: Records your voiceover (great for tutorials and commentary) Test your microphone level to make sure it is not too quiet or peaking.
- Enable webcam (optional) If you want a picture-in-picture talking head, toggle on the webcam option. You can resize and reposition the webcam window anywhere on your recording area.
- Adjust cursor and recording settings Open the settings menu to enable:
- Mouse cursor visibility
- Click effect highlights (shows a circle when you click)
- Recording countdown timer
- Auto-stop timer for scheduled recordings
- Start recording Click the red Record button. After a 3-second countdown, recording will start. When you are finished, press the stop hotkey (default: F9) or click stop on the control panel.
- Edit your recording As soon as you stop recording, the clip will automatically appear on your Filmora timeline. You can immediately start trimming, cutting out mistakes, adding text, and applying effects — no importing or file conversion required.
Pro Tips for Better Screen Recordings
- Clean up your screen first: Close extra tabs, turn off desktop notifications, and hide messy icons before you start recording.
- Use click highlights for tutorials: Viewers follow along much better when they can see exactly where you are clicking.
- Record voiceover separately for best quality: For professional results, record your voiceover after the screen capture so you can focus on clear delivery.
- Zoom in on important sections: Use Filmora’s pan and zoom tool to magnify small buttons or text so viewers can see them clearly.
- Add captions: Use AI captions to add subtitles to your tutorial. It improves accessibility and makes your content easier to follow.
Final Thoughts
The built-in screen recorder is one of Filmora’s most underrated features. For anyone who makes tutorials, demos, or educational content, it eliminates the need for separate recording software and creates a much smoother workflow.
To unlock the full screen recorder plus all editing and AI tools, check our Filmora 15 review for current pricing and plan details.
Screen recordings often produce very large file sizes. If you need to shrink them for email or upload, use UniConverter’s lossless compression tool to reduce file size without ruining picture quality.