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How to record a GIF of your Mac screen

macOS saves screen recordings as .mov files, and Apple documents no GIF option for them. Record GIF Pro (Shotbolt Pro) in Shotbolt records an area straight to an animated GIF, and Keynote can export a set of screenshots as one.

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The Shotbolt steps here need Pro (Shotbolt Pro). Updated .

What macOS does on its own

The macOS screenshot toolbar, opened with Shift-Command-5, and File → New Screen Recording in QuickTime Player both save a .mov file. Apple's steps for them mention no GIF.

Two Apple apps can build a GIF from stills. Keynote is the one with documented steps:

  1. Take a screenshot of each step and place each one on its own Keynote slide.
  2. Choose File → Export To → Animated GIF.
  3. Choose a Resolution and a Frame Rate, and drag the Auto-advance slider to set the pace.
  4. Click Next, type a name, choose a place under Where and click Export.

You get a slideshow of still screens. Apple's guide does not cover a video on a slide, so plan on stills. The Shortcuts app also has a Make GIF action, which Apple describes as building an animated GIF from photos.

Record in Shotbolt

Record GIF Pro (Shotbolt Pro) is part of screen recording Pro (Shotbolt Pro). Every download from this site starts with 7 days of Pro.

  1. Click the Shotbolt icon in the menu bar and choose Record GIF Pro (Shotbolt Pro). It has no default shortcut; you can add one in Settings → Shortcuts.
  2. Drag out the area. Keep it as small as the subject allows.
  3. In the bar, open the size menu, which reads something like 1280 px · 15 fps. Choose a Width of 640, 960, 1280 or 1920 px and a Frame rate of 10, 15, 20 or 30 fps. Each width shows the size the GIF will come out at.
  4. Switch on what should show: Cursor, Click rings, Keystrokes or Camera. Each is drawn into the picture.
  5. Click Record GIF or press Return.
  6. To stop, click the recording item in the menu bar.
  7. A panel shows Creating GIF… with its progress and the time left. Save as video instead stops there and keeps an MP4.
The GIF recording bar with Cursor and Click rings on and its size menu open: widths from 640 to 1920 px and frame rates from 10 to 30 fps.

The finished GIF lands in Quick Access, where you can drag it into any app. It loops forever. In All-In-One, the overlay that holds every kind of capture, you can also drag an area and press G to start at once with your current settings. Help has the rest of the recording controls.

Keep the file small

  • Record less: a short take of a small area does the most. The app's own advice is short clips at 15 fps.
  • Lower the width. A wider recording is scaled down to it, and an area narrower than the width keeps its size.
  • Lower the frame rate. A faster GIF looks smoother and comes out much larger.
  • Cut first. Record a video, trim it in the video editor Pro (Shotbolt Pro) and export with Format set to GIF.

Limits

  • A GIF has no sound. The Microphone and System audio switches leave the bar for a GIF. For sound, see how to record with system audio.
  • Shotbolt shows no file size ahead of time, because a GIF's size depends on what moves. The Size limits in the video editor's export apply to MP4 only.
  • Conversion runs after you stop. If it fails, the take is saved as a video, so you keep the recording.

Questions

Can I turn a recording into a GIF later?

Yes, for a Shotbolt recording. Open it from Quick Access or History in the video editor Pro (Shotbolt Pro), set Format to GIF in the export options and pick a frame rate.

Can I add sound to a GIF?

No. If the sound matters, share an MP4 instead.

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