How to record part of your screen on Windows
Record just an area of the screen on Windows 10 or 11: with the Snipping Tool, or with a recorder that keeps the full resolution so zooms stay sharp.
Updated · 2 minute read · By the Sceed team
On Windows 11, press Win + Shift + R and drag a rectangle to record part of the screen with the Snipping Tool. Windows 10 has no built-in way to record an area. In Sceed, choose Area in the recorder and drag; it runs on both versions and keeps the full monitor resolution underneath, so zooming in later stays sharp.
When an area beats a whole screen
Your monitor is very wide and the app only uses part of it.
You want to leave the taskbar, browser tabs or bookmarks out of the picture.
The video will be square or vertical and only the middle of the screen matters.
With the Snipping Tool (Windows 11)
- 1
Press Win + Shift + R.
- 2
Drag a rectangle round the area.
- 3
Press Start, do the take, then press Stop.
- 4
Save the MP4.
The recording is exactly the pixels inside the rectangle. A small rectangle makes a small, low-resolution video.
Keeping the resolution
A small area means few pixels. Zoom in on that and it turns soft. Sceed handles this differently: when you record an area it captures the whole monitor and crops in the editor. The picture you see is your area, but the full resolution is still there when a zoom needs it.
An area or a window?
If the thing you are recording is one app, record the window instead. A window recording follows the app if you move it, and nothing behind it can show through. See how to record a specific window.
With Sceed, step by step
- 1
Choose Area
In the Sceed recorder, pick Area.
- 2
Drag the rectangle
Drag over the part of the screen you want. A border shows what is being captured.
- 3
Record
Press Record. The countdown is centred on the area you chose.
- 4
Edit
The take opens in the editor cropped to your area, in a frame on a background.
New to Sceed? Install to export in five steps.
Questions
How do I record only part of my screen on Windows 11?
Press Win + Shift + R, drag a rectangle and press Start. That is the Snipping Tool’s recorder.
Can I record part of the screen on Windows 10?
Not with the built-in tools. Game Bar records a whole app window only. A separate recorder such as Sceed can record an area on Windows 10.
Can I change the area after recording?
In Sceed you can crop the take in the Canvas panel after recording, because the whole monitor was captured underneath.
Keep reading
More guides on recording
- How to record your screen on Windows 11Three ways to record the screen on Windows 11: the Snipping Tool, Xbox Game Bar, and a dedicated recorder. What each one can and cannot do, with the shortcuts.
- How to record your screen on Windows 10How to record the screen on Windows 10 with Xbox Game Bar, what it cannot capture, and what to use when you need the desktop, an area or an edited video.
- How to record your screen with audio on WindowsRecord the screen with your voice, the computer’s own sound, or both, on Windows 10 and 11. How to check the microphone first and fix a silent recording.