How to record your screen on Windows 10
How 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.
Updated · 2 minute read · By the Sceed team
On Windows 10, press Win + Alt + R to record the app in focus with Xbox Game Bar. It saves an MP4 to Videos, Captures. Game Bar cannot record the desktop, File Explorer or more than one window, so for those you need a separate recorder such as Sceed, which runs on Windows 10 (64-bit) and 11.
Record with Xbox Game Bar
Windows 10 does not have a screen recorder in the Snipping Tool. That arrived in Windows 11. What Windows 10 does have is Xbox Game Bar.
- 1
Click the app you want to record.
- 2
Press Win + G to open Game Bar, or skip straight to recording with Win + Alt + R.
- 3
To include your voice, press Win + Alt + M to switch the microphone on.
- 4
Press Win + Alt + R again to stop.
- 5
Open Videos, then Captures, to find the MP4.
What Game Bar cannot do
It records one app window. Switch to another app and the recording stops or goes blank.
It cannot record the desktop or File Explorer.
It cannot record an area of the screen.
It has no webcam layer and no editor.
If Game Bar does not open, check Settings, Gaming, Xbox Game Bar and make sure it is switched on.
When you need more than Game Bar
For anything that moves between windows, shows the desktop, or needs to look finished, use a dedicated recorder. Sceed runs on Windows 10 (64-bit) and Windows 11. It records a window, an area or a whole monitor, with the microphone, system sound and webcam, and opens every take in an editor with zooms, a smoothed cursor, frames and backgrounds.
If you want a free tool for raw capture and streaming, OBS Studio also runs on Windows 10. It has no editor, so you will cut the result somewhere else. See Sceed vs OBS Studio.
With Sceed, step by step
- 1
Open the recorder
Start Sceed on your Windows 10 PC. The floating recorder appears on top of your other windows.
- 2
Choose what to capture
Pick Screen, Window or Area. Unlike Game Bar, the desktop and File Explorer can be recorded.
- 3
Set the sound
Switch the microphone and system audio on or off.
- 4
Record
Press Record, or Ctrl + Alt + R. Press Stop when you are done.
- 5
Edit and export
The take opens in the editor. Cut the mistakes, add zooms and export an MP4.
New to Sceed? Install to export in five steps.
Questions
Does Windows 10 have a built-in screen recorder?
Yes, Xbox Game Bar. Press Win + Alt + R to record the app in focus. It cannot record the desktop or File Explorer.
How do I record my whole desktop on Windows 10?
Game Bar cannot. Use a separate recorder. Sceed records a whole monitor, a window or an area on Windows 10 and 11.
Does Sceed work on Windows 10?
Yes, on 64-bit Windows 10 and on Windows 11.
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 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.
- How to record your screen and webcam at the same time on WindowsRecord the screen and your camera together on Windows, then choose where your face goes: a bubble in the corner, side by side, or full screen.