Record the Screen to Video with screencapture -V
Capture a fixed-length screen recording straight to a .mov file from the Terminal.
Run screencapture -V 10 ~/Desktop/capture.mov to record the screen for 10 seconds and save it as a movie.
01Command
Command
$ screencapture -V 10 ~/Desktop/screen-capture.mov02What it does
Most people know screencapture for screenshots, but on modern macOS it also records video: the -V flag takes a duration in seconds and writes a QuickTime movie. It is ideal for scripted captures, timed demos, or grabbing a bug on video without launching any app. The recording covers the main display by default.
03Risk
!Warning: There is no countdown or stop button — the recording runs for exactly the seconds you specify, so start the action first if you can. The Terminal needs Screen Recording permission on the first run.
04Undo
✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.
05Sources
- screencapture - capture screen image or videoEvidence: Documents the -V flag that records the screen to a video for the given number of seconds.
Last verified: 2026-09-18 · Category: Media