Record a single window or a single app on a Mac
You rarely want the whole desktop in a tutorial. Qreata captures one display, one window, one application or a preset area, and a privacy list keeps the apps you name out of display and area recordings.
7-day trial · $49 once · no subscription · Apple Silicon · macOS 14+The short answer
Qreata records a single window or a single app on a Mac: choose “Window” or “Application” as the source, or “Display” or one of five “Area” presets. It runs on macOS 14 and later, while the built-in recorder gets Record Selected Window only in macOS 26 Tahoe. Settings → “Recording privacy” → “Never show these apps” hides listed apps from display and area recordings. There is no free-drag region. $49 once.
Use it when
The video is about one app and the rest of your Mac is nobody’s business.
- You are on macOS 14 or 15, where the built-in recorder has no window mode, and you are tired of dragging a frame around the window.
- Your desktop, other tabs or a chat app tend to end up in recordings.
- You record whole-display workflows but one app, such as a password manager or a messenger, must never be visible.
- You want the recording to be one clean rectangle that can sit on a background later.
It won’t help when
You need a capture shape Qreata does not offer.
- You want to drag a custom region. “Area” is five presets, with no free-drag selection.
- You want two displays in one recording. Qreata captures one display at a time.
- You want only one app’s sound. System audio is always recorded as a whole, with no per-app picker.
- You need 60 fps. Recording is always 30 fps.
Display, Window, Application or Area: what each source records
The source is the first choice in the launcher and it decides what can appear in the picture. One display is captured at a time in every mode.
| Source | What it records | Use it for | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| “Display” | One whole display | A workflow that moves between several apps | “Never show these apps” applies |
| “Window” | One window | A tutorial or demo of a single app window | Only that window is recorded, even when another window covers it |
| “Application” | One app’s windows on one display, including its dialogs and extra windows | An app that opens extra windows or dialogs | Available only when the app’s windows are on one display |
| “Area” | A preset part of a display | Half a screen next to your notes | Five presets; “Never show these apps” applies |
How to record one window on a Mac
Set the window up first, then tell Qreata to record only that.
- Open the app you are demonstrating and size and place its window the way viewers should see it; it should stay put for the whole take. Enlarge the interface text if the video will play in a small player.
- In the Qreata launcher choose “Window” and pick that window. If the app will open a second window, such as an export dialog, choose “Application” instead.
- Pick the quality: 720p, 1080p (the default) or 4K. Recording is 30 fps at every setting.
- Turn the camera on or off and check the microphone. The countdown (Off, 3 or 5 seconds) is a Settings option, Off by default.
- Look at the “Ready to record?” check. It confirms screen recording access, the capture source, storage and notifications, and the “Active source check” shows that screen, camera, microphone and system audio are delivering data.
- Record, and don’t move or resize the window while recording: cursor and click positions are fixed at the start. Another window passing over it is not a problem, because only the chosen window is captured. Pause, Resume, Restart, Cancel and Stop are on the recording pill.
- Open the take in the editor. A single-window recording is one clean rectangle, so “Padding”, “Corner radius” and a background in “Layout” work well on it.
Area presets: five fixed regions, no free drag
“Area” records part of a display, and the part is chosen from a list, not drawn. The presets suit a layout where the app you show sits on one half of the screen and your script or notes on the other.
If you need an arbitrary rectangle, for example a strip around one panel of an app, Qreata can’t capture it. Record the window and zoom in on the panel in the editor, or use the built-in recorder’s Record Selected Portion, which does let you drag a frame.
- “Center · 80%”: the middle of the display, with the edges left out.
- “Left half” and “Right half”: one side of the display.
- “Top half” and “Bottom half”: the upper or lower part of the display.
Keep chosen apps out of every recording
A window recording leaves other apps out by definition. A display or area recording does not, which is where the privacy list comes in. Open Settings, go to “Recording privacy” and add apps to “Never show these apps”. Listed apps stay hidden in display and area recordings from then on, without you remembering to close them. Qreata’s own windows are always hidden.
A realistic case: you record a 10-minute whole-display walkthrough that moves between a browser, a terminal and a design tool. Your messenger and your password manager are on the list. At minute 6 the messenger window comes forward on your screen; it is not in the recording. For a single field or panel inside the app you are showing, such as an API key, use the blur tools instead.
The list hides windows, not notification banners. A banner that slides in during a display or area recording is recorded, and Qreata only shows a reminder to turn on a Focus mode before you record. Turn one on for the take.
Built-in Mac recorder vs Qreata for one window
Shift-Command-5 has Record Entire Screen and Record Selected Portion on every current macOS. Record Selected Window was added in macOS 26 Tahoe. On macOS 14 Sonoma and 15 Sequoia the free way to record one window is to choose Record Selected Portion and drag the frame over the window, and then not move the window. Apple also notes that some apps, such as the Apple TV app, might not let you record their windows. Qreata has no special handling for that: whatever macOS blocks stays blank in a Qreata recording too.
If you are on macOS 26 or later and a plain recording of one window is all you need, the built-in tool does it for free. Qreata’s case is the rest of the job: a window mode on macOS 14 and 15, an app-wide mode, a list of apps that never appear, and an editor for what you recorded.
| Capability | Built-in recorder | Qreata |
|---|---|---|
| Record one window | Record Selected Window, macOS 26 Tahoe and later | “Window”, macOS 14 and later |
| Record one app’s windows | Not offered as a mode | “Application”, when its windows are on one display |
| Free-drag region | Record Selected Portion | No. Five “Area” presets |
| Keep named apps out of the picture | Not offered | “Never show these apps” for display and area recordings |
| Output | .mov saved to the desktop | Editable project, then H.264 MP4 |
| Price | Free with macOS | $49 once, 7-day full trial |
Limits of window and app recording
“Area” has five presets and no free-drag region. One display is recorded at a time. “Application” is offered only when all of that app’s windows are on one display. Recording is always 30 fps, and system audio is always captured with the screen as one track, with no switch and no per-app picker. Qreata does not capture an iPhone or iPad.
“Never show these apps” applies to display and area recordings and hides the listed apps’ windows; it does not hide notification banners and does not detect sensitive data inside the app you are showing. In a “Window” recording, leave the window where it was at the start. Qreata runs on Apple Silicon Macs with macOS 14 or later. A 10-minute test in the 7-day trial: add your messenger to the list, record 2 minutes of “Display” with the messenger open, then 2 minutes of “Window”, and check both files. The license is $49 once for 3 Macs, and recording needs no account.
Questions worth asking
How do I record just one window on a Mac?
On macOS 26 Tahoe and later, press Shift-Command-5 and choose Record Selected Window. On macOS 14 and 15 the built-in recorder has no window mode, so drag Record Selected Portion over the window, or choose “Window” in Qreata, which works from macOS 14.
Can I record a single app instead of the whole screen?
Yes. In Qreata choose “Application” to record one app’s windows, dialogs included, or “Window” for a single window, which is captured alone even when another window covers it. “Application” is available when all the app’s windows are on one display.
Can I select a custom area of the screen in Qreata?
No. “Area” offers five presets: “Center · 80%”, “Left half”, “Right half”, “Top half” and “Bottom half”. There is no free-drag selection.
Can I stop an app from appearing in my screen recordings?
Yes. Add it under Settings → “Recording privacy” → “Never show these apps”. Listed apps stay hidden in display and area recordings, and Qreata’s own windows are always hidden. Notification banners are not hidden by the list, so turn on a Focus mode before recording.
Does recording one window also record only that app’s sound?
No. System audio is always captured as a whole on its own track, with no per-app picker. You can lower or mute that track in the editor, from 0 to 200%.
Is window recording part of the one-time license?
Yes. All capture sources are included: $49 once for 3 Macs with all future updates, and a 7-day trial with every feature.