What you need
A browser and the Opivv extension. Your Mac already has a recorder: press Shift plus Command plus 5, or use QuickTime. Both work, but both save a .mov file to your desktop that you then have to compress, upload, and link before anyone can watch it, with no transcript and no view tracking. If the recording is meant to be sent, that extra round trip is the whole friction.
Step by step
- Add Opivv to your browser. Install the Opivv extension in Chrome, Edge, or Brave on your Mac. It lives in the toolbar, with nothing else to install.
- Grant screen-recording permission once. The first time, macOS asks to allow screen recording for your browser. Approve it under System Settings, Privacy & Security, Screen Recording.
- Open the recorder. Click the Opivv icon or press Alt+Shift+R, and the setup overlay appears on the current page.
- Choose screen, window, or tab. Pick Entire screen, a single Window, or This tab. Turn on your microphone to narrate and the camera bubble for a talking-head.
- Record, stop, and paste the link. Hit Start recording, then stop when you are done. The clip uploads and a share link is copied to your clipboard, ready to send.
QuickTime records, but sharing is the slow part
Shift plus Command plus 5 and QuickTime are great at capturing pixels. The pain starts after you stop: you have a local .mov, often a large one, and getting it to someone means uploading it to Drive or a file service, waiting, and pasting a link. It is a lot of steps for a two-minute clip.
Opivv collapses that. The moment you stop, the recording is already a link with a clean in-browser player, so you paste and you are done. The person who opens it needs no app and no account.
Getting audio and permissions right
Two optional sound sources: your microphone for narration, and tab or system audio for the sound your apps play. Toggle them in the setup overlay before you start. The one Mac-specific step is permission: macOS gates screen recording per app, so the first time you record you will grant your browser access under System Settings, Privacy & Security, Screen Recording. You only do this once.
Common questions
How do I record my screen on a Mac?
Install the Opivv extension in Chrome, Edge, or Brave, grant screen-recording permission to your browser once, then click the icon or press Alt+Shift+R, choose your screen or a window, and record. When you stop, you get a shareable link automatically.
Is there a keyboard shortcut to record on a Mac?
macOS has Shift plus Command plus 5 for its built-in recorder, which saves a local file. With Opivv you can start a recording with Alt+Shift+R and get a share link instead of a file to upload.
Why use Opivv instead of QuickTime?
QuickTime saves a .mov you then have to compress, upload, and link before sharing, with no transcript or analytics. Opivv gives you an instant share link the moment you stop, plus optional AI transcripts and view tracking on Pro.
Do I need to grant permission, and is it free?
Yes to both. macOS asks you to allow screen recording for your browser the first time, under System Settings, Privacy & Security, Screen Recording. Opivv itself is free for clips up to 5 minutes with unlimited share links.
Related: How to share a screen recording · How to record your screen in Chrome · Try Opivv free