To show where you click in a QuickTime screen recording, turn on Show Mouse Clicks before you start recording. On current macOS versions, QuickTime opens the Screenshot recording controls, where this setting is under Options. On Macs that show QuickTime’s older recording window, use the arrow beside the Record button and select Show Mouse Clicks in Recording. Apple describes the click indicator as a black circle around the pointer when you click. Apple’s Mac screen-recording instructions cover both interfaces.

Turn on click indicators in QuickTime

  1. Open QuickTime Player from Applications or Spotlight.
  2. Choose File > New Screen Recording. On current macOS, this opens the Screenshot controls. Apple also lists Control-Command-N as the shortcut for starting a QuickTime screen recording.
  3. In the Screenshot toolbar, click Options and select Show Mouse Clicks. A checkmark indicates the option is enabled.
  4. Choose Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion, depending on what you need to demonstrate. If you choose a portion, adjust its frame before recording.
  5. Click Record. Carry out the steps you want to show, then click the Stop button in the menu bar. The recording is saved according to the location selected under Options, and QuickTime may open it when recording ends. Apple’s QuickTime guide explains that QuickTime uses Screenshot to open the recording tools and that Options controls whether the pointer or clicks are included.

If QuickTime shows an older recording window

Some Macs display a separate Screen Recording window instead of the Screenshot toolbar. In that interface, click the arrow beside the Record button and select Show Mouse Clicks in Recording before recording. Start the recording, then click anywhere on the screen to record the full display, or drag to select an area and choose Start Recording within it. Stop with the menu-bar Stop button or Command-Control-Esc. These are the legacy QuickTime steps documented by Apple; if you see the Screenshot toolbar, use its Options menu instead. Apple’s instructions distinguish the two interfaces and describe the control for each.

Pointer visibility and click visibility are different

The click option adds a visible indicator when you click; it does not mean every pointer movement is emphasized. If you want the pointer visible even when it is not clicking, open Options and look for Show Mouse Pointer as a separate setting. Apple’s Screenshot instructions list pointer and click options separately, and the available choices can vary by capture mode. Select the option that matches your goal before recording. Apple’s Screenshot guide describes these options.

If you cannot find Show Mouse Clicks, first identify which controls are open: use Options in the Screenshot toolbar, or the arrow beside Record in the older QuickTime window. Don’t look for a QuickTime playback or editing command to add clicks after recording; Apple documents the click setting as a recording option. For a new capture, enable it before clicking Record.

Check the result before sharing

After stopping, play the recording in QuickTime and check a few clicks, especially any near the edges of your selected area. This simple review confirms that the visible indicator appears where expected and that your crop includes the relevant part of the screen. If it is missing, make another recording with the click option selected before starting. Apple’s documentation supports enabling the indicator during capture; it does not describe a built-in QuickTime command for retroactively adding click indicators to an existing recording.

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