You’ve very probably been using Windows 10 for a long time now, but that doesn’t mean that you’ve discovered everything it has to offer. The operating system is packed with features, but there are some that are hidden away to the extent that they could be considered secrets.
One such gem is the screen recording tool. What? You didn’t know that Windows 10 could record videos of on-screen activity? You’re not alone. The screen recorder is built into the Game bar and you may well not have seen it. If you’ve ever wondered how to make video of what you’re doing in Windows, this is precisely the utility you need. Here’s how to access and use it — including details of a secret keyboard shortcut.
The screen recorder is not a standalone utility, so if you take a browse through the Start menu, you won’t find it. You will, however, be able to find the Game bar — but if you’re not a gamer, you may have seen this tool and thought nothing of it. Take a look in the Start menu and search for “Game bar” or, if you’re a fan of keyboard shortcuts, hit the Windows key and G simultaneously.
The Game bar will appear, and the “Game capturing” caption that is shown beneath the time in the window that appears gives a hint to what is possible.
You’ll notice a “record” button — the circle icon — or you can press the Windows key + Alt + R at the same time to start recording. In fact, there’s no need to launch the Game bar at all; you can just use the keyboard shortcut to start recording screen activity.
See also: Microsoft brings Spotify, performance monitoring widgets and more to the Game Bar
It is possible that you will see a message informing you that screen recording is not available because gaming features have not been enabled. No problem! Just tick the box in the window that appears and recording will start.
Recordings are automatically saved in MP4 format in the Videos > Captures subfolder of your user folder. You can also access the recordings via the Game bar.
