Although Windows 10 doesn't include an application designed specifically to record or capture your screen, the Game bar experience features an option to capture gameplay, which also works to record apps.

Of course, there are plenty of other solutions with many additional features that you can use, but if you need something quick and simple to make a video tutorial, create a presentation, or record a problem that you can send to tech support, the Game bar experience is a good (enough) alternative.

In this Windows 10 guide, we walk you through the steps to record a video of an app without the need to use third-party software thanks to the Game bar experience. Additionally, we also outline the steps to edit the screen capture using tools built into the Windows.

How to screen-record on Windows 10

Before you can use the screen-recorder feature, you must enable the option in the Settings app using these steps:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Click on Gaming.
  3. Click on Game Bar.

  4. Turn on the Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using Game bar toggle switch.

Once you complete these steps, you should be able to use the Game bar experience to screen-record apps on Windows 10.

How to record an app using Game bar

To record a video on Windows 10, open the app that you want to capture, and then use these steps:

Note: Although you can use the Game bar to record apps, there are some limitations, and you can't record the desktop or File Explorer.

  1. Open Start.
  2. Search for Game bar, click the top result to open the experience.

  3. Click the Record button.

  4. Click anywhere to dismiss the Game bar interface.
  5. Continue with the screen capture.

  6. (Optional) Click the microphone button using the available controllers to narrate while recording the video.

    Quick tip: If you're unable to record sound, it's because your privacy settings are blocking the app. You can fix this issue using Settings > Privacy > Microphone, and then make sure to turn on the toggle switch for Game bar to allow access to your microphone.

  7. Click the Stop button (or minimize the app) to terminate the session.

After completing these steps, the video recording will be saved automatically in the Captures folder, inside your "Videos" library.

How to edit a video recording using Photos

While the Game bar experience has limited functionality, you can still edit some aspects of the screen recording with the Photos app for Windows 10.

To edit a screen capture using the Photos app, use these steps:

  1. Open File Explorer.

  2. Type the following path in the address bar and press Enter:

    %HOMEPATH%\Videos\Captures

  3. Right-click the .mp4 capture file, select Open with, and click the Photos option.

  4. Click the Edit & Create menu to access the available editing options:

    • Trim — Shorten the recording.
    • Add slo-mo — Adds slow motion to the video.
    • Save photos — Saves a frame of the video as a photo.
    • Draw — Annotates using touch.
    • Create a video using text — Allows you to access various additional features to edit the video.
    • Add 3D effects — Adds effects on top of the video.

  5. Select the Trim option (as an example).

  6. Use the pins in the track to select the beginning and end of the recording.

  7. Click the Save as button from the top-right corner.
  8. Select the folder location.
  9. Click the Save button.

Once you complete the steps, you'll end up with a newly-edited version of the video, which you can upload to YouTube or share it with other people via email or other mediums.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources: