How to record an online course demo locally

You want to show a course activity, explain a lesson, or save a demonstration for students, but you do not want to install recording software or upload the video somewhere. A browser recorder can capture a tab, window, or screen, with audio, microphone narration, and camera if you need them.

Use the Screen Recorder on a computer, then save the finished recording to your device. Before you record, check the course rules and make sure you have permission to include any lesson material, names, or faces.

Record the course demonstration

Open the Screen Recorder on the computer you will use for the demonstration. It does not work on phones. Allow screen sharing when your browser asks.
Choose what to capture in the browser's sharing prompt. Select the course tab if you only need the lesson page, a window if you are switching between apps, or the full screen if your demonstration moves around the desktop.
Choose the audio you need. For a lesson playing in a browser tab, enable tab audio in the sharing prompt if that option appears. Turn on the microphone if you will narrate, and use the camera only if your face needs to appear in the recording.
Make a short test recording. Play it back and check that the picture is readable, the course audio is present, and your voice is not too quiet or distorted. If the test is good, start the full demonstration.
When you finish, stop the recording and use the recorder's save control to keep the video on your device. Play the saved file once before sharing it or closing the recorder.

For a step-by-step software walkthrough, see how to record a software setup walkthrough. If you are recording only a lesson tab, how to record a browser tab with its audio explains the audio choice in more detail.

What the recording tells you

The tab and course audio both appear

The browser is capturing the lesson and its sound. Continue with the demonstration, and keep the tab selected if the browser warns that changing the shared source will stop or change the capture.

The picture is there, but the course is silent

The screen capture is working, but the browser did not send tab or system audio into the recording. Stop and try again, selecting the tab and enabling its audio in the browser's sharing prompt if available. Some browsers or operating systems offer different audio choices, so test the exact combination before recording a long lesson.

Your voice is missing or too quiet

The microphone may be off, blocked, or set to a different device. Check the microphone choice in the recorder and speak at your normal distance during a new short test. If the recording includes course sound but not your voice, the microphone input is the part to troubleshoot.

The recording shows the wrong screen

You probably selected a different tab, window, or monitor in the sharing prompt. Stop the recording and select the correct source again. If the problem keeps happening, see what to check when a screen recording captures the wrong tab.

The course video is black

Some course players restrict screen capture, so the recorder may show a black video area even while other parts of the page appear. Do not try to bypass a course's protection. Check its recording and sharing rules, or ask the course provider for an approved way to demonstrate the material.

How to fix recording problems

Check the selected source. Stop sharing and choose the course tab, app window, or screen you actually need. If you have multiple monitors, check the preview before recording.
Allow screen sharing in the browser. If you blocked the browser prompt, reload the recorder and start again. Choose the sharing permission when it appears, then select the source. The exact prompt can vary by browser.
Allow microphone access. In the browser's site permissions, allow the microphone for the recorder and reload the page. On Windows 11, check Settings › Privacy & security › Microphone and enable microphone access for desktop apps. On macOS, check System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone and allow your browser.
Allow screen recording on a Mac. Open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Screen & System Audio Recording, or Screen Recording on older macOS versions, and enable your browser. Quit and reopen the browser if macOS asks you to do so.
Close apps using the microphone. Video calls and other recorders can occupy the microphone or change which input is active. Close them, reload the recorder, and make another short test.
Reduce interruptions. Close unrelated tabs and turn on your computer's do-not-disturb setting. Notifications may appear in a full-screen recording, even if they are not part of the lesson.

Keep the recording private

The Screen Recorder runs in your browser. Nothing you record is uploaded, and the recording stays on your device unless you choose to share it. Still, the video can show private information such as student names, email notifications, browser tabs, or account details. Close anything you do not want in the final file, and review the recording before sending it to anyone.

Record only material you are allowed to use, and share the finished video through a method approved by your course or school.