Screencap is a free screen recorder for Mac with optional end-to-end encrypted share links. Turn on "End-to-end encrypt recordings" in Settings, General, and the app encrypts each recording on your Mac before it uploads. The key stays in the link after the #, so Screencap's servers store only encrypted video.
- You record on your Mac. Encryption is switched on in Settings, General.
- The app encrypts the recording on your Mac with a new key made for this recording.
- Only scrambled video is uploaded. Screencap's servers store it but cannot play it.
- The key travels in the link, after the #. Browsers never send that part to our servers.
- The viewer's browser decrypts the video, so only people with the full link can watch.
What does "encrypted screen recorder" mean?
People use the phrase for three different protections, and they cover different risks. Disk encryption protects a recording on your Mac. Encryption at rest protects it on a service's servers. End-to-end encrypted share links protect it on the way to the person you send it to.
| Approach | Protects against | Who holds the key | Does not cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disk encryption (FileVault) | Someone with your Mac but not your login | You (your login, recovery key or iCloud account) | Anything you upload or share |
| Encrypted storage at rest | Stolen disks at the provider | The service | The service itself, and anyone it lets in |
| End-to-end encrypted link | The service and anyone without the link, in normal use | Whoever has the full link | Anyone you give the full link to |
They stack. You can use all three on the same recording.
Is FileVault enough to protect a screen recording?
FileVault protects the recording while it sits on your Mac, and nothing after that. Apple says that on a Mac with Apple silicon or a T2 chip your data is encrypted automatically, and that other Macs need FileVault switched on in System Settings, Privacy & Security (Apple Support, checked 24 October 2026). Once you send the file or a link, the recipient and any server in between hold an ordinary copy.
If your goal is only to keep a recording private on your own laptop, FileVault is the right tool and it costs nothing.
How does Screencap's end-to-end encryption work?
The Mac app encrypts each recording before upload, using a random key made for that recording alone. The key is added to the share link after the # sign, as in /s/abc123#k=.... Browsers never send that part of a link to a website, so it does not reach our servers.
The encrypted parts are every stored video segment and the thumbnail. The title is replaced with "Encrypted recording" and the date. The format is open source, and the security page has the full detail.
How do I turn on an encrypted screen recording on Mac?
- Install the Mac app. Download Screencap. It needs macOS 13.1 or later and runs on Apple silicon and Intel.
- Open Settings, then General. The encryption setting appears only in the Mac app.
- Switch on "End-to-end encrypt recordings". It is off by default.
- Record and share. Copy the full link, including the part after the #, and send it. Anyone with that link can watch in a browser.
What are the trade-offs of an end-to-end encrypted recording?
Anything that needs our servers to read the video stops working. Encrypted recordings get no transcripts, no AI titles, summaries or chapters, and no preview image when the link is pasted in a chat app. You cannot download or edit them in the browser, but comments and reactions still work.
If you lose the link and no browser still holds the key, nobody can recover the recording, including us.
Two kinds of content are not end-to-end encrypted: screenshots and recordings made in the browser. Screencap can also see metadata around an encrypted recording, such as its length, resolution, account, timestamps, comments, reactions, view counts and viewers' IP addresses. For that reason we do not call it zero-knowledge. Screencap has not had an independent audit. Two more limits are worth knowing. If someone reports an encrypted recording and includes the full link, a moderator can open it to review the report. And the page that plays the video runs code from our site in the viewer's browser, so the Mac app, whose source is open, is the part to trust. The security page covers both.
Questions
Is there an encrypted screen recorder for Mac?
Yes. Screencap's Mac app has an optional setting, End-to-end encrypt recordings, that encrypts each recording on your Mac before it uploads. The key travels in the share link after the # sign, so Screencap stores only encrypted video. The setting is off by default.
Does FileVault encrypt my screen recordings?
FileVault encrypts the files on your Mac's startup disk, so a recording saved there is protected while the disk is locked. It does not protect a recording once you upload it or send a link, because the other side holds a normal copy.
Can Screencap watch my encrypted recordings?
Not in normal use. The key is in the part of the link after the #, which browsers do not send to a server. Screencap can still see details such as length, resolution, account, timestamps, comments, reactions, view counts and the IP addresses of viewers. If someone reports an encrypted recording and includes the full link, a moderator can open it to review the report.
Are Screencap screenshots and browser recordings end-to-end encrypted?
No. Only recordings made in the Mac app with the setting on are end-to-end encrypted. Screenshots and recordings made in the browser are not.
What do I lose when I encrypt a recording?
Transcripts, AI titles, summaries and chapters, and the preview image in chat apps are not available, and you cannot download or edit the recording in the browser. Comments and reactions still work.
What happens if I lose the link to an encrypted recording?
It cannot be recovered. Screencap does not hold the key unless someone sends it to us, so keep the full link, including the part after the #.