New Screencap recordings can be watched by anyone who has the link, so choose how private it should be before you send it. The most private option is an end-to-end encrypted link from the Mac app. Next come a password on the link, a private link, and an exported file you send yourself.
- Anyone with the link. This is the default: forward the link and everyone who has it can watch. Links do not expire.
- Password. Viewers need the link and the password, so send the password by a different route.
- Private. Not open to anyone who just has the link, so it suits recordings you keep for yourself.
- End-to-end encrypted (Mac app only). The key rides in the link after the #, so the servers hold video they cannot play.
Who can watch a Screencap recording by default?
Anyone with the link. New recordings are link-public unless your organisation's default is set to private, and links do not expire.
Viewers who are not signed in as the owner get no download button, but a recording that is open to anyone with the link may still be saved by a viewer. Treat the default as "unlisted", not "locked".
What is the most private way to share a screen recording?
Ranked from most to least private, with what each one means for the person watching and for Screencap:
| Option | Who can watch | What Screencap can see | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. End-to-end encrypted link (Mac app) | Anyone who has the whole link, including the key after the # | Length, resolution, account, timestamps, comments, reactions, view counts and viewers' IPs. Not the video or thumbnail. | Mac only. No transcripts, AI summaries or chat previews. Lose the link and the Mac, and the recording is gone. |
| 2. Password-protected link | Anyone with the link and the password | The recording itself, because it is not end-to-end encrypted | The password must travel by a different route to the link. |
| 3. Private link | Not open to anyone who just has the link | The recording itself | Suits recordings you keep for yourself. It is not a way to hand a video to an outside viewer. |
| 4. Exported file | Whoever you send the file to | Nothing, if you never upload it | Export from the Studio editor. You choose the channel, then the file is out of your hands and can be forwarded. |
The file ranks last because once it is sent you have no say over copies, even though Screencap never sees it. A private link sits below a password because it is a way to keep a recording to yourself, not a way to share it. Two things apply to every row. Anyone you give the full link or file to can pass it on. And a recording is only as private as the screen you captured, so read the checklist below before you press record.
How do I share an end-to-end encrypted screen recording?
Turn on end-to-end encryption in the Screencap Mac app, record, and send the full link. A random key is made for each recording and travels in the part of the link after the #. Browsers never send that part to a server, so Screencap stores the video but cannot play it.
- Open Settings > General. Open the Screencap Mac app and go to Settings > General.
- Switch on encryption. Turn on End-to-end encrypt recordings. The setting is off by default and appears only on a Mac.
- Record as usual. Choose a display, window or area and record.
- Copy the full link when you stop. The link ends in a # followed by 43 characters. That part is the key, so copy all of it.
- Send the whole link privately. Use a channel only the viewer can read. A direct message or email to one person is better than a shared channel. The recipient opens it in a browser, with nothing to install.
The encrypted video, its segments and its thumbnail are all stored encrypted, and the title shows as "Encrypted recording" with the date. Browser recordings and screenshots are not encrypted. Details are on the security page, and the encrypted screen recorder page compares this with other approaches.
How do I password-protect a screen recording?
Open the recording in your Screencap dashboard, go to its sharing options and set a password. Viewers then have to enter it before the video plays. You can remove the password from the same place.
Send the password in a different message from the link, ideally on a different app. If both travel together, the password adds nothing. Because this recording is not end-to-end encrypted, Screencap's servers can still process it, so use encryption when the content itself is the sensitive part.
In Instant mode the link is live the moment you stop, and it is open to anyone with it. Set the password straight away, before you paste the link anywhere.
How do I make a screen recording private?
Open the recording's sharing options in the dashboard and set it to private. A private recording is no longer open to everyone who has the link. That makes it the right choice for recordings you keep for yourself, and the wrong one for sending to a customer or colleague outside your workspace.
Should I send a file instead of a link?
Send a file when you want no copy of the video on anyone's server. Record in Studio mode, edit if you need to, and export an MP4 to a file. Then send it by the channel you trust, such as an encrypted messenger or your company's file share.
The file leaves your control as soon as you send it. It cannot be revoked, it has no view count, and the recipient can forward it.
What should I check before recording sensitive customer data?
Decide what must not appear before you start, because Instant recordings upload as you record and cannot be paused.
- Close what you do not need. Quit other apps and browser tabs, and turn on Do Not Disturb so message and email banners cannot pop up.
- Record a window or an area, not the whole display. Screencap can capture a display, a window or an area. A narrow capture leaves less to leak.
- Hide apps with the Excluded windows setting. It keeps chosen apps out of your recordings.
- Use dummy or test data where you can. It is the only blur that cannot be undone.
- Blur in the Studio editor. The mask track blurs or blacks out private areas before you export. Studio recordings can also be paused while you switch screens.
- Watch it back before you send it. Scrub through for names, email addresses, account numbers and browser autofill.
- Delete it afterwards. Links never expire, so delete the recording from your dashboard when the other person has watched it. Backups are kept for 30 days.
Screencap is not HIPAA, SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certified. If your rules require a certified tool for customer data, use the tool your company approves.
Questions
Can I share a screen recording so only one person can watch it?
Yes, with limits on how far you can control it. An end-to-end encrypted link from the Screencap Mac app can be opened only by someone who has the whole link, including the part after the #, or by a moderator if a reporter sends us that link. A password-protected link adds a second thing the viewer must know. Whichever you choose, anyone you give the full link to can pass it on.
Are new Screencap recordings private by default?
No. New recordings can be watched by anyone who has the link, unless your organisation's default is set to private. Change the setting on each recording you want to restrict, and do it before you send the link.
Can Screencap see my encrypted recording?
Screencap stores the encrypted video but cannot play it, because the key is in the link after the # and browsers never send that part to a server. Screencap can still see a generic 'Encrypted recording' title, the length, resolution, your account, timestamps, comments, reactions, view counts and viewers' IP addresses in server logs.
What if the recording shows customer data?
Record as little of it as you can. Capture one window or an area instead of the whole display, and in the Studio editor blur or black out private areas before you export. Screencap holds no compliance certification, so check your own company rules before you send customer data to anyone.
Do Screencap links expire?
No. Links work until you delete the recording or your account. If a recording is only needed for a day, delete it from your dashboard once the other person has watched it.