Record the click sound in your Mac screen recordings
Clacky’s ripple is drawn on your screen, so it shows up in every screen recording. The click sound plays through your Mac’s speakers or headphones, so a recording only includes it when the recorder captures system audio (also called desktop or internal audio). Many recorders capture only the microphone unless you switch it on.
The short version
- Ripples: nothing to do. Every recorder captures them.
- Sound: turn on system audio in your recorder, as below.
- Recording with a microphone too? Headphones keep the clicks out of your mic, so you don’t record them twice.
macOS Screenshot app (Shift-Command-5)
On macOS 27 or later, click Options in the screenshot toolbar and choose Include System Audio before you start recording.
On earlier versions, including macOS 15 and macOS 26, Apple’s tool records a microphone only, so the click sound isn’t captured. Use one of the apps below instead. (The same Options menu has Show Mouse Clicks, which draws a plain black circle; Clacky’s ripple shows up either way.)
QuickTime Player
Apple documents only a microphone option for QuickTime’s screen recording, with no system-audio setting. To capture click sounds, use the Screenshot app on macOS 27 or later, or one of the apps below.
OBS Studio (free)
On macOS 13 or later, the macOS Screen Capture source records your Mac’s audio along with the screen. OBS 30 and later also has a separate macOS Audio Capture source that records all desktop audio or just one app’s audio.
Source: OBS: macOS Screen Capture source · OBS: macOS desktop audio capture guide
Loom
In the Loom desktop app’s preferences, open the Video & audio tab and turn on Use system audio. Loom’s noise filter can’t be on at the same time.
Screen Studio
Click the system audio button before recording, then choose to record all apps or only the apps you select (include Clacky).
CleanShot X
CleanShot X says its screen recorder can record your microphone and system audio together.
Source: CleanShot X: Screen recording
Checked against each app’s own documentation on 23 September 2026. Something changed, or your recorder isn’t here? Email [email protected].