Recordly Installation Guide: Free Open-Source Screen Recorder with Auto Zoom

The useful part

What Recordly can do

Recordly combines recording, motion-focused editing, and export in one Electron desktop app. When recording stops, the footage opens directly in its editor. Automatic zoom suggestions can emphasize cursor activity, while the timeline lets you add, move, resize, or remove zoom regions yourself.

It is not a general replacement for every professional video editor. It is most useful when the job is a polished product demo, tutorial, software walkthrough, launch video, or short screen recording where cursor movement and framing matter.

• Record a complete display or an individual app window.
• Capture microphone and system audio where the operating system supports it.
• Add automatic suggestions or manual regions for zoom, trim, and speed changes.
• Smooth, resize, hide, restyle, blur, bounce, or animate the rendered cursor.
• Add text, image, and figure annotations plus extra audio regions.
• Use backgrounds, gradients, padding, corners, blur, shadows, crop, and aspect-ratio controls.
• Add a positioned, mirrored, rounded, shadowed, or zoom-reactive webcam overlay.
• Save editable `.recordly` projects and export MP4 or GIF.

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“Automatic zoom” means Recordly suggests zoom regions from recorded cursor activity. Review the timeline before export; you still control the timing, framing, and final result.

Check compatibility first

Recordly system requirements and platform differences

• macOS: macOS 14 Sonoma or newer. Recordly uses ScreenCaptureKit-based helpers for capture and audio.
• Windows: Windows 10 20H1, Build 19041, or newer for the native Windows Graphics Capture helper and best cursor-hiding behaviour.
• Linux: a modern distribution. X11 shows a screen or window source list; Wayland uses the system picker.
• Linux system audio generally requires PipeWire.
• Linux cursor hiding is not currently supported, so enabling the styled overlay can result in both the real and rendered cursor appearing.
• Older Windows builds may fall back to Electron capture and leave the real operating-system cursor visible.

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If polished cursor replacement is essential, macOS 14+ and supported Windows builds currently provide the cleanest documented path. Linux users should test a short clip before recording a full tutorial.

Recommended installation

Download the latest stable Recordly release

Open the official GitHub Releases page and choose the latest release marked Latest-not a beta or experimental pre-release. Inspect the release notes and download the asset matching both your operating system and processor architecture.

At the time this guide was verified, stable v1.4.0 visibly included a macOS ARM64 DMG, a Windows x64 executable, and a Linux x64 AppImage. Release assets change, so use the current release page rather than copying an old direct-download URL.

• Apple Silicon Mac: choose the ARM64 `.dmg` when listed.
• Windows x64: choose the Windows `.exe` installer.
• Linux x64: choose the `.AppImage`, then allow that downloaded file to execute if your desktop requires it.
• Arch Linux or Manjaro: the README also documents installation from AUR with `yay -S recordly-bin`.
• Do not download installers reposted by an unrelated mirror.

yay -S recordly-bin

First launch

Install Recordly and grant only required permissions

Install the downloaded release using the normal process for your operating system. A recorder needs access to the display or selected windows; microphone, system audio, and camera access are required only when you enable those inputs.

• macOS: move Recordly to Applications, open it, and approve Screen Recording when requested. Approve microphone or camera separately only if needed.
• Windows: run the official release installer and review any operating-system reputation prompt before continuing.
• Linux AppImage: mark the verified file executable, launch it, and select a source through X11 or the Wayland system picker.
• Record a five-second test with the intended audio and camera settings before starting important work.

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The README documents an `xattr` command for trusted locally built macOS apps affected by quarantine. Do not bypass a security warning for an installer you did not obtain and verify yourself.

Record

Capture a clean first screen recording

• Close notifications, personal tabs, password managers, customer data, API keys, and anything else that must not appear in the recording.
• Choose the smallest screen or app-window source that contains the complete workflow.
• Select microphone and system audio deliberately; do not assume both are active.
• Move the cursor intentionally and pause briefly on important controls so zoom suggestions have a clear subject.
• Keep the browser zoom and app layout stable while recording.
• Stop the recording to enter Recordly’s editor immediately.

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Automatic polish cannot hide a secret captured in the source video. Treat the complete recording area as public before pressing Record.

Edit

Review zooms, cursor motion, framing, and webcam

Play the complete timeline once before styling it. Remove accidental zoom suggestions, lengthen regions that move too quickly, and make sure the crop never hides the next control the viewer needs to see.

• Zooms: keep only the moments that clarify an action or small interface detail.
• Cursor: adjust size, smoothing, motion blur, click bounce, sway, or loop behaviour without making the pointer distracting.
• Frame: choose a background, gradient, padding, corner radius, shadow, crop, and aspect ratio that fit the destination.
• Webcam: upload or replace footage, then control its position, size, mirroring, roundness, shadow, and zoom response.
• Timeline: trim dead time, adjust speed regions, add annotations, and balance extra audio where needed.
• Project: save a `.recordly` project before export so the editable state can be reopened later.

Export

Export MP4 or GIF for the destination

• Use MP4 for Reels, YouTube, product demos, documentation, and most video publishing workflows.
• Use GIF only for short, lightweight loops where audio is unnecessary and the larger file size is acceptable.
• Choose the final aspect ratio and output dimensions before exporting; preview the complete crop after changing them.
• Use the quality control deliberately and inspect small interface text in the exported file, not only the editor preview.
• For a vertical Reel, frame the important interaction inside the vertical safe area instead of relying on a final crop to find it.

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Always watch the exported file once with sound. Check cursor alignment, zoom timing, text readability, webcam placement, audio sync, and whether any private information slipped through.

Developer option

Build Recordly from source

Build from source only when you want to inspect, modify, contribute to, or package the application yourself. Recordly includes native capture and media helpers, so a working Node.js installation alone is not sufficient on every platform.

• macOS: install Xcode Command Line Tools.
• Windows: install Visual Studio 2022 or Build Tools with the C++ workload and CMake.
• Ubuntu or Debian: install the documented compiler, CMake, and X11 development packages.

xcode-select --install

sudo apt install build-essential cmake libx11-dev libxtst-dev libxrandr-dev libxt-dev

git clone https://github.com/webadderallorg/Recordly.git recordly
cd recordly
npm install
npm run dev

npm run lint
npm run typecheck
npm test

npm run build

npm run build:mac
npm run build:win
npm run build:linux

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Cross-platform packaging can still require the target operating system, native toolchain, signing configuration, or platform-specific services. A script name does not guarantee every target can be built from your current machine.

Before serious use

Privacy, installer security, and the AGPL license

• Review the source, release notes, reported issues, and checksums before trusting a downloaded desktop recorder.
• Keep sensitive windows outside the selected source and disable unneeded microphone or camera inputs.
• Treat third-party marketplace extensions as additional code with their own security and maintenance risk; inspect them before installation.
• Recordly is licensed under AGPL-3.0. Personal use is straightforward, but distributing modifications or operating a modified network-accessible version can create source-sharing obligations.
• The repository contains third-party notices; those dependencies retain their own license terms.

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This is a practical warning, not legal advice. Review the license or obtain qualified advice before distributing a modified commercial build.

Common problems

Recordly troubleshooting checklist

• No screen or window appears: recheck operating-system screen-recording permission, then restart the app after changing it.
• No microphone or camera: confirm the correct device is selected and the matching OS permission is enabled.
• No Linux system audio: confirm the desktop audio stack and PipeWire configuration supported by your distribution.
• Two cursors on Linux: the real cursor cannot currently be hidden; disable the rendered cursor overlay or accept the platform limitation.
• Real cursor remains on older Windows: update to Build 19041+ so the native capture helper can provide the best documented behaviour.
• Export looks soft: recheck output dimensions, aspect ratio, crop, and export quality, then inspect the actual file at full size.
• Build fails: install the documented native prerequisites and use the repository’s current lockfile and scripts before changing dependency versions.
• A repeatable bug remains: search existing issues, then report the OS version, Recordly version, capture type, logs, and minimal reproduction without private footage.