LeanTake · User guide
User guide
Last updated: 2026-10-08 · For LeanTake 1.0
LeanTake is a Mac screen recorder for lessons and tutorials: pick what to record, press Record, and when you stop you already have a playable video. No export step, no editing. This page covers getting started, shortcuts, what is free and what is Pro, and FAQ.
Quick start: your first recording in 5 steps
- Choose what to recordThe three buttons on the far left are: record the whole screen, one window, or a small area. For Window or Area, follow the prompt: click a window, or drag a box with the mouse. With two screens, click Display to pick one.
- Turn on the sound you wantMicrophone records your voice. System Audio records sound your Mac plays itself, like videos and music. Click one and pick a device. If the little lights below it jump, it can hear.
- Turn on the camera to be seenClick Camera and pick one. A small window with you in it appears on screen, and it will be in the video too.
- Press the blue Record buttonThe middle of the screen counts 3, 2, 1, then recording starts. The toolbar is never recorded into the video.
- Press Stop and your video is readyIt is saved in a few seconds. Click Show in Finder to find it. It is a .mov file: double-click to play, or send it to anyone. No export, no waiting.
While recording
- Pause, Stop, Restart, Cancel：The four buttons at the left of the toolbar. Pause: need a sip of water? Click it, then click again to continue. Stop: you are done. Restart: throw this take away and start again right now. Cancel: throw it away and stop. Restart and Cancel ask you first (Return or Esc in the dialog means keep recording, so nothing is lost by accident).
- Compact toolbar：Click the collapse button at the far left to shrink the toolbar into a shorter strip: just the time, pause, stop, and the microphone and system audio icons with vertical meters. Click the far-left button again to expand. Your choice is remembered and can also be switched in Settings › General. In compact mode the magnifier, pen and teleprompter are one click away in the tools button next to the meters, or by shortcut; restart and cancel use shortcuts.
- Tool buttons: click or press and hold：On the magnifier and pen buttons, a click turns the tool on or off. Press and hold to open more options: mode, zoom size and speed for the magnifier; tools for the pen. While a tool is on, press Esc to leave it.
- Pen：Click it to draw on the screen while you talk. The little dot beside it changes the colour. Click the pen again, or press Esc, and the drawing disappears. Long-press the pen to switch to line, arrow, rectangle, circle and eraser (those are Pro; the free version has the pencil).
- Magnifier：Makes tiny text easy to read. Two modes. Follow Cursor: click it and the area around your mouse grows to fill the screen; move freely inside the zoom box and the picture stays steady, it only follows you when you reach the edge. Select Region: click it, the screen dims and the cursor becomes a crosshair; drag a box and the video zooms into it (Esc cancels, and clicking the magnifier button again also cancels). Zoom in or out with ⌃⌥] and ⌃⌥[. While paused you can pick the spot first; it zooms when you resume. Press Esc to turn the magnifier off.
- Camera window：Drag it with the mouse; it snaps to a corner when you get close. To stop looking at yourself for a while, open Camera and choose Hide camera window (you are still in the video).
- Do not want to be heard for a moment：Click Microphone and choose Temporary mute, or press the shortcut. Press again to turn it back on.
- You cannot see them in the video：The toolbar, menus, teleprompter and settings window are never recorded into the video.
Teleprompter (Pro)
Paste your script and press play: the text scrolls up while you read along. The teleprompter is never recorded into the video. Press ⌃⌥T to show or hide it and Esc to close it, before or during recording, including in compact mode; change the key in Settings › Shortcuts.
Default shortcuts
All shortcuts are global (they work in any app) and can be changed in Settings › Shortcuts (custom keys must include ⌘ or ⌃); conflicts are flagged. A faint hint bar above the toolbar lists the shortcuts you can use right now (it follows any changes you make), and can be turned off in Settings › Shortcuts. With the magnifier, pen or teleprompter on, press Esc to leave it. Long-press the pen button to choose a tool, and the magnifier button to choose the mode and zoom size.
| Action | Keys |
|---|---|
| Start recording | ⌃⌥R |
| Pause / Resume | ⌃⌥P |
| Stop recording | ⌃⌥S |
| Mute microphone | ⌃⌥M |
| Show / hide toolbar | ⌃⌥H |
| Toggle magnifier | ⌃⌥F |
| Zoom in / out | ⌃⌥] / ⌃⌥[ |
| Switch magnifier mode (Follow Cursor / Select Region) | ⌃⌥G |
| Re-select the magnified region | ⌃⌥E |
| Toggle pen | ⌃⌥D |
| Show / hide teleprompter (Pro) | ⌃⌥T |
| Restart recording | ⌃⌥N |
| Cancel recording | ⌃⌥C |
Free vs Pro
The free version records fully, with no time limit and no watermark. Pro is a one-time purchase (no subscription) that unlocks higher resolutions, frame rates and extras.
| Feature | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Display / window / area, microphone, system audio, pause, instant file on stop | Free | — |
| Magnifier; pen (pencil, 12 colours, stroke width) | Free | — |
| Pen tools: line, arrow, rectangle, circle, eraser | — | Pro |
| Output resolution | 720p / 1080p | 1440p, native resolution |
| Quality and frame rate | Low / medium / high quality, 24 / 30 fps | 60 fps, custom bitrate |
| Camera | Drawn into the recording (circle, 720p, 15 fps) | Saved as a separate file, more shapes, resolutions and frame rates |
| Cursor | Cotton glove | All glove / paw styles (including future cursor themes), system cursor |
| Teleprompter, configuration profiles (save several setups, switch in one click) | — | Pro |
Permissions
You can review or revoke these any time in macOS System Settings › Privacy & Security.
- Screen recording：Required to record. macOS asks the first time you record; you may need to reopen LeanTake after granting.
- Microphone：Requested only when you turn the microphone on.
- System audio：Requested only when you turn on System Audio, to record what your Mac plays.
- Camera：Requested only when you turn the camera on.
FAQ
Where are my recordings?
By default in your Movies folder, named like Recording 2026-10-02 10.30.00.mov. Change the folder in Settings › General.
Why is there no export button?
LeanTake deliberately has no editing or export step: stopping gives you the finished .mov. Open it in any editor you like if you need to cut.
My recording has no sound.
Check that the microphone and system audio meters on the toolbar move, and confirm access in Settings › Permissions. If the microphone is dead silent you get a notice while recording.
There is an echo when I record system audio.
Speakers plus an open microphone record the speaker sound twice. Use headphones, or choose Record without playing through speakers in the System Audio menu.
Can I use my iPhone as a camera?
Yes. Continuity Camera shows your iPhone in the Camera menu. It is wireless and may occasionally drop; choose it again in the Camera menu to reconnect.
What if my Mac restarts or the app crashes mid-recording?
LeanTake saves a fragment every few seconds, so an interrupted recording can usually be played up to the last few seconds.
How do I buy Pro or restore a purchase?
Click any option marked PRO in Settings, or open the Account page, to buy or restore. Purchases go through Apple, one-time, no subscription.
How do I save my own setup?
At the bottom of Settings › General, click Save as new profile… and give it a name (Pro). A profile holds picture, cursor, magnifier, pen, camera style, countdown, compact toolbar, teleprompter style, shortcuts and audio settings, but not the save folder or specific microphone and camera devices. Load it in one click, or set one as the default so it loads every time you open the app.
What do Low, Medium and High quality mean?
They match typical video-site quality at 1080p: Low is about 3 Mbps, Medium about 6 Mbps, High about 12 Mbps. Mostly still lessons come out much smaller. Settings › Recording shows the estimated size for 10 minutes live.
Does LeanTake upload my recordings?
No. LeanTake does not connect to the internet; recordings, settings and logs stay on your Mac. See the privacy policy.
Contact
Questions or feedback? Email zikedece@proton.me。 Privacy Policy · Terms of Service