How to make your first screen recording in Local Lens

Select Start recording, choose a source in the browser prompt, demonstrate your task and select Stop recording. Play the finished preview, then select Download video. Shared audio is optional; microphone narration is unavailable. Save before leaving or discarding because unsaved video stays only in tab memory.

Open Local Lens

Prepare your demonstration

Local Lens records a screen, window or browser tab for a short desktop walkthrough. For example, show where a setting lives, change it and show the result. Arrange the relevant content before starting. The app has no trimming or editing step afterward, so plan a clear beginning and ending.

Use a desktop browser with screen capture and MediaRecorder support on HTTPS or localhost. Opening a downloaded copy directly as a file may not offer capture. If the page reports that recording is unavailable, try a supported desktop browser and address before attempting your demonstration.

Choose your source and handle permission

Select Start recording. The page enters WAITING FOR PERMISSION while your browser asks what to share. Choose the screen, window or tab containing the demonstration. The browser chooser makes that selection; Local Lens does not automatically pick the page you intended. Wait for the recording state and advancing timer before performing your steps.

If you cancel or deny sharing, the app returns to ready with a message. Check browser or operating-system permissions if needed, then select Start recording again. If capture could not start for another reason, the app suggests another source or a supported desktop browser. There is no permission override inside Local Lens.

Check whether the source supplies audio

Before starting, select Request shared audio if the demonstration needs sound from the shared source. Availability depends on the source, browser and operating system. Local Lens does not request your microphone, so speaking beside the computer does not add narration through this app. The audio request cannot be changed during the session.

If you requested audio but the stream contains no audio track, recording still starts. The status explicitly says it is recording without audio. Make a short trial for a sound-dependent demonstration and listen to the finished preview before recording the full explanation. The live preview is muted; judge recorded sound after stopping.

Stop and inspect the finished take

Demonstrate your task, then select Stop recording. Pause and Resume are available for interruptions within the same take. Stop ends capture and prepares the video. Ending sharing through the browser also finalizes the take. Separate limits stop recording at five active minutes or 100 MiB of encoded data; actual memory use can be higher.

Wait for the finished preview and file information, then play the result. Check that the intended content and any needed sound are present. If no video data was captured, the app returns to ready instead of offering an empty download; try sharing a different source. A recorder error suggests a shorter recording or another browser.

Download before leaving or starting again

Select Download video to save the finished take explicitly. Local Lens checks supported WebM recording options before MP4 and uses the browser recorder's native output. There is no format selector or conversion. Read the completed file information for the format actually produced, then check the downloaded file in your intended player.

Video remains in this tab's memory, with no upload, account or persistent recording history. Confirm the download before leaving. To record again, save anything needed and select Discard recording to return to ready. Discard clears the in-tab result; reloading or closing also loses unsaved footage. The leaving warning is best effort and does not save a copy.

AI-assisted ForgeHub editorial. App capabilities were checked against its implementation; this guide is not an independent review.