In short
- The quickest way: Option-click the date and time in the menu bar to turn Do Not Disturb on, then record.
- Or open Control Center, click Focus and choose Do Not Disturb, for 1 hour if you want it to switch off by itself.
- A custom Recording Focus that silences everyone and every app is more reliable than Do Not Disturb's defaults.
- The Notifications setting for mirroring or sharing the display is meant for presentations; don't rely on it for recordings.
- Window or area recordings show less of the screen, so a stray banner is less likely to be in the shot.
To hide notifications while screen recording on a Mac, turn on Do Not Disturb before you press Record: choose , or hold ⌥ and click the date and time in the menu bar. Banners stop appearing until you turn it off.
That covers a quick recording. If you record for clients every week, a dedicated Focus and a couple of notification settings make it automatic, so a message preview from another client never ends up in a video.
Why it matters more than it seems
A notification is on screen for a few seconds. In a video, it’s there every time someone presses play, and it can be paused. A banner can show a client’s name, a line from a private message or a calendar invite with another project’s name. For agencies and freelancers sending videos to clients, that’s a small leak. Our screen recording privacy checklist covers everything else worth hiding before you record.
Your options at a glance
| Method | Stops banners | Lets some through | Setup | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Do Not Disturb | ✓ | ~ whatever its Allowed People and Apps settings allow | Two clicks | A quick recording |
| A Recording Focus | ✓ | ✗ if you allow no one and no apps | Once, in System Settings | Weekly client videos |
| Notifications off when mirroring or sharing | ~ Apple describes it for mirroring and sharing, not recording | Apple doesn’t say | One setting | A backup |
| Turning off one app’s notifications | ~ that app only | ✗ | Per app | Noisy apps you never need |
Source: Apple Mac User Guide (Focus and Notifications settings). Checked November 2026.
Turn on Do Not Disturb (the quick way)
- Click the Control Center icon in the menu bar.
- Click the Focus section.
- Choose Do Not Disturb. Pick a duration like For 1 hour if you want it to turn off by itself.
- Record. Its icon in the menu bar shows it’s on.
- Turn it off afterwards the same way, by clicking Do Not Disturb again.
Two shortcuts do the same thing: ⌥-click the date and time in the menu bar, or press the Do Not Disturb key if your keyboard has one.
Make a Recording Focus
Do Not Disturb is built to let important things through, which is what you want on a normal day and not what you want in a client video. A custom Focus gives you a version that silences everything.
- Open the Focus settings. Go to and click Add Focus.
- Choose Custom, name it Recording, pick a color and icon, and click OK.
- Click Allowed People. In the Notifications menu choose Allow Some People and don’t add anyone. Under Allow calls from, pick the most restrictive choice and turn off Allow repeated calls.
- Click Allowed Apps. Choose Allow Some Apps, add none, and turn off Time Sensitive Notifications.
- Turn it on from Control Center before you record, like Do Not Disturb.
If your Focus settings are kept up to date across your Apple devices, turning the Focus on on the Mac turns it on on your iPhone too. That’s useful if you use your iPhone as a webcam, since a call on the iPhone pauses Continuity Camera.
The setting for mirroring or sharing the display
In , under Notification Center, there’s an option for when you’re mirroring or sharing the display: choose Notifications Off or Allow Notifications. On macOS 15 Sequoia it’s a switch named “Allow notifications when mirroring or sharing the display”: turn it off.
It helps on calls and when you present on a projector. But Apple describes it for mirroring and screen sharing, not for screen recordings in general, so treat it as a backup, not your main protection. A Focus is the reliable switch.
Silence the noisiest apps
Some apps don’t need to notify you at all while you work, recording or not. For each one:
- Open the Notifications settings. Go to .
- Under Application Notifications, click the app.
- Turn off Allow notifications, or keep them on and pick a quieter notification style.
Good candidates: the chat app of a client you’re not recording for, social apps, newsletters in Mail. Fewer notifications on normal days means fewer things to forget before you record.
Notifications aren’t the only thing to hide
A Focus stops banners. It doesn’t hide:
- Badges on Dock icons, like an unread count in Mail. Hide the Dock or record a window.
- Your inbox or chat app, if it’s open on screen. Close it or move it off the display you record.
- Browser tabs with other clients’ projects. Use a separate browser window.
- Your menu bar, with the date, Wi-Fi and the apps you run.
The smaller what you record, the less there is to check: a single window or a selected area leaves the menu bar, the Dock and any stray banner outside the frame. See how to record one window or part of your screen.
A 20-second routine
Before every client recording
- Turn on Do Not Disturb or your Recording Focus.
- Close the inbox and chat apps, or move them to another display.
- Record a window or area, not the whole screen, when you can.
- Check open tabs for other clients’ names.
- Turn the Focus off when you’re done, so you don’t miss a real message.
The full version, with sound and camera checks, is our 60-second checklist before you record a client video.
For the basics of recording itself, see how to screen record on Mac.
Sources
- Apple Support, Mac User Guide: Turn a Focus on or off on Mac, checked November 2026.
- Apple Support, Mac User Guide: Set up a Focus to stay on task on Mac, checked November 2026.
- Apple Support, Mac User Guide: Change Notifications settings on Mac (macOS 27 version, and the macOS 15 version for the older switch), checked November 2026.
- Apple Support: Continuity Camera: Use iPhone as a webcam for Mac, checked November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How do I stop notifications from showing in a screen recording on Mac?
Turn on Do Not Disturb before you start: open Control Center, click Focus and choose Do Not Disturb, or Option-click the date and time in the menu bar. Turn it off again when you're done.
Does macOS turn off notifications automatically when I record?
Not for screen recordings in general. macOS has a setting that controls notifications while mirroring or sharing the display, but Apple describes it for presentations and screen sharing, so turn on a Focus to be sure.
Why do some notifications still appear with Do Not Disturb on?
A Focus can allow some people, repeated calls and time-sensitive notifications through. Check the Focus's Allowed People and Allowed Apps settings, or create a Recording Focus that silences everyone.
Can I turn off notifications for just one app?
Yes. In System Settings › Notifications, click the app under Application Notifications and turn off Allow notifications.
