Screencastify

Now that the extension is fully set up, you're ready to start recording ⏺. There are a few options that you should familiarize yourself with.

1. Record your browser tab: This option is perfect if you only want to show your viewers what's happening on one specific tab in Chrome. We use this option most when we want to record over a Google Slides presentation, for example.
2. Record your desktop: Use this option when you want to show your viewer something outside Chrome (like a PowerPoint) or if you think you'll switch between multiple tabs and/or programs.
3. Record your webcam: This option is perfect when you just want to speak directly to students, no screen involved.

Sometimes, you need your recording to be perfect! For those instances, you may want to check out our editing options which are always available to our Premium subscribers. On our Lite plan? No problem! You can start a free trial at edit.screencastify.com (no credit card required).

1. Access the editor: There are two ways to access the Screencastify browser-based editor. You can click the scissors icon from any recording which will automatically load in your recording. Alternatively, you can navigate straight to the editor by entering edit.screencastify.com into your address bar. From there, you can use the blue "+" button on the bottom right to add videos into timeline (You can add non-Screencastify videos into the editor too!)
2. Crop, trim, and add text: Use the options on the bottom left to make your video perfect. Crop the video to show only a certain portion of the screen. Use the trim tool to cut out that unfortunate few seconds. Add text to make your videos even more engaging

Once your video is perfect, there are tons of ways to share your recording with students, parents, or anyone else with an internet connection. The folks who view your videos do not need their own Screencastify account.

1. Share a Google Drive link: Once you're done recording, the video will pop out in a new tab. To share the Google Drive link, just click the "Copy Link" button on the left. This will automatically update sharing settings so that anyone with the link can view the video - magic!
2. Share on Google Classroom: To share to Google Classroom, you'll first need to generate a link from YouTube or Google Drive. Once you've done that, select the class you'd like to share to and the action you'd like to take and you're all set!
3. Share on YouTube: Once you have a channel, you can share Screencastify videos on YouTube by clicking the share icon and then selecting your preferred privacy settings. Then, your video is live on YouTube for all to see (or maybe just you).
4. Export your recording: If you'd prefer to download your recording, we've got options for that too. Simply click the download icon and then select how you'd like to export the recording. You can export just the audio as an mp3, the images as an animated GIF, or the whole video as an mp4 or webm.