Record camera only on Mac

Sometimes you just want to record yourself talking — an intro, a quick update, or a personal message. The Mac app makes this easy: skip screen sharing and record with your camera only.

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Start a camera-only recording

1. Click the Tella app in your dock or menu bar.
2. Make sure your camera is on — you should see a preview of yourself.
3. Don’t select a screen area. Simply skip the screen-sharing step and click the red record button to start.

Tella will only record your camera and microphone, giving you a clean talking-head video.

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Choose your camera and microphone

Click the dropdown arrows next to the camera and microphone buttons to switch between available devices. This is useful if you have an external webcam or a dedicated microphone connected.

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Apply camera effects

The Mac app supports the video effects available for your macOS version and selected camera. Open the camera menu using the arrow next to the camera button, then choose an option under Apple Effects. Use Portrait to blur your background. On macOS 15 or later, Background may also be available, letting you choose a color gradient, system wallpaper, or your own photo. See change your camera background for details.

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Edit your talking-head video

When you’re done recording, click Preview to open the video in the web editor. From there you can:

• Trim and split clips to cut out mistakes.
• Pick a background to place your camera on a styled canvas.
• Use layouts to resize and position your camera.
• Mirror or flip your camera if needed.