Yes. NiCorder is free to download from https://nicorder.app/NiCorder.pkg. There is no subscription, no account and no in-app purchases.

Which macOS version does NiCorder require?

NiCorder requires macOS 13 Ventura or newer. Download the app from the official site https://nicorder.app only.

Is NiCorder safe? Why should I trust a screen dashcam?

NiCorder is signed and notarized by Apple — every release passes Apple's automated security and malware scans. There are no hidden commercial interests: the app was built for the developer's son Niki to capture gameplay easily, and it runs on the family's Macs every day.

How do I save a clip with NiCorder?

While NiCorder is recording, click the N in the menu bar or press Command+Shift+Return. The last seconds from the ring buffer are exported as an MP4 file — no need to pause your game or bring the app to the foreground. The global hotkey requires Accessibility permission in macOS System Settings.

Where are NiCorder videos saved?

By default, clips are saved to your Movies folder (~/Movies). You can change the save location in NiCorder settings.

Always running in the background

The screen dashcam
for your Mac.

NiCorder records your screen continuously — save the last 15 seconds to 5 minutes with one keystroke. No manual start, no missed moment.

Download NiCorder Guide →

Free · macOS 13+ · No subscription

NiCorder in the macOS menu bar — click the N to save the last seconds as MP4

Lives in the menu bar. Click the N or press ⌘⇧↩ to save up to the last 5 minutes.

The concept

You know it: the moment was perfect — then it was gone.

🎥

Always on, never in the way

NiCorder sits as a small "N" in the menu bar, recording silently. No dock icon, no interruption — you don't notice it until you need it.

⚡

Save backwards

You don't record ahead — you record back. One keystroke and the last 15 seconds to 5 minutes land as MP4 on your hard drive.

🔒

Everything stays with you

No cloud, no account, no uploads. NiCorder saves exclusively locally — on your Mac, in your Movies folder.

🎬

Instantly playable

Recordings are real MP4 files in H.264 — playable directly in QuickTime, VLC, or iMovie. No proprietary format, no export step.

Use cases

Perfect for moments that are already over.

That play was insane — and already gone.

Gaming

One keystroke saves the last 30 seconds. No OBS running all evening, no full session to trim.

The bug happened once — and won't come back.

Bugs & support

Send a short clip in Slack or a ticket — exactly what you saw, not a long screen recording.

You just showed the trick — nobody wrote it down.

Tutorials & demos

Save the last steps as MP4. Ideal for colleagues, clients, or your own notes.

Perfect for two seconds — then you hit undo.

Design & code

Capture the animation or the green build before you switch branches or roll back.

🔐

Your data stays on your Mac

NiCorder communicates with no server, collects no user data and sends nothing outward — except an optional update check you can see at any time in settings.

✓ No Cloud ✓ No Accounts ✓ No Subscription

In detail

Thought through to the menu bar.

Configurable buffer

15 seconds to 5 minutes — you set how far back you can go.

Global hotkey

⌘⇧↩ saves from any app. No switching, no clicking.

H.264 without re-encoding

VideoToolbox compresses once. No quality loss when saving.

Window or full screen

Record the entire screen, a single window or a custom crop.

System audio optional

System audio can optionally be recorded and included in the MP4.

Automatic updates

NiCorder checks for new versions on startup and installs them on request.

How it works

Ready in three steps.

Download & install

Download NiCorder.pkg, run the installer, launch from Applications.

Grant permission

macOS asks once for screen recording. Allow — restart the app. Done.

Save when needed

NiCorder runs in the background. ⌘⇧↩ saves the last seconds as MP4.

FAQ

Questions & answers

Basics & installation

What is NiCorder?

NiCorder is a free macOS menu bar app — a screen dashcam for your Mac. It records continuously in the background and lets you save the last 15 seconds to 5 minutes as an MP4 with one keystroke.

Is NiCorder a dashcam viewer for car footage?

No. NiCorder continuously records your Mac screen and saves clips on demand — like a dashcam, but for your desktop. It is not a player for SD cards or in-car dashcam videos.

Is NiCorder free?

Yes. Download it from NiCorder.pkg at no cost. No subscription, no account, no in-app purchases.

Which macOS version do I need?

macOS 13 Ventura or newer. Download only from the official site nicorder.app.

How do I install NiCorder?

Download NiCorder.pkg, run the installer, and follow the steps. NiCorder lands in Applications automatically. Step-by-step: Guide.

Is NiCorder blocked by Gatekeeper?

No. NiCorder is signed with an Apple Developer ID and notarized. The PKG opens and installs normally — no right-click → Open workaround. macOS verifies the signature before installation.

Privacy & security

Does NiCorder upload my screen to the internet?

No — absolutely not. NiCorder works 100% locally on your Mac. Screen content is never uploaded; there is no cloud and no user-data collection. Feel free to verify with a firewall like Little Snitch or LuLu: recording produces zero outbound traffic.

Does NiCorder work offline?

Yes. Recording, saving clips, and all core features work completely offline. The only optional network contact is an update check on startup or when you tap Check for Updates in settings — a small version.json from nicorder.app.

Is the app safe? Why trust a screen dashcam?

NiCorder is signed and notarized by Apple — every release passes Apple's automated security and malware scans. There are no hidden commercial interests: I built it for my son Niki so he could capture gameplay easily. It runs on our family Macs every day — security comes first.

Does NiCorder use native Apple technologies?

Yes. Written in Swift with ScreenCaptureKit for capture, VideoToolbox for H.264 encoding, and AVFoundation for export. No Electron, no bundled FFmpeg runtime — just native macOS APIs.

Performance & storage

Does continuous recording drain performance and battery?

Usually yes for screen recorders — but NiCorder is built for low overhead. ScreenCaptureKit uses hardware-accelerated capture paths; VideoToolbox encodes on the GPU. CPU load stays minimal. Tuned for gaming — it should not noticeably hit your frame rate.

Will NiCorder fill my hard drive?

No. NiCorder uses a smart in-memory ring buffer: you pick 15 seconds to 5 minutes, and older frames are discarded automatically. Nothing piles up on disk while recording. Only clips you explicitly save — via hotkey or menu bar — are written as MP4 files.

How do I save a moment before it's gone?

Press ⌘⇧↩ or click the N in the menu bar. NiCorder exports the last seconds from the buffer as a permanent MP4 — no need to pause your game or switch apps. The global hotkey needs Accessibility permission in System Settings.

Which permissions does NiCorder need?

Screen Recording (required). Accessibility for the global hotkey in other apps. Optional: Microphone if you enable system audio. After granting Screen Recording, quit and relaunch NiCorder once.

Where are saved videos stored?

By default in your Movies folder (~/Movies). Change the path anytime in NiCorder settings.

About the project

Is NiCorder actively maintained?

Yes. NiCorder was built because we needed an app like this ourselves. It's a passion project — no subscriptions, no ads, no tracking. My son and I use it daily, so keeping it stable and macOS-compatible is in our own interest.

Download for free

No moment ever goes unrecorded.

Download NiCorder.pkg To the guide

macOS 13 Ventura or newer Free, no subscription Automatic updates

The screen dashcam for your Mac.