Is there a screen recorder built into Fedora?

Yes. Press Print Screen, switch GNOME's capture overlay to screencast mode, and choose Screen or Selection. It works on Fedora's Wayland session without another package. Use Screenix or OBS when you need dedicated audio controls.

Why does my Fedora screen recording stop after 30 seconds?

The old 30-second GNOME default and its max-screencast-length workaround apply to older releases. Current GNOME documentation does not specify that default. If a current Fedora recording stops unexpectedly, check available storage and GNOME Shell logs instead of applying the old setting blindly.

How do I record screen with audio on Fedora?

GNOME's current capture overlay does not expose microphone or system-audio controls. Use Screenix, OBS Studio, or SimpleScreenRecorder when you need those sources. Screenix lists audio devices in its toolbar, with each source off until you enable it. OBS uses audio sources and its mixer. SimpleScreenRecorder remains X11-focused.

Can I record my Fedora screen on Wayland?

Yes. GNOME's built-in recorder works on Fedora Wayland. Screenix uses PipeWire and the desktop portal, where you approve a screen or window. OBS Studio also provides a PipeWire capture source. SimpleScreenRecorder remains X11-focused.

Where do Fedora screen recordings save?

GNOME saves screencasts in ~/Videos/Screencasts. OBS Studio and SimpleScreenRecorder let you choose the output folder. Screenix saves each project in its own timestamped folder inside ~/Videos/screenix/ and opens it in the editor when you stop.

How do I add zoom effects to my Fedora screen recording?

Screenix logs clicks while you record and generates editable zooms from them. OBS has no equivalent workflow built in, though plugins, scene transforms, or a separate editor can approximate it. GNOME's built-in recorder and SimpleScreenRecorder do not provide timeline zoom effects.

How do I record a specific window on Fedora?

GNOME's built-in recorder offers Screen or Selection, not a dedicated window choice for video. Screenix and OBS can request a window through the Wayland portal. SimpleScreenRecorder offers window and region capture on X11.

A practical Linux guide

How to Record Your Screen on Fedora

Fedora Workstation includes GNOME's recorder for quick clips. Use OBS for streaming, SimpleScreenRecorder on X11, or Screenix when you need microphone and system-audio controls, automatic zooms, cursor styling, editing, transcription, and sharing.

Why Screenix is the better value

One Linux app. $39/year or $59 once.

Record, polish, edit, transcribe, and share without stacking separate tools or giving up local ownership.

Native Linux

Direct X11 and portal-based capture on supported Wayland desktops

One complete workflow

Record, polish, edit, transcribe, and share

Your files, your choice

Keep recordings local, use hosted sharing, or bring your own storage

Simple pricing

$39/yr with hosted sharing or $59 lifetime with your own storage

The short answer

Press Print Screen, switch GNOME's overlay to screencast mode, choose Screen or Selection, and record a quick clip. For audio controls and a polished tutorial workflow, use Screenix. Use OBS for streaming and complex scenes, or SimpleScreenRecorder when you are intentionally using X11.

1. Screenix 2. GNOME Built-in Recorder 3. OBS Studio 4. SimpleScreenRecorder

4 Ways to Record Your Screen on Fedora

Exact steps for Fedora Workstation, GNOME, Wayland, and X11, ranked from quickest to most polished

Best for tutorials

Screenix

Record Fedora tutorials, then let the editor auto-generate zooms from your clicks

Fedora (RPM / Flatpak)$39/yr or $59 lifetime

Screenix records Fedora on Wayland or X11 and logs clicks for editable automatic zooms. It also provides microphone and system-audio controls, cursor styling, camera layouts, local transcription, export, and sharing in one workflow.

Step-by-step

1
Install Screenix. The quick installer auto-detects Fedora, installs dependencies, and adds a desktop entry.
curl -fsSL https://screenix.studio/install | sh
Prefer a manual install? Download the .rpm or Flatpak reference from screenix.studio.
2
Open Screenix from the application menu and start your 7-day free trial with an email, no credit card needed.
3
Optionally enable microphone and system audio from the toolbar popovers. Audio is off by default, and Screenix lists your devices automatically once you open a popover.On Wayland, pressing Record opens your desktop's native screen and window picker. On X11 you choose your screen or window in the toolbar first.
4
Click the red Record button to start. Screenix detects the session type. On Wayland, choose a monitor or window in GNOME's portal picker; on X11, Screenix uses the source selected in its toolbar.
5
Click Stop when you are done. The recording opens in the built-in editor, which automatically generates zooms from the clicks you made while recording.Recordings save to ~/Videos/screenix/, each in its own timestamped folder.
6
Fine-tune the auto-generated zooms in the editor: switch zoom modes, add or remove zooms, trim the clip, style your cursor, then export at up to 120fps. 4K export is available on Lifetime and Team plans.

Pros

Captures microphone and system audio, enable each in one click from the toolbar
Editor auto-generates zooms from your clicks during recording, no manual keyframing
Multiple zoom modes, plus add, remove, or adjust zooms after recording
No arbitrary short-clip cutoff
Direct X11 capture and portal-based Wayland capture on documented Fedora desktops
Installs with one command, or via .rpm or Flatpak

Cons

Paid after a 7-day free trial, $39/yr or $59 lifetime
No live streaming mode
Wayland capture depends on Fedora's portal and PipeWire services

GNOME Built-in Recorder

The zero-install recorder built into Fedora Workstation

Fedora Workstation (GNOME)Free, built in

ShortcutPrint Screen

Fedora Workstation includes GNOME's recorder. It needs no installation, works on the default Wayland session, and lets you choose a screen or selected region from the capture overlay.

Step-by-step

1
Press Print Screen to open GNOME's capture overlay.
Print Screen
2
Switch to screencast mode, choose Screen or Selection, toggle pointer capture if needed, and start recording.
3
Click the red indicator in the top bar to stop, then open Videos/Screencasts.
xdg-open ~/Videos/Screencasts
The file is a WebM video with no audio track.

Pros

No installation, included with Fedora Workstation
Works on Wayland with no configuration
Screen or region selection from the capture overlay
Pointer can be included or hidden

Cons

Records no audio, no microphone and no system sound
No dedicated window choice for video in the current GNOME overlay
WebM output only, GNOME only

OBS Studio

Free recorder and streamer with full audio and Wayland support

Fedora, Linux, Windows, macOSFree

OBS Studio is a free, open-source recorder that captures microphone audio, system audio, cameras, and multi-source scenes. On Fedora it works on Wayland and X11, but you must add a PipeWire capture source and configure scenes before recording. It has no recording time limit.

Step-by-step

1
Install OBS Studio from the Fedora repositories.
sudo dnf install obs-studio
A Flatpak build is also available from Flathub: flatpak install flathub com.obsproject.Studio.
2
Open OBS Studio and run the auto-configuration wizard. Choose Optimize for recording if your goal is local files rather than streaming.
3
Under Sources, click the + button and add Screen Capture (PipeWire) for Wayland, or Screen Capture (XSHM) for X11.OBS added its official PipeWire capture source for Wayland in version 27.
4
Add Audio Input Capture (PulseAudio) to record your microphone, and enable Desktop Audio in the Audio Mixer to capture system sound.
5
Click Start Recording to begin, and Stop Recording when finished. Files save to ~/Videos by default.

Pros

Free and open source with a large plugin ecosystem
Records microphone and system audio simultaneously
No recording time limit
Supports Fedora Wayland and X11, cameras, and live streaming

Cons

Requires scene and source setup before the first recording
No automatic zoom or cursor effects without plugins or editing
Wayland capture depends on adding a PipeWire source manually

SimpleScreenRecorder

Lightweight X11 recorder with audio for Fedora

Fedora (X11 only)Free

SimpleScreenRecorder is a lightweight tool that records audio alongside your screen with control over frame rate, codec, and file format. It is efficient on older hardware, but it only works on Fedora's X11 session, not the default Wayland session.

Step-by-step

1
Install SimpleScreenRecorder. It is in the RPM Fusion repository, not the default Fedora repos, so enable RPM Fusion first.
sudo dnf install https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm && sudo dnf install simplescreenrecorder
Switch to the X11 (Xorg) session at the Fedora login screen. SimpleScreenRecorder does not support Wayland.
2
Open SimpleScreenRecorder and choose the recording area: full screen, a fixed rectangle, the cursor's monitor, or a specific window.
3
Set the frame rate, video codec, and audio source. Enable Record audio to capture your microphone or system sound.
4
Choose your output file, container (MP4, MKV, WebM), and directory, then click Continue.
5
Click Start recording. Use the tray icon to pause, or click Save recording when you are done.

Pros

Very low CPU and memory usage, ideal for older hardware
Records microphone and system audio
No recording time limit
Supports custom frame rates, codecs, and file formats

Cons

X11 only, does not work on Fedora's default Wayland session
No zoom, cursor effects, or annotations
The project updates infrequently and the interface is dated

Which Fedora Recording Method Should You Use?

A quick comparison of audio, Wayland, zoom, time limit, and setup effort

Method	Best for	Effort
Screenix	Polished tutorials with audio and zooms	Low
GNOME Built-in	Quick silent clips	Low
OBS Studio	Free recording, streaming, scenes	Medium
SimpleScreenRecorder	Low-overhead X11 recording	Medium

SupportedNot supported

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

Ready to record?

Record Your First Fedora Tutorial

Use Screenix when Fedora recording also needs automatic zooms, cursor styling, audio controls, editing, transcription, and sharing. The trial requires no credit card; instant shares have no watermark and edited exports have a small trial watermark.

7-day trial, no credit card. Instant shares have no watermark. Edited exports include a small trial watermark.