Draw on a Screen Recording Free — Arrows, Circles, and Labels

You recorded your screen, and now you need to circle a button, draw an arrow to an error, or add a label explaining what's happening. Doing that without video editing software — and without uploading to a cloud service — is simpler than most people realize. Here's how to annotate any screen recording in your browser.

What Format Does Your Screen Recorder Save?

Most screen recorders save to a format the browser annotator handles directly:

• Windows (Xbox Game Bar, Snipping Tool): MP4
• Mac (Command+Shift+5): MOV
• OBS: MKV or MP4 (set output to MP4 in settings)
• Loom: Download as MP4
• Chrome built-in recorder: WebM
• Screencastify: WebM or MP4

MP4, MOV, and WebM all work. MKV does not — if your recorder outputs MKV, convert it to MP4 first using any free converter.

How to Draw on Your Screen Recording — Step by Step

1. Open the free tool and load your screen recording file
2. Seek to the frame where you want context (the tool shows a live preview)
3. Add your annotations:
   • Arrow: Draw a directional arrow pointing at the relevant element — a button, error message, field, or UI component
   • Circle: Draw a circle around a region to say "look at this"
   • Rectangle: Box off a section of the screen — like "this area is the problem"
   • Text: Add a label like "Click here" or "This is the bug"
4. Click Render, then Download

Since annotations appear throughout the full recording, this works best on short clips (5–60 seconds). For longer recordings, trim to the relevant section first.

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Why People Draw on Screen Recordings

• Bug reports: Circle the error, add an arrow pointing to the broken element, label it with the issue description
• Software tutorials: Arrow pointing to each button as you explain the step, "Click here" labels, numbered callouts ("Step 1", "Step 2")
• Remote team feedback: Record a screen, circle what needs changing, send it — faster than a long written explanation
• UX review: Record user flow, annotate pain points with red circles and explanatory text
• Client demos: Highlight key features with labels, draw attention to specific UI elements

Tips for Readable Annotations on Screen Recordings

Screen recordings have light backgrounds (usually white or grey UI). Dark text and bold colored annotations work best:

• Use red arrows and circles for errors or critical points
• Use dark blue for informational callouts
• Use Thick stroke weight — thin lines disappear when the recording is viewed small
• Use Large or XL font for text labels — small text is hard to read in video
• Keep text labels short: "Error here", "Click this", "Wrong value"

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I annotate just part of a screen recording?

Annotations appear throughout the full video. For partial annotations, trim the recording to just the section you want to annotate, then add the callouts. Most screen recorders have basic trimming built in.

Does this work with Loom recordings?

Yes. Download your Loom recording as an MP4, then load it into the tool. Annotations burn directly into the video file — unlike Loom's built-in comment system which only works on Loom's platform.

Is there a file size limit for screen recordings?

No imposed limit. Screen recordings are often larger than typical photos or videos — 1080p recordings run 200–500MB for a few minutes. These convert fine on any modern computer.