Iris help

Getting started

1. Download Iris from the download page, drag it into Applications and open it. It lives in your menu bar.
2. Sign in with your Meadow account.
3. Allow Screen Recording, then relaunch Iris when it asks.
4. Choose Record Display…, Record Window… or Record Area… from the menu, or press ⌃⇧R. After a short countdown it records; press ⌃⇧R again to stop.
5. The recording opens in the Studio, where you add zooms, a backdrop and captions, then export an MP4.

What you can do

• Record your display, a window or an area, with system audio, your microphone (with background noise reduced) and your camera if you like.
• Pause, resume or discard from the menu bar while recording.
• Studio: smooth zooms on the action, backdrops, a camera bubble with layouts, trimming and splitting, and captions transcribed on your Mac.
• Show keyboard shortcuts you press in the recording (and optionally your typing).
• Export an MP4 to Movies › Iris and send the file however you like.

Keyboard shortcuts

Permissions, and why

• Screen Recording: to record your screen. Relaunch Iris after allowing it.
• Microphone and Camera: only if you turn them on. If one is off in System Settings, Iris records without it and tells you.
• Accessibility: only for showing keyboard shortcuts in recordings.
• Speech Recognition: only on macOS versions before 26, for captions.

What stays on your Mac

• Everything. Iris never uploads your recordings. To share one, export it from the Studio and send the file.
• Recordings are kept in your Library's Application Support › Iris › Recordings (Show Recordings Folder in the menu). Exports go to Movies › Iris.
• Captions are transcribed on your Mac.

Troubleshooting

Recordings are black or Iris says Screen Recording is off. Turn Iris on in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording, then relaunch Iris.

No microphone or camera in the recording. It's off for Iris in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone (or Camera). Turn it on and record again.

"Open Iris at login" doesn't stick. Approve Iris in System Settings → General → Login Items.

A permission stopped working after an update. macOS can tie a permission to the exact build of an app. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording, switch Iris off and on again (or remove it with − and add it back), then quit and reopen Iris.

The sign-in code hasn't arrived. It comes from Meadow, usually within a minute. Check spam and promotions. You can ask for a new one after 60 seconds with Resend Code; the last code still works. More in Signing in.

I paid but Iris still shows the paywall. Click I've Paid — Check Again. Iris also checks by itself when you bring it to the front, when your Mac wakes, and every few minutes while it's locked. Make sure you're signed in with the same email you paid with (it shows under the buttons as "Signed in as …"). Still locked? Contact support and we'll sort it out.

If Iris locks while you're recording, the recording is stopped and saved, not lost.

System requirements

• macOS 14 or later.
• Apple silicon (M1 or later).
• A Meadow account with the app in your plan. Every Meadow app is paid; there are no free trials (you can ask for a refund within 14 days).