GlideshotHow to install Glideshot
Glideshot is free and open source. It isn't notarized by Apple (that needs a paid developer membership), so macOS asks you to confirm the first time you open it. You only do this once.
You need a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or newer) and macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
Download Glideshot
Your browser saves Glideshot.zip. Double-click it to unzip it if your browser didn't already.
Move it to Applications
Drag Glideshot into the Applications folder in Finder.
Open it once
Double-click Glideshot. macOS shows “Glideshot” Not Opened because Apple hasn't checked the app. Click Done, not Move to Trash.
Allow it in System Settings
Open System Settings from the Apple menu, click Privacy & Security and scroll down to Security. Next to the message about Glideshot, click Open Anyway, then confirm with your password or Touch ID.
The button is there for about an hour after step 3. If you don't see it, open Glideshot again and come straight back.
Allow Screen Recording
Glideshot asks for permission to record your screen. In System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording, turn on Glideshot. Then quit Glideshot (⌘Q) and open it again. That's it.
Prefer Terminal?
This removes the “downloaded from the Internet” mark, so macOS opens Glideshot without asking:
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Glideshot.appTroubleshooting
“Glideshot is damaged and can't be opened”
That's the same check with a scarier message. Run the Terminal command above. If it still won't open, download it again and unzip it by double-clicking the zip, because some third-party unarchivers break app signatures.
There's no Open Anyway button
It only appears after a blocked attempt and disappears after about an hour. Open Glideshot again, then go straight to Privacy & Security.
The recording is black or only shows the wallpaper
Glideshot doesn't have Screen Recording permission. If it's already listed and switched on, select it, remove it with the − button, open Glideshot again and allow it. Quit and reopen after allowing.
macOS asks again whether Glideshot can record the screen
Recent versions of macOS check in every now and then on apps that record the whole screen. Choose Allow. You may also be asked again after updating Glideshot, because a build that isn't notarized counts as a new app.
The shortcut doesn't start a recording
Another app may already use ⌃⌥⌘R. You can also start and stop from the Glideshot window or its menu bar icon. Without the shortcut, Glideshot won't hide itself while recording, so the Stop button is always within reach.
Updating and uninstalling
Choose Check for Updates… in Glideshot's menu bar menu to see if there's a new version. To update, download it and replace the app in Applications. You may need to repeat steps 3 to 5.
To uninstall, quit Glideshot and move it to the Trash. Your recordings stay in ~/Movies/Glideshot. To also remove its settings:
defaults delete xyz.glideshot.GlideshotWhy isn't it notarized?
Notarization requires a paid Apple Developer Program membership, and Glideshot is a free side project. Everything it does is in the source code: it only goes online when you check for updates, and it only records that a key was pressed (to zoom in while you type), never which key. If you'd rather not trust a download, build it yourself with ./build.sh. More background: why macOS blocks apps that aren't notarized.