Want to show a quick on-screen step as an animated GIF instead of a video? LICEcap records the area inside its movable capture frame, keeping the workflow focused on quick demonstrations, bug reports, and interface steps.
The capture frame defines what gets recorded
Position and resize LICEcapās window around the part of the desktop to capture, then start recording. The frame can also be moved while recording, so the selected area can follow activity elsewhere on the screen.
Recordings can include mouse button presses and an elapsed-time display. A maximum frame-rate setting lets you limit how often the capture updates.
GIF and LCF serve different recording needs
GIF output is ready to place in a browser-based help page, message, or support ticket. LICEcap also saves its native LCF format, which keeps full color and exact timing and produces smaller files than GIF.
LCF recordings open in REAPER, which can turn them into a GIF or a regular video.
Pause to add a message or restart the capture
Pausing and restarting lets a recording be split around an interruption or a moment that needs explanation. While paused, insert a text message as a frame in the recording. The Shift+Space global hotkey toggles pause, and a title frame can be included with or without text.
Pros
- Records directly to GIF or the higher-quality LCF format
- Move the capture frame while recording
- Pause and add text messages during a recording
- Show mouse clicks and elapsed time in the capture
Cons
- Playing or converting LCF recordings uses REAPER
System requirements: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows 11 Ā· A reasonably fast CPU Ā· 1GB+ RAM (especially when encoding to LCF)
What does LICEcap record?
It captures a chosen area of the desktop as an animated GIF or LCF file.
Can the capture area move during recording?
Yes. Move the capture frame while recording to follow activity on the desktop.
How do you pause a recording?
Use the pause control or press Shift+Space to toggle pausing.