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To record just your camera in the Tella Mac app, turn the screen off so the button reads Screen off, make sure a microphone is selected, click the red record button, and choose Record anyway when Tella warns that you’re not recording your screen.

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Start a camera-only recording

  1. Click the Tella app in your dock or menu bar.
  2. Make sure your camera is on: you should see a preview of yourself.
  3. Turn the screen off. Click the screen button until it reads Screen off. The app remembers whatever you used last, so it may still be on.
  4. Make sure a microphone is selected. With the camera on, the record button stays disabled until you pick a mic.
  5. Click the red record button. Tella warns Not recording screen. Click Record anyway to continue (tick the checkbox if you don’t want to see it again).
Tella will only record your camera and microphone, giving you a clean talking-head video.

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Switch camera or microphone

Click the dropdown arrows next to the camera and microphone buttons to switch between available devices. This is useful if you have an external webcam or a dedicated microphone connected.

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Blur or change your background in a camera-only recording

The Mac app supports the video effects available for your macOS version and selected camera. Hover the camera button and click the chevron next to it. Under Apple Effects, Center Stage toggles directly; Portrait and More effects… open the macOS Video Effects panel, where you switch Portrait blur on and (on macOS 15 or later, if your camera supports it) pick a Background. See change your camera background for details.

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Edit your talking-head video

When you’re done recording, click the red stop button, then Preview to open the video in the web editor. From there you can:
Want to mix camera-only clips with screen recordings? Use clips to record multiple segments. Start with a camera-only intro, then add a screen recording clip.
Last modified on September 28, 2026