FocuSee: Fast, Focused Screen Tutorial Creation for Mac (& Windows)
Recording your Mac’s screen is easier than ever, thanks to built-in tools and tons of third-party apps. But turning those recordings into polished, shareable tutorials or demo videos? That’s still the hard part.
Sure, you could hire a video editor — but that’s expensive. Or teach yourself editing — time-consuming. And after all that, you still need to optimize for YouTube, Instagram, and other platforms.
FocuSee claims to solve this difficult situation for good!
What Is FocuSee
FocuSee by iMobie is an all-in-one screen recorder, editor, and post-production suite. It lets you record content from your Mac (or Windows) and easily transform it into a tutorial, how-to guide, or launch video.
The best part? You don’t need to be a professional video editor to produce high-quality videos. While your creativity and skills can take your content further, FocuSee is designed for everyone. Whether you’re making podcasts, streams, or any kind of video recording on your PC/Mac, the possibilities are endless.
Since iMobie acquired FocuSee in late 2024, the tool has gained tremendous popularity. A major boost came when Elon Musk recently shared a video created with FocuSee, bringing global attention to its AI-powered capabilities.
“We are thrilled to see FocuSee gaining recognition within the AI creator community.” said Frank Kong, CEO of FocuSee.
“Our mission is to make video editing effortless, allowing users to focus on creativity rather than complexity. With FocuSee’s seamless screen recording capabilities and intelligent auto-editing features, anyone can create professional-quality content in minutes. I’m so delighted to see our commitment now being proven true.”
Features Highlight
- Make demos, guides, and promos with minimal editing—FocuSee combines recording and editing in one tool.
- Auto-apply effects like blur, zoom, crop, and mouse clicks, plus AI-powered captions.
- Simultaneous multi-track recording (screen, selfie camera, voiceover)
- Choose from ready-made templates or create your own presets for fast editing.
- Highlight key areas with dynamic spotlight effects to guide your viewers’ attention.
- Choose pre-set sizes for YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, or create your own designs.
- Adjust volume, mute, and reduce background noise for crisp, clear sound.
- Add quizzes, calls-to-action, and forms directly into your videos for higher engagement.
- Share instantly via cloud links, embed codes, or export in MP4/GIF.
Tech Specs at a Glance
| Specification | Details |
| Supported OS | macOS 10.15 and later (optimal on macOS 12.3+), Windows 10 and later |
| Processor | Intel i5 dual-core 2.9GHz or higher, or Apple M1 and later |
| Memory | At least 8GB RAM |
| Recording Modes | Full screen, custom area, specific window |
| Export Formats | MP4, GIF |
| Export Resolutions | 720p, 1080p, up to 4K |
| Audio Support | System audio, microphone, separate tracks |
| Webcam Support | Yes |
| Annotations | Arrows, text, highlights, blur, steps, shapes |
| AI Features | Smart focus, auto cut, auto layout, smart zoom |
| Sharing Options | Export locally, generate share link, upload to cloud |
| Shortcuts | Customizable hotkeys for recording and editing |
| Languages | English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Simplified & Traditional Chinese |
| Free Trial Version | Available on official website |
Notes:
- Optimal performance is on macOS 12.3 or later.
- Export to GIF is supported, but MP4 is the primary format for most workflows.
- Separate audio tracks and advanced audio controls are available on macOS 13+ and Windows.
FocuSee Review (TheSweetBits Take)
Now that we know what FocuSee claims to do, we shall see how it performs in real life. We wanted to check how effective FocuSee is when you want to create a video tutorial.
We tried to create a tutorial about a text expansion tool that we regularly use. Editing a tutorial of that sort takes hours using something like iMovie, and our aim was to check whether FocuSee could offer something more cost and time-effective.
All the testing was done on an M2 MacBook Air running the latest version of macOS Sequoia.
# Setup & Getting Started
Setting up FocuSee and getting started with the app is pretty straightforward. You can download the official installer and proceed with the installation. When you open FocuSee the first time, the app will ask you for Accessibility, Camera, and Microphone permissions.
Once you provide these permissions, FocuSee can start its work.
We appreciate that FocuSee for Mac maintains a lightweight footprint despite its rich feature set. It meant we could run FocuSee smoothly even when other resource-hungry apps were on. This is somewhat of a necessity if we want to prepare tutorials for apps that professionals use.
# UI and Navigation
If you have used screen recording/capturing tools before, you can easily get started with FocuSee. The app does not have a fully-fledged interface in the first place. Instead, when you launch FocuSee, you can see the many options for recording the screen.
Here, you can choose between multiple recording modes and device setup. Once you proceed with the setup and complete the recording, you will see the editor interface, which is where most of the magic happens. If you have some experience with editing videos, you won’t have any trouble getting started.
# Screen Recording Experience
The screen recording module of FocuSee is similar to the other screen recording tools we have come across. You have three options: Full Screen, Custom, and Window. Regardless of your choice, FocuSee will add some magical effects to each recording. The smart zoom function is one of them.
Apart from the recording mode, device setup options are also available. These options allow you to choose the webcam, voice, and system audio sources for the content. You can start the recording by selecting the recording mode and pressing the Record button.
You can change the sources right before you hit the Record button, as well. Overall, the entire recording part feels easy.
# Editing Options
As we said, editing is where all the magic happens. This is when that screen recording is converted into how-to guides. When you click the Stop Recording button, FocuSee will take a second or two to process the video and launch the editor interface.
As we said above, by this time, FocuSee will have added basic effects like context-aware zoom to the video. That is, if you were moving your mouse around or clicking on a button, FocuSee would have zoomed in so that your viewer could pay better attention.
However, FocuSee lets you modify multiple aspects of the video depending on what you want to create. For starters, you can add a background, adjust the padding, and choose the right aspect ratio for the video. You get to optimize the video based on where you want to publish it. FocuSee packs an incredible collection of background images/designs, but you can upload files to create custom ones as well.
FocuSee also lets you choose between multiple editing options, such as Cursor, Animation, Camera, Audio Control, Captions, and Watermark. All these features add so much value and let you create an impressive how-to guide or launch video in a few minutes. Let’s see some examples.
The Cursor section, for instance, allowed us to choose an interesting cursor style and highlight options. We really loved the Spotlight and Ring highlight options, which attract the viewer’s attention while keeping the video look professional. The Cursor click sound option is also cool.
The Animation section, on the other hand, lets you change almost every type of movement within the video. For instance, you can adjust the speed for cursor movement and screen blur during the zooming-in process. This way, you have better control over the video, even if you were a little hasty while recording.
FocuSee offers ample control over how the webcam video feed appears on the video. You can choose one of the preset layouts or go for something more customized. As always, you can control how large the camera content is during the zoom function.
Audio Control and Captions sections also add incredible value to FocuSee. Audio Control lets you manage its audio aspect and remove background noise. On the other hand, the Captions module lets you auto-generate subtitles for the video. We could even choose between multiple language models.
The Watermark module lets you apply a watermark before you export the video.
# Exporting Options
You get some standard options when it comes to exporting a video from FocuSee. You can choose between a video and a GIF. MP4 video lets you choose a quality as high as 4K and 60FPS. The GIF function is handy when you want something you can easily share on the web. However, we don’t recommend using GIF if the video is lengthy.
# Timeline Editor
We wanted to add a few words about the Timeline interface of FocuSee and the overall performance we got from the app.
While not as advanced as the ones you see in professional video editing tools, FocuSee packs a decent video editor timeline. You can use this to easily add media content and adjust effects like zoom and blur.
We did a thorough test, trying to edit a 5-minute tutorial, and the experience was pretty smooth. FocuSee handled everything fine, even when dealing with multiple full HD videos from other sources. The drag-and-drop option makes a lot of sense when you want to edit how the video behaves.
Though the Timeline does not support transition drops, you get some standard options. For instance, you’d have the option to crop, clip, and control the audio aspect of the video. We also loved the Spotlight function, which lets you further highlight a part of the video. So, if you think the blur zoom is not enough, FocuSee has got you covered.
# Performance Impact
One great thing about FocuSee is that you only need a few minutes to create an impressive video. In these early minutes, the app is quite resource-efficient. You don’t see much impact on CPU or RAM. However, as we spent more with the editor, playing around with multiple modules, we noticed the system heating up a little.
While it is not a big problem, we would appreciate some optimizations from the developer. Despite all these, using FocuSee is several times more lightweight than relying on something like iMovie or Final Cut Pro. Sure, you may not get all the features, but you will have a decent tutorial/demo video in the end.
Pricing & Value
Straightforward pricing is another reason to love FocuSee from iMobie. You can get the app through a one-time purchase worth $69.99, which lets you use the screen recorder-editor function on 1 device. It could be a Mac or a PC. The 2-computer and 5-computer plans from FocuSee are available for $95.99 and $179.99 respectively.
We must highlight that FocuSee does not have any subscriptions. So, all these features would be available for lifetime access. Considering the features we just analyzed, FocuSee offers incredible value for most users. Sure, the app may not replace your go-to video editor, but having these handy features for as low as $69.99 is a steal.
So, if you ask us, we’d say that FocuSee offers incredible value for all users. In addition to these, iMobie offers an education discount, which is available to students and teachers. The app also offers a fully-fledged free trial with a 4K export option. However, this output will have a watermark, which you can remove by getting the paid version.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- User-friendly interface with intuitive controls
- Automated pan & zoom effects save significant editing time
- Professional-looking video output with dynamic zooming capabilities
- Records both screen and webcam simultaneously
- Pre-set canvas sizes optimized for various social media platforms
- Affordable pricing with a 60-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Slow export times and occasional performance issues on some systems
- Limited video editing functionality compared to dedicated editors
- Poor webcam recording quality reported by Windows users
Users Reviews of FocuSee
Don’t just take our word for it! Here are what some other users and reviewers have said about FocuSee.
Dave Swift, software enthusiast:
“As someone who used to spend hours editing my screen recordings, FocuSee has been a game-changer. The automatic zooming in on critical areas and the intuitive controls helped me produce polished videos in a fraction of the time.”
LinkedIn Pulse:
“FocuSee is ideal for anyone who wants to focus on content without spending too much time on editing. The AI really makes the difference, and the fact that it’s so simple to use is a huge bonus.
AppSumo:
“For the price, FocuSee is a steal. It’s an intuitive tool, but for those who need more in-depth video editing, it might not replace a full editing suite. That said, it’s perfect for quick tutorials and screen recordings.”
FAQs
Is FocuSee suitable for beginners?
Yes, FocuSee is designed with a beginner-friendly interface. Its intuitive UI and straightforward workflow make it easy for users without editing experience to produce polished, professional-looking videos. Quick access to recording modes and editing tools ensures a smooth process from start to finish.
How does FocuSee automate the video editing process?
FocuSee uses AI-driven editing to automatically add effects, captions, and highlights to your screen recordings. The software tracks your cursor, applies dynamic pan and zoom effects, and can generate backgrounds and captions without manual intervention. This automation allows you to focus on your content rather than spending hours on technical post-production tasks.
Who can benefit most from using FocuSee?
FocuSee is ideal for content creators, educators, marketers, and business professionals alike.
What are some alternatives to Focusee for Mac users?
If you’re looking for alternatives to Focusee, you may check out
- DemoCreator—a tool with real-time camera overlays, annotation effects, and AI-powered enhancements.
- Or EaseUS RecExperts, which is great for capturing gameplay, meetings, or tutorials with flexible output settings.
- Alternatively, you can combine CleanShot X for clean, high-quality screen recordings with Final Cut Pro for professional-level editing.
Each tool brings its own strengths, whether you’re after simplicity, power, or more advanced editing features.
Conclusion
FocuSee is a sweet solution for creators, educators, and professionals who want to make polished tutorials without diving into complicated video editors. It won’t replace Final Cut Pro, but for most how-to content, it absolutely gets the job done — quickly, cleanly, and affordably.
If you’re looking for a one-stop tool to record, edit, and share your Mac screen in style, FocuSee is definitely worth a look.
More details, visit iMobie official site to get a free trial.