How to Free Up Screen Recording Storage? Save to USB & Cloud

Long-term screen recording, such as for a tutorial or video, requires sufficient storage on the device. Recordings can consume up to 1 GB per hour, especially when recorded at 1080p Full HD quality.

If you’re the one who want to free up local storage space, just try to save the recording directly to the USB flash drive or upload it to the cloud. Then, you don’t have to worry about insufficient storage for screen recording.

Discover the process and useful tools below.

How to Screen Record and Save to USB Directly? (3 Ways)

Method 1:Use Third-party Screen Recorder

When using the third-party screen recorder, you can choose a location as you want to save the recording, for example, a USB stick. After setting, the recordings will automatically save to the chosen location.

1) Install a third-party screen recorder and go to Settings.

2) Insert the USB into the computer.

3) In Output Folder, choose USB > Select Folder.

4) Click the Record button to start recording.

5) As you stop, you can see the file is saved to the USB directly.

Method 2:For Windows Xbox Game Bar

If you’re using the built-in screen recorder - Xbox Game Bar on Windows PC, you can change the default location to USB.

1) Press Win + G to open.

2) Click Settings > Edit more preferences in Windows Settings.

3) Captures > Open folder.

4) When the folder is opened, right-click it and select Properties.

5) In the window, click Location > Move > select the USB drive > Select Folder > Apply > OK.

6) Now test. Click Open folder in Settings - Captures.

If it open the USB folder directly, this means the settings are successful. And when you screen record, the file will be saved to the USB without using the local storage space.

Method 3:For Mac Screenshot Toolbar

By default, recordings are saved to the Mac’s desktop. But you can change the location to the USB stick.

1) Press Shift + Command + 5 to open the Mac native screen recorder.

2) Click Options > Save to > Other Location.

3) Choose the USB.

4) Tick Remember Last Selection.

How to Record Video and Save to the Cloud Directly?

To record video without using storage, you can use a screen recorder with cloud storage service. Some screen recorders you can use to save devices’ local space:

● For Windows & Mac: Dropbox Capture
● For Android & iPhone: Loom, TechSmith Capture, ScreenPal, etc

Please note that not all tools allow to record video directly to cloud. Some solutions require manual file uploads. If you prefer a one-step solution, check if the software offers a shareable link after recording.

As a reference, you can use Loom.

1) Install the software in your Android phone or iPhone.

2) Tap the Loom icon at the bottom of the screen to start recording.

3) To stop recording, swipe down the screen and tap the button in Notifications menu.

4) The recording is automatically saved to Loom’s cloud.

5) Open the app and the recording file as well.

6) Tap the three-dot menu > Share > you will get a link for the recording file.

Tips to Estimate Screen Recording Storage Needs

Thinking about how much storage does screen recording take? The size may be different depending on the resolution and video quality settings you choose. Generally,

a. 1-minute screen recording on Android/iPhone is about 30 - 60 MB (1080p by default).

b. 1-hour screen recording on Android/iPhone is about 1.2 GB to 3.5 GB (1080p by default).

c. 1-minute screen recording on Windows is about 50 - 100 MB.

d. 1-hour screen recording on Window is about 3 - 6 GB

Tips to Screen Record with Less Storage

1. Try using lightweight screen recorders.

2. Set video quality settings as SD (720p) or HD (1280p). Low resolution bring small file size.

3. Use H.264 or H.265 (HEVC) video codecs if possible. These tech can shrink file size without major quality loss.

Some screen recorders, like Kingshiper, give video codecs options.

4. Export the recording to compressed video formats like MP4, FLV, or WebM.

5. Record only the necessary area, not full screen.

You can use application recording mode or custom recording mode.