ZELLA / Docs Download for macOS

Zella Documentation

Animated diagram of the Zella workflow: Record, Edit, Ship

Zella is a native macOS screen recorder and AI video editor. Record your screen and camera, clean it up with one click, polish it like a pro, and ship it to any platform — all locally on your Mac. No cloud. No subscription. Menu bar in, finished video out.

This documentation covers every tool and feature in Zella, with step-by-step instructions for where to find each control and how to use it, plus end-to-end workflows for real video goals (YouTube tutorial, TikTok/Reel, product demo, course lesson, bug report, and more).

How to read this guide

  • New to Zella? Read chapters 01–07 in order, then jump to the workflow that matches your goal in chapter 23.
  • Looking for one tool? Use the table of contents below — every feature has its own section telling you exactly which panel, tab, and button to use.
  • Stuck? Chapter 25 (Troubleshooting) and the keyboard reference in chapter 24 solve most problems.

Throughout this guide:

  • Menu bar = the small Zella icon in the top-right of your macOS menu bar.
  • Setup panel = the recording window that opens when you click the menu bar icon.
  • Studio / Editor = the editing window that opens after a recording (or when you open a file).
  • Keyboard keys are shown like this: ⌘ ⇧ R.

Format note: every page is written answer-first and chunkable — a short Quick answer (TL;DR), then self-contained sections (what it does · how to do it · where to use · when to use · impact when applied correctly), an annotated diagram, and an FAQ. This makes the guide easy for beginners to skim and easy for search engines and AI assistants to quote accurately.

Table of contents

Part 1 — Get set up

  1. What Is Zella? Getting Started
  2. Install Zella & Grant Permissions (Screen, Camera, Mic, Speech)

Part 2 — Recording

  1. How To Record Your Screen on a Mac
  2. Full Screen, Region, Window, or Camera-Only Recording
  3. Set Up the Webcam Bubble & Replace Your Background
  4. Pause, Resume & Stop a Recording

Part 3 — The Editor

  1. Zella Editor Overview — Where Every Tool Lives
  2. Import Video, Images & Audio; Build a Project
  3. Cut, Trim & Ripple-Delete on the Timeline
  4. Remove Silences & Filler Words Automatically

Part 4 — Captions, motion & timing

  1. Add Animated Captions & Subtitles
  2. Zoom, Auto-Zoom & Keyframe Animation
  3. Speed Up / Slow Down & Speed Ramps
  4. Clean Up Voice, Add Music & Auto-Duck

Part 5 — Look & feel

  1. Add Transitions Between Clips (18 Types)
  2. Vignette, Glow, Grain, Masks & Blur Effects
  3. Color Grade: LUT Looks, Color Match & Scopes
  4. Animated Titles & Kinetic Text
  5. Callouts — Arrows, Spotlights, Keystrokes & Blur

Part 6 — Ship it

  1. Reframe to 9:16, 1:1 & 16:9 (TikTok, Reels, YouTube)
  2. Export as MP4, MOV, GIF or M4A for Any Platform
  3. Save, Reopen & Recover Projects (Autosave & Snapshots)

Part 7 — Put it all together

  1. Workflow Recipes: Tutorials, Reels, Demos & More
  2. Keyboard Shortcuts (Full List)
  3. Troubleshooting: Black Screen, No Audio, Sync, Export
  4. Glossary of Video Editing Terms

Quick start (60 seconds)

  1. Click the Zella icon in your menu bar.
  2. Choose a source — Screen, Camera, or both — and a region/preset.
  3. Press ⌘ ⇧ R (or click Start Recording).
  4. Do your thing. Press the Stop square in the floating toolbar when done.
  5. The Editor opens automatically with your clip. Click AI Tools ▸ Remove Silences ▸ Apply, then Generate Captions.
  6. Pick a platform on the left (e.g. YT Shorts), click Export, choose 1080p, and hit Export.

That’s record → edit → ship. The rest of this guide goes deep on every step.

Documentation version: 2026-06. Applies to Zella on macOS 14 (Sonoma) and later, Apple Silicon and Intel.

Animated grid of Zella editor features

Getting the most from these docs

  • New here? Read What is Zella?, then Record your screen — that pair gets you to a first finished video fastest.
  • Every page opens with a one-line Quick answer and an On this page menu — skim those to jump straight to the step you need.
  • Keyboard-driven? Keep Keyboard shortcuts open in a tab — most edits have a one-key shortcut.
  • Stuck on anything? Troubleshooting lists the common snags with one-line fixes.