Auto-zoom · Mac
Zoom in automatically where you clicked in a screen recording
A full-screen recording shows everything at once, which on a large display means nothing is readable on a phone. Zooming in on the button you are pressing fixes that, and doing it by hand for every click is slow.
Because Zella records the cursor track alongside the screen, it knows exactly where and when you clicked. Auto-Zoom Clicks turns that into zoom blocks you can keep, move or delete.
- Mac
- Free on every tier
Quick answer
To auto zoom on clicks in a Mac screen recording, use Zella: it records your cursor and clicks with every screen recording, and Auto-Zoom Clicks turns them into smooth zooms, each centred on a real click and about 1.5 to 2.5 seconds long. Click Auto Tools → Auto-Zoom Clicks → Apply in the editor, then delete or adjust any zoom you do not want. It is free and Mac-only, because a touchscreen has no clicks to read.
How to do it in Zella
-
Step 1: Record your screen in Zella
Record Full, Region or Window as usual. Zella saves the cursor and click data with the recording, and deliberate clicks make for better zooms.
-
Step 2: Optional: make clicks visible
In Studio Settings → Cursor, turn on Click ring so each click pulses on screen, and Silky Cursor for smooth motion with a soft trail.
-
Step 3: Apply Auto-Zoom Clicks
In the editor, open Auto Tools and click Auto-Zoom Clicks → Apply. Zella creates a zoom block centred on each click.
-
Step 4: Review the blocks
Play it back and delete or adjust any zoom. Each block has a Scale, a Target and timing for the zoom in, the hold and the zoom out.
-
Step 5: Add your own
Move the playhead and click Zoom in the toolbar for a manual zoom on anything, not just a click.
Why do it this way
Driven by real clicks
Zooms land where you actually clicked during the recording, not where a guess says you might have been looking.
Smooth by default
Each block eases in, holds and eases out, and motion blur is there for fast moves.
Part of the one-click pass
On a screen recording, Auto-Polish zooms on your clicks as part of its automatic edit, so a new recording often arrives zoomed already.
What you need
- macOS 14 Sonoma or later, on Apple Silicon or Intel
- A screen recording made in Zella, which stores the cursor and click data; imported footage has none
- Free on every tier: no watermark, exports up to 2 minutes at 1080p
- Zella Pro ($89 once, Mac and iPhone) only for the depth toolset: Transform keyframes and the bezier curve editor
Questions
Why does Auto-Zoom Clicks say No clicks recorded?
The clip has no cursor data. Auto-Zoom Clicks only works on screen recordings made in Zella, which store your clicks. On camera clips the sidebar offers Smart Zooms instead, which punches in where a new phrase starts.
Is auto-zoom available on iPhone?
Not on clicks, because a touchscreen produces no cursor data. On iPhone, Auto-Polish places emphasis zooms on your strongest spoken words, and you can add zoom blocks by hand for free.
Can I change a zoom it created?
Yes. Each zoom is a block on the timeline: drag it to move it, change its Scale and Target, or delete it.
Is it free?
Yes. Auto-Zoom Clicks, Smart Zooms and manual zoom blocks are free on every tier.
Related tools
Read the manual