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Download Focal for Windows
Focal, a screen recorder for Windows 10 and 11, is a 9.1 MB installer that installs for your user in about a second, with no administrator prompt. The first 14 days are a free trial with every feature, its exports watermarked; a license key turns it into the full app without reinstalling.
Free for 14 days with every feature; trial exports are watermarked. Version 0.1.0, 9.1 MB. Windows 10 or 11.
Version 0.1.0, released November 1, 2026. What changed · Previous versions
What it needs
| Windows | Windows 10 (21H2 or later) or Windows 11, 64-bit |
|---|---|
| Graphics | Any GPU. A hardware video encoder (NVIDIA, AMD or Intel) makes recording and export faster; without one Focal records on the CPU. |
| Disk | 9.1 MB download, about 70 MB installed in your user profile. Recordings take about 20 MB a minute at 1080p. |
| Displays | Any number, any mix of sizes and scaling. HDR monitors are recorded with the colors you see. |
| Audio | Any microphone, including audio interfaces. System audio needs no virtual cable; it is recorded from the output you hear. |
| Camera | Optional. Any webcam Windows sees, up to 1080p. |
What the installer does
| Installs to | %LOCALAPPDATA%\Focal, for your user only |
|---|---|
| Adds | A Start Menu shortcut, an uninstall entry, and the .focalproj file type |
| Does not | Ask for administrator rights, install drivers or services, or run at startup unless you turn that on |
| Silent install | Focal_x64-setup.exe /S |
| Updates | Checked once a day, signed, installed in place; off in Settings if you prefer |
SmartScreen
If Windows says the publisher is unknown
SmartScreen warns about any installer whose publisher it has not seen many times yet, which is every new app. Until Focal's code-signing certificate is in place, the first run shows that blue dialog: click More info, then Run anyway.
The installer is published on GitHub, where its size and signature can be checked against latest.json, the same file Focal's own updater verifies before it installs anything.
After installing
- 01
Focal opens a welcome window and sits in the tray.
The welcome window shows the shortcut and the three steps; the tray icon is where Settings, Projects and the latest recording live.
- 02
Press PrtSc anywhere.
Drag a region, click a window, or press Enter for the monitor. Choose your sound, then record. If another program owns Print Screen, Focal uses Ctrl+PrtSc and tells you.
- 03
Stop, and the editor opens.
Automatic zooms are already on your clicks. Export when it looks right; the video lands next to the recording in Videos\Focal.
Questions
About the download.
More on the support page, or write to support@focalcapture.com.
Is the download free?
Yes. The installer is the full app, and the first 14 days are a free trial with every feature, its exports watermarked. A license key, bought later, turns the trial into the full app without reinstalling.
Why does Windows SmartScreen warn about the installer?
SmartScreen warns about any installer whose publisher it has not seen many times yet, which is every new app. Until Focal's code-signing certificate is in place, click More info and then Run anyway. The installer is published on GitHub, where its size and signature can be checked against latest.json, the same file the app's updater verifies before it installs anything.
Does it need administrator rights?
No. Focal installs into your user profile, adds a Start Menu shortcut and an uninstall entry, and changes nothing else on the system. There are no drivers and no services.
How do updates work?
Focal checks the update feed shortly after it starts and once a day while it sits in the tray, never during a recording or an export. When a newer version exists it asks, downloads the installer, checks its signature and installs it in place in a few seconds. The check can be turned off in Settings.
Where do my recordings go?
Videos\Focal, or the folder you pick in Settings. Each recording is a folder ending in .focal with the screen video, the audio tracks, the camera, the cursor and input log, the captions and your edits, with exports in a folder of their own.
How do I uninstall it?
From Settings > Apps in Windows, or with uninstall.exe next to Focal.exe. The uninstaller removes the program and, if you tick Delete app data, its settings, styles, logs and downloaded speech models. Your recordings are never touched.