Before you hit record: a privacy checklist for client screen recordings

A screen recording shows more than you think: a Slack preview from another client, a tab titled with a competitor's name, an invoice total in the bookmarks bar. Once the link is shared, it can be forwarded. Use this checklist before every client video; it's part of our sharing and presence guides. This page is general information about US law as of October 23, 2026, not legal advice; for a specific recording, ask a lawyer licensed in the states involved.

What leaks in screen recordings

The checklist

1. Turn on Do Not Disturb (macOS Focus, Windows Do not disturb) and silence your phone if it's near the microphone.
2. Decide what to share: one browser tab if the work lives in one page, one window for an app, the whole screen only when you must switch between apps.
3. Close every tab, window and file that isn't part of the video. Check the tab titles too.
4. Hide the bookmarks bar, or keep a separate browser profile just for recordings.
5. Filter dashboards and lists to this client, or switch to sample data.
6. Sign out of or close your password manager's pop-up; if a password or API key appears on screen anyway, change it after recording.
7. If anyone else's voice or face will be in the recording, ask for consent first (see the table below) and record their answer.
8. Watch the recording once before you share it, at double speed if needed. Look at the corners of the screen, not just the middle.
9. Share with the narrowest setting that works, and delete the recording when the project ends.

Is it legal to record a call with a client?

Recording your own screen and voice alone involves nobody else's consent. The rules change when you record a conversation: a video call with a client, a usability session, a voice note from a colleague. Under federal law, 18 U.S.C. § 2511(2)(d), you may record a conversation you take part in, or one where a participant has agreed beforehand, unless the purpose is to commit a crime or a tort. Many states follow that one-party rule. Others require every party's consent, and California's Penal Code § 632 makes it a crime to record a confidential communication without the consent of all parties.

Other states sit in between or have been read differently by courts, and clients abroad bring their own rules. The practical rule for a freelancer is simpler than the map: say at the start of every call you record, "I'm recording this so I don't miss anything; is that OK?", and keep the answer on the recording. That satisfies an all-party state and costs five seconds.

Worked example

In SoloWOS

When you record your screen and share a link in SoloWOS, the browser asks you to pick a tab, a window or your whole screen, and the microphone, camera and computer sound each have their own switch. Nothing is uploaded until you preview the recording and choose to save it, so a slip can be thrown away. Each recording starts private to your workspace; when you turn sharing on, anyone with the link can watch, and the link isn't listed by search engines. Turning sharing off stops the link working, and deleting a recording removes the file for everyone. For what to put in the video itself, see the weekly client update video.