Frequently Asked Questions

Bandicam is 100% safe software with no adware, spyware, or virus. It is used by millions of users worldwide. Download only from the Download page on this site (bandicam.io). If your antivirus flags the installer, it is typically a false positive; add Bandicam to the exclusion list.

Bandicam supports H.264 (AVC), HEVC (H.265), and AV1 for video encoding. You can use software (CPU) encoding or hardware acceleration: NVIDIA NVENC, Intel Quick Sync Video, or AMD VCE/VCN. Audio can be saved as PCM or AAC in MP4/AVI, or as MP3/WAV for audio-only recording. Choose the codec in Settings → Video.

For NVIDIA NVENC (H.264): Bandicam v2.4.0 or higher, Windows 7/8/10/11, and an NVIDIA GPU from the GTX 600 series or newer. For HEVC (H.265), you need a GM20x-based GPU (GTX 950 series or higher). NVENC allows high-quality recording with high compression and less CPU usage, which is ideal for gameplay recording. See Features – Hardware encoding.

Minimum: Windows 11, 10, 8, or 7 (64-bit); Intel Pentium 4 1.3 GHz or AMD Athlon XP 1500+; 512 MB RAM; 1 GB free HDD; 800×600 16-bit color display. Recommended: dual-core CPU (e.g. Intel Pentium D, AMD Athlon 64 X2), 1 GB or more RAM, 10 GB or more HDD for recordings, 1024×768 or higher display. A 32-bit Windows version is available from the official site for older systems. Full details on the Download page.

The free (unregistered) version has a 10-minute recording limit per video and adds a watermark to recordings. The registered (full) version has unlimited recording time, no watermark, and includes scheduled recording. All recording modes (game, screen, device) and image capture are available in both versions. Purchase a license from the developer; download Bandicam from this site.

Yes. If you uninstall Bandicam from one PC, you can reuse the same license on another computer. The official site states that you can re-use the license after uninstalling, including in cases of hardware failure. Keep your license key safe and use it only in accordance with the EULA (e.g. one PC per personal license).

Video: MP4 and AVI (with various codecs such as H.264, HEVC). Screenshots: BMP, PNG, JPG. Audio-only: MP3 and WAV. Recorded files can be uploaded to YouTube, Google Drive, or Vimeo without conversion in many cases. MP4 (H.264) is the most widely compatible for sharing.

Bandicam for macOS is available on the Mac App Store. There is no official Linux or Ubuntu version; Bandicam is Windows and Mac only. This site focuses on the Windows version; see Download for Windows requirements.

Download Bandicam from the Download page on this site. Always download from this site to avoid bundled adware.

Bandicam compresses video while recording. Combined with hardware acceleration (NVENC, Quick Sync, VCE/VCN), it can produce files that are often 20% to 95% smaller than those from other screen recorders at similar quality. That saves disk space and speeds up uploads to YouTube, Google Drive, or Vimeo. See Features – Hardware encoding.

Yes. Bandicam supports 4K Ultra HD recording up to 3840×2160 resolution. Game recording can capture up to 480 FPS. Ensure your PC meets the recommended specs and use hardware acceleration when possible for smooth 4K recording. See Features and system requirements.

The watermark appears in the unregistered (free) version. To remove it, you need to register Bandicam by purchasing a license from the developer and entering your license key in the program. There is no legitimate way to remove the watermark without a valid license.

The free (unregistered) version has a 10-minute limit per video. The registered version has no time limit; you can record for 24+ hours continuously. Recording length is limited only by disk space. Ensure the drive where Bandicam saves recordings has enough free space.

The default hotkey is F12. Press F12 once to start recording, and F12 again to stop. You can change this and set other hotkeys (e.g. pause, screenshot) in Settings → Hotkeys. You do not need to keep Bandicam in focus; the hotkey works when the game or target window is active.

Bandicam can capture whatever is displayed on your screen. Screen Recording mode can record a browser window or full screen showing streaming video. Be aware that recording copyrighted content (e.g. movies, TV shows) may violate terms of service or copyright law. Use Bandicam only for content you have the right to record (e.g. your own gameplay, tutorials, public-domain content).

Yes. Once recording is started with F12 (or your chosen hotkey), you can switch to other apps. Bandicam continues recording the target (game, screen, or device) in the background. For Game Recording, the game window must remain open; for Screen Recording, the selected area or window is captured. You do not need to keep Bandicam in focus.

Bandicam is focused on local recording on a single PC. It does not have built-in streaming to Twitch or YouTube like OBS or XSplit. For a dual-PC setup, you would typically capture the gaming PC’s output (e.g. via HDMI capture card) on the second PC and record or stream from there. On the capture PC, you can use Bandicam’s Device Recording mode to record from the capture card. For full streaming features (scenes, overlays, multiple sources), OBS or XSplit are better suited.