Zencastr is currently available on web browsers on laptop and desktop computers and a mobile app for iPhones and iPads. To use Zencastr, both hosts and guests need to access it from one of these supported devices that meets the minimum specifications.
In this article:
Requirements for Laptops and Desktop Computers
Operating System
Mac OS 10.14 or higher
Windows 10 or higher
Linux, current version
Computer Specs
10GB+ of free hard drive space
8GB+ of RAM
Web Browser
Up-to-date version of Brave
Up-to-date version of Google Chrome
Up-to-date version of Microsoft Edge
Open Zencastr in a regular window or tab, not in incognito mode or private mode
Internet Connection
At least 5 Mbps, preferably 10 Mbps+
Requirements for iPhone
Operating System
iOS 16.0 or higher
Requirements for iPad
Operating System
iPadOS 16.0 or higher
Related Questions
Laptop and Desktop Computers
Why do I/my guests need 10GB of free hard drive space?
If you are recording in the ‘Record Audio and Video’ mode or the ‘Record Audio, Show Video’ mode, 10GB+ of free hard drive space is required. Zencastr saves a local backup of each of your and your guests’ recording files on a portion of your computer’s hard drive allotted for web browser applications. These backups allow you and your guests to recover your files in the event there is an issue with the upload to the cloud. Having at least 10GB free helps ensure that Zencastr has the necessary space to save the backups. This is especially important if you plan to record video.
What if I/my guests are recording audio only?
If you and your guests are recording in the ‘Record Audio, No Video’ mode it is still required that you access Zencastr from a laptop/computer in a supported web browser and it is strongly recommended that your operating system is up-to-date to the above minimums and that your internet connection is at least 5 Mbps. However, not using video does lower the required computer specs. For recording audio only, 2GB+ of free hard drive space (versus 10+ GB for viewing and/or recording video) and 4GB+ of RAM (versus 8 GB+ for viewing and/or recording video) is required.
Why shouldn’t I/my guests open Zencastr in incognito/private mode?
Opening Zencastr in incognito mode prevents us from being able to save local backups of your recording files. If there is an issue with the upload of the files to the cloud, it will be impossible to recover your files from the local backups if the incognito window is closed. Therefore, using Zencastr in incognito mode is strongly discouraged.
How do I check if my internet is fast enough?
Run a speed test. Upload or download speeds under 5 Mbps could cause connection and/or upload issues. Upload and download speeds of 10 Mbps or more are recommended for the best experience.
Can I/my guests use Zencastr on a Chromebook running Chrome OS?
At this time, Zencastr doesn’t support the Chrome OS. Depending on the computer specs and other factors, you may be able to access Zencastr from a Chromebook. However, Zencastr is unable to provide support for Chromebooks if something goes wrong with the recording.
Why doesn’t Zencastr run on Firefox anymore?
As of February 16, 2021, Zencastr no longer runs on Firefox because our latest updates to support professional quality audio and video are not supported by Firefox yet. Read more about this in the “Moving away from Firefox, adding Brave and Edge support” section of this Zencastr blog post.
Is Safari a supported browser?
At this time, Zencastr doesn’t support Safari. We hope to in the future.
Mobile Devices
Can I/my guests use Zencastr on my mobile phone/smartphone/iPhone/Android phone? What about my tablet/iPad?
At this time, Zencastr supports recording on iPhones and iPads via our mobile app. Please see above for the system requirements. We currently do not support recording on Android phones or Android tablets.
Can I/my guests use Zencastr on a mobile web browser?
Although you may be able to log into your Zencastr account on some mobile web browsers (Safari, Chrome, etc.), Zencastr is not currently optimized for these. And to record on mobile, you and your guests need to use an iPhone or iPad and must download the mobile app as mobile web browsers do not currently support the technologies needed to record the highest-quality audio and video.
What make and model of iPhone or iPad do I need to have to record on Zencastr?
To use Zencasr’s mobile app, your Apple device needs to support and have the minimum operating system version installed.