Auto-Detect Sensitive Data in Mac Screen Recordings
Fancy Rec 2.2 detects emails, phone numbers and other sensitive text in the current video frame, then creates editable masks locally on your Mac. Watch the demo.
You are ready to share a product demo. Then you notice an email in the sidebar, an account name in the corner and payment details in an open form. Finding each value and drawing every box adds another editing task before you can publish.
Fancy Rec 2.2 can detect sensitive text in the current video frame and create editable mask regions for you. Click Detect sensitive information, review the suggested coverage, and continue editing. The analysis runs locally on your Mac, without uploading the frame or requiring an API key.
Watch automatic sensitive data detection
Download Fancy Rec and try sensitive data detection →
Does Screen Studio offer automatic sensitive data detection?
As of October 11, 2026, Screen Studio's public documentation does not show an equivalent feature that detects sensitive text and generates mask regions from a video frame. Its mask and highlight guide describes adding a mask on the timeline and adjusting its size. The official feedback board also has an Auto mask sensitive data request, asking for automatic detection of emails and phone numbers.
Screen Studio does offer sensitive-data masks. The distinction here is the detection step: Fancy Rec can find candidate areas in a frame and turn them into editable regions. This comparison reflects the public sources checked on the date above, rather than a hands-on audit of every Screen Studio release or beta.
If this is the workflow you have been missing, try the demonstration with your own recording. For a broader overview, read our Screen Studio alternative guide.
What can Fancy Rec detect?
| Information | How it is recognized |
|---|---|
| Email addresses | Recognized text and email patterns |
| Phone numbers | macOS data detection |
| Card numbers | Number patterns and a checksum check; labeled card fields can also be suggested |
| Account names and usernames | Nearby or inline English and Chinese field labels |
| Passwords, PINs and CVV/CVC codes | Labels that identify what the value represents |
| Customer names | Recognizable customer or client field labels |
An isolated short number could be a count, a year or a security code. The detector uses labels for that context; it does not reliably identify every unlabeled password, code or name. Review the generated regions and add any missing ones manually.
How to generate masks from the current frame
1. Open a Sensitive Data mask
Open your recording, create or select an enabled Sensitive Data mask, and place the playhead inside its time range. Choose a frame where the details you want to hide are visible.
2. Click Detect sensitive information
Use the button in the mask sidebar. Fancy Rec pauses playback without seeking and reads the displayed source frame before the mask effects are applied. The analysis runs on your Mac; there is no cloud-model setup.
3. Review the generated regions
Detected areas are added to the selected mask. Existing manual regions are preserved, and areas already covered are skipped. Match the preview numbers to the region list, then move, resize or remove boxes as needed.
The multi-region mask guide explains how to cover several details in the same frame and give separate mask segments different durations.
4. Check the full passage before exporting
Detection analyzes one frame when you click, not every frame of the recording. If a page scrolls or a panel moves, review the new layout and adjust the mask timing or create another segment. The feature does not track text through the video.
Review the beginning and end of each masked passage, then export and inspect the finished video. If you seek to another frame while detection runs, Fancy Rec discards the old result so it is not applied to a different preview.
Local processing for private screen content
This feature uses macOS text recognition and local detection rules. The frame is passed to the bundled recognition helper in memory through a process pipe; this workflow does not upload it, save a temporary screenshot, or log the recognized text.
That makes it practical to start reviewing private details without first sending the source image to an external image-analysis service. Detection still produces suggestions that need your review. A mask changes the rendered output; it does not erase information from the original recording or project.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a full-video automatic redaction tool?
No. It detects candidate regions in the current frame. You control the mask duration and check coverage as the screen changes.
Can it recognize a password without a label?
Not reliably. Password, PIN and CVV/CVC detection depends on visible labels and nearby values. Add a manual region when the context is missing or the detector misses a detail.
Will running detection replace boxes I already adjusted?
No. It adds new regions while preserving your manual edits and skipping already-covered areas. The regions remain editable.
Can I try detection before subscribing?
Recording, editing and previewing are free. MP4 and GIF export require a subscription; see plans and trial terms when you are ready to export.
Spend less time drawing boxes
Start with a frame from your next demo. Let Fancy Rec suggest regions for the sensitive text, check their coverage, and keep the useful interface visible around them.