Screen recording captures everything on your iPhone display — the apps, taps, and audio — as a video file you can save or share

Screen recording is built into every iPhone running iOS 11 or later. You don't need to read anything. The feature records your screen, your voice through the microphone, and any sound playing from apps or videos. When you stop recording, the video saves to your Photos app like any other video. Most people use it to make tutorials, capture a bug to show tech support, record a game, or save something from social media before it disappears.

The fastest way to start recording is through Control Center — the panel you pull down from the top-right corner of your screen (or up from the bottom on older iPhones). If you've never used screen recording before, you'll need to add it to Control Center first. After that, it takes one tap to start and one tap to stop.

Key Takeaways

  • Screen recording is built into your iPhone and records everything on your display plus microphone audio and app sounds.
  • You must add the screen recording button to Control Center before you can use it, which takes less than a minute.
  • Once added, you start recording by opening Control Center and tapping the screen recording icon, then stop by tapping it again or tapping the red timer at the top of your screen.
  • Your video saves automatically to the Photos app in a folder called Videos, and you can trim, edit, or share it from there.
  • If you don't hear your voice in the recording, you need to turn on the microphone in the recording settings before you start.

Add screen recording to Control Center

Control Center is where you access screen recording. If the button isn't there yet, you add it through Settings in about one minute. Open the Settings app on your home screen, then scroll down and tap Control Center. You'll see a list of features you can add or remove.

Scroll down until you see Screen Recording with a gray plus sign next to it. Tap the plus sign. The button turns green and moves to the top section labeled "Included Controls" — that means it's now in your Control Center. Close Settings. You're done with setup.

Start and stop a screen recording

Open Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner of your screen (or swiping up from the bottom if you have an iPhone 8 or older). Look for the circle-inside-a-circle icon — that's screen recording. Tap it once. A three-second countdown appears, then recording starts. You'll see a red timer at the very top of your screen showing how long you've been recording.

To stop recording, tap the red timer at the top, or open Control Center again and tap the screen recording button a second time. A notification appears saying "Screen Recording Saved" and the video goes into your Photos app. The whole process takes a few seconds.

Turn on microphone audio before recording

By default, screen recording captures sound from apps and videos but not from your voice. If you want to narrate what's happening on screen, you need to turn on the microphone. Before you start recording, open Control Center and press and hold (don't just tap) the screen recording button. A menu pops up with one option: Microphone Audio.

Tap Microphone Audio to turn it on — it will show a checkmark or change color to indicate it's active. Then close the menu and tap the screen recording button to start. Now your voice will be recorded along with everything else. If you forget to turn it on before you start, you'll need to stop the recording, turn on the microphone, and record again.

Find and share your screen recording

When you stop recording, the video saves to your Photos app automatically. Open Photos, tap the Library tab at the bottom, scroll down, and look for a folder called Videos. Your screen recording will be there with today's date. Tap it to watch, edit, or share it.

To share the video, tap the share icon (a box with an arrow pointing up) at the bottom left. You can send it through Messages, Mail, AirDrop, or save it to cloud storage like iCloud Drive or Google Drive. You can also trim the video before sharing — tap Edit, drag the handles at the start and end to cut out parts you don't want, then tap Done and Save as New Clip.

Troubleshoot common recording problems

If you tap the screen recording button and nothing happens, make sure you waited for the three-second countdown to finish. The recording won't start until the countdown ends. If the button isn't in your Control Center, go back to Settings and follow the steps in the "Add screen recording to Control Center" section above.

If your video is choppy or freezes, close other apps before you record. Screen recording uses processing power, and running many apps at once can slow it down. If you don't hear your voice in the finished video, you forgot to turn on the microphone before recording — you'll need to record again. If the video file is huge and won't send, trim it in Photos or compress it before sharing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I record just part of my screen instead of the whole thing?

No. Screen recording on iPhone captures your entire display. If you want to record only one app or window, you'll need to close other apps first so they don't show up. Some third-party apps let you crop or edit the video after recording, but the recording itself is always full-screen.

Does screen recording drain my battery?

Yes, it uses more battery than normal use because your phone is processing video constantly. Recordings of 10 to 15 minutes will noticeably drain the battery. If you're recording something long, plug your phone in first or keep the recording under 10 minutes.

Can I record a FaceTime call or video from another app?

Screen recording will capture the video and audio from most apps, but some apps like Netflix, Disney+, and banking apps block screen recording for copyright or security reasons. If you try to record and the screen goes black or blurry, that app doesn't allow it.

Where does the video file go if I delete it from Photos?

If you delete it from Photos, it goes to the Recently Deleted folder for 30 days, then disappears forever. If you think you might want it later, don't delete it from Photos. Instead, move it to an album or back it up to iCloud or another cloud service.

Can I record audio only without the video?

Screen recording always records video. If you only need audio, use the Voice Memos app instead — it's built into your iPhone and records just sound. Open Voice Memos, tap the red record button, and tap it again to stop.