Screen recording on iPad captures everything that happens on your display — the apps you open, the text you type, the videos you watch — as a video file you can save, edit, or share

Apple built screen recording directly into iPads running iOS 11 or later, so you do not need to read anything or pay for an app. The feature lives in Control Center, a menu you pull down from the top-right corner of your screen. Once you start recording, a red timer appears at the top of your screen to show you how long you have been recording. When you stop, the video saves to your Photos app automatically.

Screen recording is useful when you want to show someone how to do something on your iPad, create a tutorial, document a problem you are having with an app, or capture something that moves too fast to photograph. It records audio from your iPad's speakers and microphone at the same time, so if you are having a video call or playing music, that sound comes through in your recording.

Key Takeaways

  • Screen recording is built into every iPad running iOS 11 or later and requires no app read or setup.
  • You start and stop recording from Control Center, which you open by swiping down from the top-right corner of your screen.
  • The video saves automatically to your Photos app, where you can trim it, share it, or move it to another device.
  • You can choose whether to record audio from your iPad's speakers and microphone before you start recording.

Check your iPad's iOS version first

Screen recording works on any iPad running iOS 11 or later. To find out which version your iPad has, open Settings, tap General, then tap About. Look for the line that says "Software Version" — if the number is 11 or higher, you can use screen recording.

If your iPad is running an older version, you can update it by going to Settings, tapping General, then tapping Software Update. Your iPad will check for available updates and walk you through the installation. Older iPads sometimes cannot update past a certain version, but most iPads from 2013 onward support iOS 11 or later.

Add screen recording to Control Center

Screen recording does not appear in Control Center by default on most iPads, so you need to add it first. Open Settings, then tap Control Center. You will see a list of toggles and buttons that are already in Control Center, and below that a section called "More Controls" with additional options you can add.

Scroll down in the "More Controls" section until you find "Screen Recording" — it looks like a circle inside a circle. Tap the plus sign next to it. The screen recording button now appears in your Control Center and stays there until you remove it.

Start and stop a recording

Swipe down from the top-right corner of your iPad screen to open Control Center. Find the screen recording button (the circle inside a circle) and press it. A three-second countdown appears on your screen, then recording begins. A red timer at the top of your screen shows how many seconds you have been recording.

To stop recording, open Control Center again and tap the screen recording button a second time. The video saves automatically to your Photos app within a few seconds. You can also stop recording by tapping the red timer at the top of your screen and confirming that you want to stop.

Choose whether to record audio

By default, screen recording captures audio from your iPad's speakers and microphone. If you are watching a video or having a video call, that sound will be in your recording. If you want to record video without audio — for example, if there is background noise you do not want to capture — you can turn off the microphone before you start.

When you open Control Center and press and hold (not just tap) the screen recording button, a menu appears with an option to turn the microphone on or off. The microphone icon shows whether audio will be recorded. Make your choice, then tap "Start Recording" to begin.

Find and manage your recordings

Your screen recordings save to the Photos app in a folder called "Videos" or "Recents," depending on how your Photos app is organized. Open Photos, find your recording, and you can trim it, share it, or delete it from there. To trim a recording, tap it to open it, then tap "Edit" and drag the handles at either end to remove unwanted sections.

Screen recordings can be large files — a five-minute recording might be 100 to 300 megabytes depending on how much movement is on your screen. If you are running low on storage space, trim your recordings or delete ones you no longer need. You can also move recordings to another device by tapping the share button and choosing AirDrop, email, or cloud storage.

Troubleshooting common problems

If you do not see the screen recording button in Control Center, go back to Settings, tap Control Center, and check that you added it to "More Controls." If it is there but still does not appear, try closing Control Center and opening it again.

If your recording stops unexpectedly, your iPad may have run out of storage space. Check Settings, tap General, then tap iPad Storage to see how much space is available. If you have less than 500 megabytes free, delete some photos, videos, or apps to make room. If your recording is choppy or stutters, close other apps before you start recording — screen recording uses processing power, and running many apps at once can slow it down.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I record my screen while using FaceTime or another video call app?

Yes. The recording captures everything on your screen, including the video call. Audio from the call comes through in your recording unless you turn off the microphone before you start. Be aware that recording someone without their knowledge may be illegal in your state, so tell the other person you are recording.

Does screen recording drain my iPad's battery faster?

Yes, recording uses more processing power than normal use, so your battery will drain faster. If you are recording for a long time, plug your iPad in or have a charger nearby. Most iPads can record for several hours before the battery runs out, but the exact time depends on your model and how bright your screen is.

Can I edit my screen recording after I save it?

Yes. Open the recording in the Photos app, tap "Edit," and you can trim the beginning and end, rotate it, or adjust the colors. You can also open it in a video editing app like iMovie if you want to add titles, music, or transitions. The original recording stays in your Photos app unless you delete it.

What happens if I receive a notification while I am recording?

Notifications appear on your screen and are included in your recording. If you do not want notifications in your video, turn on Do Not Disturb before you start recording. Open Control Center, press and hold the sound icon, then tap "Do Not Disturb" to turn it on.

Can I record my screen without audio if I only want to record sound from one app?

Screen recording captures all audio from your iPad at once — you cannot select which app's audio to record. If you need audio from only one app, you will need to record with audio on and edit out the other sounds later using a video editing app, or record in a quiet environment where only that app is making noise.