Screen recording is built into every iPhone, but you have to add it to your Control Center first
Apple includes a screen recording tool on every iPhone, but it does not appear in Control Center by default. You have to add it yourself in Settings — a one-time step that takes about two minutes. Once it is there, you can record your screen, your audio, and any app activity with one tap.
The process is the same whether you have an iPhone 15 or an older model. The only difference is where the Control Center button appears on your screen, depending on whether your phone has a home button.
Key Takeaways
- Screen recording lives in Settings under Control Center, and you add it by tapping the green plus sign next to "Screen Recording".
- Once added, you open Control Center and tap the recording button — a filled circle inside a circle — to start and stop recording.
- Your recording saves to the Photos app automatically, and you can trim it or share it from there.
- You can record system audio (what plays on your phone) or microphone audio (your voice), but not both at the same time.
- Recordings use your phone's storage, so a five-minute video takes roughly 50 to 100 MB depending on screen activity.
How to add Screen Recording to Control Center
Open the Settings app and scroll down to find Control Center. Tap it. You will see a list of controls already in your Control Center, and below that a section called "More Controls" with a list of things you can add.
Look for Screen Recording in the "More Controls" section. Tap the green plus sign next to it. The button will move up into your Control Center list, and you are done. You do not need to restart your phone or close Settings.
If you cannot find Screen Recording in the list, scroll down — the list is long and the controls are not in alphabetical order. It usually appears near the bottom, sometimes grouped with other recording and media controls.
How to open Control Center and start recording
On an iPhone with Face ID (iPhone X and newer, including all current models), swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen. On an iPhone with a home button (iPhone 8 and earlier), swipe up from the bottom of the screen. Control Center will slide in from the edge.
Look for the screen recording button — it looks like a filled circle inside a circle, usually white or gray. Tap it once to start recording. Your screen will flash white for three seconds as a countdown, then recording begins. The status bar at the top of your screen will turn red and show a timer while you are recording.
To stop recording, open Control Center again and tap the recording button a second time. The recording will save to your Photos app within a few seconds. You will see a notification that says "Screen Recording Saved" or similar.
Recording audio along with your screen
When you tap the screen recording button, Control Center closes when ready and recording starts. If you want to record audio — either your voice through the microphone or the sound playing on your phone — you need to press and hold the recording button instead of tapping it once.
A menu will pop up with two options: Microphone Audio and System Audio. Microphone Audio records your voice and any sounds near your phone. System Audio records what is playing on your phone — music, video dialogue, app sounds. You can turn one on, both on, or leave both off. Tap "Start Recording" at the bottom of the menu.
If you turn on System Audio, your phone will ask for permission the first time. Tap "Allow" and the recording will begin. If you do not see this permission prompt, System Audio is already turned on from a previous recording.
Where your recordings go and how to use them
Every screen recording saves automatically to the Photos app in a folder called Recents or All Photos, depending on your iOS version. Open Photos, find your recording (it will be at the top if you just made it), and tap it to play it back.
From the Photos app, you can trim the recording by tapping "Edit" at the top right. A timeline will appear at the bottom — drag the handles on either end to cut out the beginning or end. Tap "Save" to keep the trimmed version, or "Save as New Clip" to keep both the original and the trimmed copy.
To share your recording, tap the share button (a box with an arrow pointing up) and choose where to send it — Messages, Mail, AirDrop, or any app that accepts video. The file size will depend on how long you recorded and how much movement was on screen, but a typical five-minute recording is 50 to 100 MB.
What happens to your storage when you record
Screen recordings are video files, and video takes up space on your phone. A five-minute recording at standard quality uses roughly 50 to 100 MB. A 30-minute recording might use 300 to 600 MB. If your phone is running low on storage, you can delete old recordings from Photos to free up space, or move them to iCloud by backing up your phone.
If you record frequently, consider moving your recordings to a computer or cloud storage service like Google Drive or Dropbox. This keeps your phone's storage free and gives you a backup copy in case something happens to your phone.
Troubleshooting: Screen Recording is not working
If you tap the recording button and nothing happens, check whether Screen Recording is actually in your Control Center. Go back to Settings > Control Center and look for it in the top list. If it is not there, add it again using the green plus sign in "More Controls".
If the button is in Control Center but recording still will not start, restart your phone. Turn it off completely, wait a few seconds, and turn it back on. This fixes most recording problems.
If you are trying to record System Audio and it is not working, check that you have given permission. The first time you try to record system audio, iOS asks for permission. If you tapped "Don't Allow", go to Settings > Screen Recording and turn on "Microphone" or "System Audio" in the permissions section. You may need to restart the app you are trying to record.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I record my screen while using Face ID or Touch ID?
Yes. Screen recording captures everything on your display, including authentication screens. If you are recording something sensitive, be aware that your passwords, PIN codes, or biometric data might be visible in the video.
Does screen recording slow down my phone?
Not noticeably. Recording uses some processing power, but modern iPhones handle it without lag. You may see a slight drain on battery life during long recordings, but the phone will continue to run normally.
Can I record system audio and my voice at the same time?
No. You can record system audio only, microphone audio only, or neither — but not both together. If you need both, you will have to record twice or use a third-party app.
What if I accidentally recorded something I did not mean to?
Open Photos, find the recording, and tap "Delete". It will move to your Recently Deleted folder, where it stays for 30 days before being permanently removed. You can recover it during that time by opening Recently Deleted, tapping "Select", choosing the video, and tapping "Recover".
Can other people see my screen recordings?
Only if you share them. Your recordings are stored in your Photos app, which is private to your phone unless you explicitly send the video to someone or upload it to a shared service like iCloud or Google Photos.