Start a Screen Recording in Three Steps

To record your iPhone screen, open Control Center, tap the Record button, and wait three seconds for the countdown. The recording captures everything on your display — apps, scrolling, taps, audio from your phone — until you stop it. When you're done, tap the red timer at the top of your screen or go back to Control Center and tap Record again.

The video saves to your Photos app automatically. You don't need to read anything or sign into an account. If you've never used Control Center before, swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen (on iPhone X and newer) or swipe up from the bottom (on iPhone 8 and earlier). You'll see a grid of quick-access buttons including the Record button, which looks like a filled circle inside a circle.

Key Takeaways

  • Screen recording is built into every iPhone and starts from Control Center with one tap, no app installation needed.
  • Your recording includes sound from your phone's speaker, but you can turn off microphone audio before you start if you want video-only.
  • The video file saves directly to your Photos app in the same format as any other video you shoot.
  • You can record for as long as you want, and stopping the recording is as straightforward as tapping the red timer at the top of your screen.

Add the Record Button to Control Center If It's Missing

If you open Control Center and don't see the Record button, you need to add it first. This takes about one minute. Open Settings, scroll down and tap Control Center, then tap the green plus sign next to Screen Recording.

The button will now appear in Control Center the next time you open it. You only have to do this once. If you use Control Center often, the Record button will stay there until you remove it manually.

Turn Off Microphone Audio Before Recording

By default, screen recording captures sound from your iPhone's microphone — so if you're recording your screen while someone talks in the background, that audio gets included in the video. If you want to record only what's on your screen without any background sound, you can disable the microphone before you start.

Open Control Center, press and hold the Record button (don't tap it), and you'll see a small menu. Toggle the Microphone Audio switch off, then tap Record. The video will now capture only the sounds your phone makes — notification pings, app sounds, music playing — but not your voice or room noise.

Stop Recording and Find Your Video

While recording, a red timer appears at the top of your screen showing how long you've been recording. Tap this timer to stop when ready. You can also go back to Control Center and tap the Record button again, or press and hold the timer and tap Stop.

Once you stop, your phone saves the video to your Photos app in the Videos album. Open Photos, tap Albums at the bottom, scroll down to Videos, and you'll see your recording listed with today's date. The file is a standard video file you can share, edit, or delete like any other video on your phone.

Record a Specific App or Your Entire Screen

Screen recording captures everything visible on your display at that moment. If you want to record just one app, open that app first, then start the recording. Everything you do in that app — scrolling, tapping buttons, typing — will be recorded until you stop.

If you want to show multiple apps or switch between them during recording, that's fine too. Just start the recording and then switch apps normally. The entire screen, including the app switcher and any notifications that pop up, will be part of the video. This is useful if you're demonstrating how to move between different apps or showing someone how to find a setting buried in your phone.

What Gets Recorded and What Doesn't

Screen recording captures your display exactly as it appears — every tap, swipe, text you type, and image you view. It also records any audio playing from your phone's speaker: music, video sound, app notifications, or voice from a call if you have speakerphone on. If you have the microphone enabled, it records your voice and any room noise too.

Screen recording does not capture what's happening on other devices, what you're doing outside the app (like holding the phone to your ear), or anything that requires special permissions like Face ID or fingerprint authentication. Some apps, like banking apps or streaming services, may block screen recording for security reasons — if you try to record one of these, you'll see a black screen in the video where that app was.

Troubleshooting Common Recording Problems

If you tap Record and nothing happens, make sure you've added the button to Control Center first (see the section above). If the button is there but the recording stops unexpectedly, your phone may have run out of storage space. Check Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see how much room you have left. Videos take up significant space, so if you're under 1 GB free, delete old photos or videos and try again.

If your video is black or shows only part of the screen, the app you're recording may have blocked screen recording for security. Try recording a different app like Settings or Notes to confirm the feature itself is working. If the audio is missing from your recording, check that you didn't accidentally disable microphone audio (if you wanted sound) or that your phone's mute switch isn't on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I record my screen while on a phone call?

Yes. If you're on a call with speakerphone on, the other person's voice will be recorded. If you're holding the phone to your ear, the call audio won't be captured because your phone's speaker is off. You can record the screen during a call either way — the recording won't affect the call itself.

How long can I record for?

You can record for as long as your phone has storage space. There's no built-in time limit. A one-hour video takes roughly 400 MB to 1 GB depending on what's on your screen, so check your available storage before recording something very long.

Will the person I'm talking to know I'm recording?

No. Screen recording is silent and invisible to the other person on a call or video chat. However, you should follow your local laws about recording conversations — some places require everyone in a conversation to know they're being recorded.

Can I edit my screen recording after I save it?

Yes. Open Photos, find your recording, tap Edit, and you can trim the beginning or end, adjust colors, or add filters just like any other video. You can also share it directly to Messages, Mail, or other apps without editing it first.

What if I want to record just the audio without the video?

Screen recording always captures video. If you only need audio, use the Voice Memos app instead — swipe up from the bottom (or down from the top-right) to open Control Center, press and hold the Record button, and tap Voice Memos. That app records only sound.