The two ways to capture your screen on iPhone

iPhone gives you two separate tools: screenshot for a still image of what you see right now, and screen recording for video of everything that happens on your phone for the next few minutes. Screenshots save when ready to your Photos app. Screen recordings also save there, but you start and stop them yourself — they don't record forever.

Which one you need depends on what you're trying to show someone. If you want to capture a single moment — a text message, a map location, a receipt — use screenshot. If you need to show a process that takes multiple steps, like navigating through an app or showing how to change a setting, use screen recording.

Both methods work the same way on all current iPhones. The buttons you press depend on which iPhone model you have, because the button layout changed when Face ID arrived.

Key Takeaways

  • Screenshot on iPhone with Face ID (iPhone X and newer): press the side button and volume-up button at the same time, then release both.
  • Screenshot on iPhone with a home button (iPhone 8 and older): press the top (or side) button and home button at the same time, then release both.
  • Screen recording requires you to turn it on first in Control Center, then press the red recording button to start, and press it again to stop.
  • Screenshots appear in your Photos app within seconds; screen recordings also go there but take longer to process if they are several minutes long.
  • You can edit a screenshot when ready after taking it by tapping the thumbnail that appears in the corner, or find it later in your Photos app.

Taking a screenshot on iPhone with Face ID

If your iPhone has Face ID (the notch or Dynamic Island at the top of the screen), you use the side button instead of a home button. Hold down the side button (the power button on the right edge) and the volume-up button (on the left edge) at the same time. Press them together firmly, then release both at once. You'll see a white flash and hear a camera sound.

A thumbnail of your screenshot appears in the bottom-left corner of your screen for a few seconds. If you tap it right away, you can crop it, draw on it, add text, or magnify part of it before saving. If you don't tap it, the screenshot saves automatically to your Photos app in a folder called Screenshots.

The most common mistake is pressing the buttons one after the other instead of together. They must be simultaneous — if you press the side button first and then the volume button, you'll either take a screenshot by accident or do nothing at all. Practice the motion once or twice without looking at your phone, so your hands know the timing.

Taking a screenshot on iPhone with a home button

If your iPhone has a physical home button at the bottom (iPhone 8, iPhone SE, or older), you use that button instead of the volume button. Hold down the top button (or side button, depending on the model) and the home button at the same time. Press them together firmly, then release both at once. You'll see a white flash and hear a camera sound.

Just like with Face ID iPhones, a thumbnail appears in the bottom-left corner. Tap it to edit, or let it disappear and your screenshot saves to Photos automatically. The same timing rule applies — both buttons must be pressed together, not one after the other.

Recording your screen

Screen recording is not turned on by default. You have to add it to your Control Center first, then use it when you need it. Open Settings, tap Control Center, then scroll down and tap the green plus sign next to "Screen Recording." This adds a red circle button to your Control Center.

When you're ready to record, swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen (or swipe up from the bottom if you have an older iPhone) to open Control Center. Find the red circle icon for Screen Recording and tap it. A three-second countdown appears, then recording starts. Everything that happens on your screen — taps, swipes, text you type, videos that play — gets recorded.

To stop recording, open Control Center again and tap the red circle button, or tap the red bar that appears at the very top of your screen and confirm you want to stop. The recording saves to your Photos app. Depending on how long the video is, it may take a minute or two to finish processing before you can watch it or send it.

Editing and sharing your captures

After you take a screenshot, tap the thumbnail in the corner to open the editing screen. You can crop the image by dragging the corners, draw on it with different colors and brush sizes, add text boxes, magnify a section, or add a signature. When you're done, tap Done, then tap Save to Photos to keep your changes.

For screen recordings, you can trim the beginning or end by opening the video in Photos, tapping Edit, and dragging the sliders at the bottom. You can't draw on a recording or add text to it the way you can with a screenshot.

To share either one, open Photos, find your screenshot or recording, tap the share button (the box with an arrow), and choose how you want to send it — Messages, Mail, AirDrop to another Apple device, or any other app on your phone.

Troubleshooting common problems

If you press the buttons and nothing happens, make sure you're pressing them at the exact same time. If you're getting a power-off screen instead, you held the buttons too long — release as soon as you feel them press. If you're taking a screenshot when you meant to adjust volume, you may be pressing the buttons in the wrong order or not simultaneously enough.

If screen recording won't start, check that you added it to Control Center in Settings. If the recording stops unexpectedly, your phone may have run out of storage space — delete old photos or videos and try again. If a recording takes a very long time to save, it's usually just processing; wait a few minutes before assuming something went wrong.

If you can't find your screenshot or recording in Photos, check the Screenshots folder (screenshots go there automatically) or search for the date you took it. If you deleted it by accident, check the Recently Deleted folder in Photos — you have 30 days to recover it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I take a screenshot without making a sound?

No — iPhones always make a camera sound when you take a screenshot, even if your phone is on silent. This is a security feature so people nearby know you're capturing the screen. The only exception is if you're using screen recording, which is silent.

How long can I record my screen?

You can record as long as your phone has storage space available. Most recordings use about 100 to 200 megabytes per minute, so a 5-minute recording takes roughly 500 megabytes to 1 gigabyte. If your phone is almost full, you may only be able to record for a few minutes before it stops.

Will my screen recording include audio from apps or my voice?

Yes — screen recording captures all sound playing on your phone, including music, videos, and app sounds. If you want to add your own voice narration, you'll need to record it separately and add it in a video editing app after the fact.

Can I screenshot just part of my screen?

Not automatically — a screenshot always captures the entire screen. After you take it, you can crop it to show only the part you want by tapping the thumbnail and dragging the corners inward. This removes the rest of the image.

What's the difference between taking a screenshot and screen recording?

A screenshot is a still image of one moment; it saves when ready and takes almost no storage. A screen recording is a video of everything that happens over several minutes; it takes much more storage space and takes a few seconds to a few minutes to process after you stop it.