By ShowMeStepByStepPublished Updated
Based on a video by Apple Support.
Apple Support walks through the built-in Screen Recording feature on iPhone and iPad. Nothing to install - it is already on the device, it just is not switched on.
Setup takes about a minute the first time. After that, starting and stopping a recording is two taps, and clips save straight to Photos where you can trim and share them.
Screen Recording is not in Control Center by default, which is why most people conclude their iPhone cannot do it. Open Settings, go to Control Center, scroll to More Controls, and tap the green plus next to Screen Recording. On iOS 18 and later you can also do it from Control Center itself: press and hold on an empty area, tap Add a Control, and search for it.
The icon is a solid dot inside a ring. Drag it near the top of your Control Center layout so you are not hunting for it mid-recording.
This is the part that catches people out. A plain tap records the screen and any audio the phone itself is playing. It does not record your voice.
To narrate, press and hold the Screen Recording button instead of tapping it. A panel opens with a Microphone button underneath. Turn it on, then tap Start Recording. The microphone setting sticks between recordings, so check it each time - a silent tutorial you thought you narrated is the classic mistake.
Recording begins three seconds after you tap, which is deliberate: it gives you time to close Control Center so the recording does not open on your own settings panel. Swipe up or tap the screen to dismiss Control Center immediately, then wait for the timer in the status bar to turn red.
Tap the red pill or clock in the status bar and confirm Stop. You can also reopen Control Center and tap the Screen Recording button again.
Either way the last second or so of the video shows you reaching for the control. Trim it off in Photos: open the clip, tap Edit, drag the right handle inward, then Done. Choose Save Video as New Clip if you want the untrimmed original kept.
Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and most banking apps deliberately block screen capture through DRM. The recording runs and saves, but the video is black where the protected content was, and the audio is usually stripped too. Nothing is broken and no setting fixes it - it is working as the app intends.
Screen recordings are large. A minute of 60fps recording on a Pro model can run past 100MB, and a recording will stop on its own if storage runs out or the battery gets critically low. Check free space before a long capture.
If the button is greyed out or recording will not start, check Settings, Screen Time, Content and Privacy Restrictions, Screen Recording, and make sure it is set to Allow. Restrictions set up for a child's device switch this off, and it is easy to forget it was ever turned on.
It is not in Control Center by default. Add it once from Settings, Control Center, More Controls, and it stays there.
No notification is sent, unlike a screenshot in some apps. FaceTime audio is generally not captured, so you get video without the other side's voice.
To the Photos app, in Recents and in the Screen Recordings album. They save as .mov files.
No. Screen Recording captures what is on the display, so the screen has to stay awake. For long recordings set Auto-Lock to Never first, in Settings, Display and Brightness.
6 steps · about 3 minutes.Check off each step as you go and your progress saves automatically.
Screen Recording isn't in Control Center by default, so you need to add it once. Swipe down from the top right corner of your screen to open Control Center, then tap the plus button in the top left corner.
Tip
On iPhone X and later, swipe from the top right corner. On older iPhones with a home button, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
Tap "Add a Control" at the bottom of the screen. Scroll through the list until you find Screen Recording - it looks like a circle with a dot inside. Tap it to add it to your Control Center.
Tap anywhere outside the controls to exit editing mode, then swipe up from the bottom to close Control Center. This only needs to be done once.
Whenever you want to record, open Control Center and tap the Screen Recording button - the circle icon. A 3-second countdown starts, then the recording begins. Navigate away from Control Center and do whatever you want to capture.
If you want extra options first, touch and hold the button instead of just tapping. That opens a menu where you can turn on your microphone or start a broadcast.
In the options panel, tap the microphone icon to toggle it on. It turns red when active - that means your voice will be recorded alongside the screen. Then tap "Start Recording."
If you don't need voice-over, skip this step and just tap the Screen Recording button directly.
Tip
Some apps block audio recording. If you notice no sound in your video, that app may have restrictions on screen capture audio.
When you're done, tap the red dot in the status bar at the top of your screen and tap "Stop." You can also open Control Center and tap the red version of the Screen Recording button.
Note that some apps - like streaming services - won't allow you to record their content. And you can't use Screen Recording and screen mirroring at the same time.
Your recording saves automatically to the Photos app. A thumbnail pops up in the top corner of your screen right after you stop - tap it to jump straight to the video. Or open Photos and find it in Recents.
Use the editing tools to trim the beginning or end. Hit the share button to send it by text, email, AirDrop, or wherever it needs to go.
Keep going
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Question 1 of 5
Where do you go first to enable screen recording on an iPhone?
Quick reference
5 questions, answers, and one-line explanations. Tap to expand.
1.Where do you go first to enable screen recording on an iPhone?
Answer: Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls
Screen Recording is a Control Center shortcut you have to manually add.
2.How do you start a screen recording once the button is in Control Center?
Answer: Open Control Center and tap the Screen Recording button
A single tap in Control Center triggers a 3-second countdown before recording starts.
3.What does enabling the microphone during a screen recording capture?
Answer: Your voice through the iPhone mic alongside the screen capture
Turning on the mic lets you narrate or record commentary while capturing the screen.
4.What is the quickest way to stop a screen recording in progress?
Answer: Tap the red status bar at the top of the screen
Tapping the red bar at the top gives an instant stop prompt without reopening Control Center.
5.Where does a finished screen recording save on iPhone?
Answer: The Photos app
Screen recordings save as video files in Photos, the same as any video you record.
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