How to screen record on your iPhone – it's easy
You’ve probably taken plenty of screenshots on your iPhone, but what about screen recording? It’s an underrated time-saver — whether you’re walking a friend through a tricky setting, capturing a video you can’t otherwise download, or whatever.
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Once you’ve added it to Apple’s Control Center, recording your screen is as simple as a swipe and a tap. Here’s how to do it.
How to screen record on an iPhone
What you’ll need: All you need is an iPhone running iOS 18 or later.
If the screen recording button already appears in your Control Center (it looks like a solid circle inside a ring), you can skip this step. Otherwise, open Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner of your screen, then press and hold anywhere on the frosted background to enter edit mode.
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Tap Add a Control at the bottom, search for screen recording on the next screen, and tap it to include it. Once added, you can rearrange your controls by dragging them to any position you like within Control Center.
With screen recording now just a swipe away in Control Center, starting your capture is easy.
Tap the screen record button, and a three-second countdown will begin. Use that time to close Control Center and navigate to the screen you want to record. If you forget and Control Center remains visible in your clip, don’t worry. You can always open the saved video in Photos and trim off the excess at the beginning.
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To include mic audio in your recording, press and hold the screen record button in Control Center, then tap the microphone icon to turn Mic On. Once the recording starts, the button will turn solid with a red dot, and a red pill will surround the clock in your status bar. Everything on your screen, even notifications, will now be captured.
When you’ve captured what you need, ending the clip is just as easy. Tap the status bar pill at the top of the screen and confirm Stop. You can also reopen Control Center and tap the red Record button to end the capture immediately without confirmation. Use whichever method you prefer.
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Either way, your video will automatically save to the Photos app under Recents or Albums > Screen Recordings. From there, you can play back your footage, trim the start and end points, and share your video however you like.
What does screen recording capture?
When you screen record, it captures everything that appears on your iPhone screen, including any sound produced by your phone itself while recording. You’ll see any actions you perform, full-screen videos, notifications, pop-ups — everything.
Why can’t I record some apps?
Apple’s support page notes that some apps won’t let you record audio or video — typically those protecting copyrighted or sensitive content (like certain streaming services). If you see a black screen in your recording, that’s probably why.
Can I screen record and mirror at the same time?
No. iOS won’t let you screen-record while streaming your display via AirPlay or using other mirroring tools.
Why isn’t my audio being captured?
In step two above, I explain how to capture audio from an external mic or your phone’s mic: Press and hold the screen recording button in Control Center, then tap the microphone icon to turn Mic On. If this isn’t working, try restarting your device.
Can I edit my screen recording?
Yes. After you stop a recording, you can find the saved video in Photos or tap the thumbnail in the status bar to access it quickly. From there, hit the Edit button (the sliders icon) on the video, drag the arrow handles to snip out any unwanted bits, and hit Done to either overwrite the original or save a new clip — you’ll be presented with both options.
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Can I share my screen recording?
Of course! Screen recordings can be shared via all of the same options available for videos and photos. This includes Messages, email, AirDrop, and any third-party apps. Just tap the Share button (box with an arrow) and select your app of choice.
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