Recording your iPhone screen has never been easier! If you use iOS 11 or a newer version you can do it directly with your smartphone. People using an older iOS version will have to install a screen recording app. Either way, we will show you how to record your screen.
How to record your screen on an iPhone
Depending on how old or new your iPhone (or the iOS version) is, the screen recording option might already be built into your phone. If you use iOS 11 or a newer version, please continue reading the following information. For older versions, please scroll down the page.
In order to start recording your screen, you need to have the screen recording button in your Control Center. So first check if the button is there.
To open the Control Center, using an iPhone 8 or older model swipe up. On an iPhone X or newer models, swipe down from the top right corner.
The screen recording button looks like a circle with a dot in the middle (screenshot below). Do you see it in your Control Center? If not, read the next chapter. If it’s already there, skip the next chapter.
Screen recording button in the iPhone Control Center (c) Screenshot
Adding the screen recording button to your Control Center
The screen recording button is not visible per default in the Control Center. So, if this is the first time you want to record your screen, you will have to add that button to the Control Center:
Go to your iPhones “Settings”.
Tap “Control Center” and then “Customize Controls”.
There are two lists of options: “Include” and “More Controls”. Scroll down to “More Controls”.
Find the option “Screen Recording” and tap the plus sign next to it. The option should now move to the list “Include” at the top of your screen.
iPhone Settings: customize the Control Center (c) Screenshot
How to start recording your iPhone screen
When you already have the screen recording button in your Control Center, you can start recording your screen.
Before you start recording, you should consider switching on “Do Not Disturb”. Otherwise, all the notifications you get on your screen will also be recorded. To activate this option, tap the crescent moon symbol in your Control Center.
To start recording, swipe and open your Control Center. Tap “Screen Recording” (that icon with a dot inside a circle). There will be a countdown (3 seconds) and your iPhone will start recording.
While recording, there will be a red bar at the top of your screen.
You will record your screen and also the sound of what you are watching or listening – so only video and audio generated directly from your iPhone.
If you want to film what’s going on around you, you will obviously use the camera and not the screen recording feature.
If you want to record yourself speaking while recording the screen (for example for a “how to” video), you must turn on your microphone.
This is how you turn on your microphone: when you want to start recording, press and hold the screen recording button. Then tap the microphone symbol to turn it on.
Important information: Once you’ve turned on the microphone, every time you’ll record the screen, the microphone will be on. You must deactivate it manually. So press and hold the screen recording button again, then tap the mic symbol to turn it off.
To stop recording, swipe and open your Control Center. Tap “Screen Recording”. The video will be saved to “Photos”.
Alternatively, you can tap the red bar at the top of the screen. In the pop-up window, tap “Stop” to confirm that you want to stop recording.
Screen recording on an iPhone: turning on the microphone (c) Screenshot
Screen recording on older iPhone models
If you have an older iPhone or an older iOS version (earlier than iOS 11), you can’t record the screen using your phone directly. You will have to install a screen recording app. These are some apps with good ratings:
