To screen record on an iPhone, open Control Center and tap the Screen Recording button, a solid circle inside a ring. After a three-second countdown, everything on your screen is recorded, and the video is saved to the Photos app when you stop. If the button isn’t in Control Center, you need to add it once. How you do that depends on your version of iOS. Below are the steps for both, how to record your voice too, and fixes for recordings with no sound.
Step 1: Add Screen Recording to Control Center
iOS 18 and later
- Open Control Center: swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen. On an iPhone with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom edge.
- Tap the + in the top-left corner, or touch and hold an empty area.
- Tap Add a Control at the bottom.
- Search for Screen Recording and tap it to add it.
- Tap an empty area to finish.
iOS 17 and earlier
- Open Settings > Control Center.
- Scroll to More Controls and tap the green + next to Screen Recording.
Step 2: Start recording
- Open Control Center.
- Tap the Screen Recording button. It counts down from three, then turns red.
- Close Control Center and do whatever you want to record.
While recording, a red indicator appears at the top of the screen, in the status bar or the Dynamic Island.
Step 3: Stop recording
Tap the red indicator at the top of the screen and tap Stop. Or open Control Center and tap the Screen Recording button again. You’ll see a notification that the recording was saved. Open the Photos app to find it in your library, where you can trim it with Edit.
Record your voice at the same time
By default, a screen recording captures sound from apps but not your microphone. To narrate:
- Open Control Center.
- Touch and hold the Screen Recording button.
- Tap Microphone so it turns on (it shows red).
- Tap Start Recording.
The microphone setting stays on for later recordings until you turn it off the same way.
Tips for a clean recording
- Silence notifications. Turn on Do Not Disturb or another Focus in Control Center so banners don’t appear in the video.
- Check your storage. Screen recordings can be large, especially long ones. Free up space first if your iPhone is nearly full.
- Turn the phone sideways before you start if you’re recording a landscape game or video.
- Trim the start and end in Photos to cut out opening and closing Control Center.
- Trim it: open the video in Photos, tap Edit, and drag the yellow handles at each end of the timeline.
- Mute it: in the same Edit screen, tap the speaker icon to remove the audio.
- Crop it: tap the crop icon in Edit to cut out the status bar or part of the screen.
- Share it: tap the Share button and choose Messages, Mail, or AirDrop. For long recordings, sharing an iCloud link avoids file size limits in email.
Record your iPhone screen on a Mac
For tutorials or longer recordings, you can capture your iPhone’s screen on a Mac. Connect the iPhone with a cable, open QuickTime Player on the Mac, choose File > New Movie Recording, click the arrow next to the record button, and pick your iPhone as the camera and microphone. The video is saved on the Mac instead of filling up your phone.
Troubleshooting
The recording has no sound
Make sure the ring/silent switch or Action button isn’t set to silent mode, and that the app’s own volume is up. For your voice, turn on Microphone as described above. Some apps, such as phone and FaceTime calls, don’t allow their audio to be recorded.
Parts of the video are black
Streaming apps like Netflix and some banking apps block screen recording to protect their content. That’s expected and can’t be changed.
The Screen Recording button is greyed out
Screen Time restrictions may be blocking it. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Content Restrictions, and under Game Center set Screen Recording to Allow. On a work-managed iPhone, your organization may have disabled it.
The recording didn’t save
Your iPhone may be out of storage. Check Settings > General > iPhone Storage and free up space.
Frequently asked questions
How long can a screen recording be?
There’s no fixed time limit. It’s limited by your available storage and battery.
Does the other person know if I record a FaceTime call?
Screen recording doesn’t notify the other person, but FaceTime audio isn’t captured. Recording people without consent can also be illegal where you live, so ask first.
Can I screen record on iPad?
Yes, the steps are the same on iPad.
How do I take a screenshot instead?
See how to take a screenshot on iPhone 15 or how to screenshot on iPhone 14.
You can also check out this video about how to screen record on iPhone for more info.
Summary
Add Screen Recording to Control Center once, then open Control Center and tap it to record. Tap the red indicator at the top and choose Stop when you’re done, and find the video in Photos. Touch and hold the button to turn on the microphone.
Related: How to Switch Between Miles and Kilometers in iPhone Maps.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.