How to Screen Record on iPhone Like a Tech Genius!

Introduction

Have you ever wondered how to screen record on iPhone? Prior to the release of iOS 11 in 2017 you had to download a third party application to record your screen. But since that time Apple has offered this feature on every iPhone. And honestly, it is the best recording option out there!

What You Need to Know

• Beginning with iOS 11, iPhones have had a built-in screen recording feature. You can enable it by adding the Screen Recording shortcut to the Control Center from Settings.

• To start recording, open Control Center and tap the Screen Recording icon. Stop the recording by tapping the red timestamp in the upper lefthand corner of the iPhone screen or through the Control Center.

• To add audio or external sounds to your recording, turn on the microphone while screen recording.

• Screen recordings are automatically saved in the Photos app.

Enable Your iPhone for Screen Recording

Before you can screen record on iPhone, you must add the shortcut to Control Center. To do this open Settings > Control Center. Then click the plus sign next to Screen Recording. You can then close settings.

Now, launch Control Center. On iPhone X and later, swipe down on your home screen from the top right corner. To open Control Center on older iPhones, such as the iPhone SE and iPhone 8, swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen. You will now see the Screen Recording shortcut.

Starting a Screen Recording

Now that you have enabled the ability to use screen recording on iPhone, let’s review the super easy steps to use it! First open Control Center as we described above. Then tap the Screen Recording icon. There will be a 3 second count down and then Screen Recording will begin. You are now free to move between screens on your iPhone and it will be recorded.

Keep in mind that if you lock your phone or turn off the screen, the screen recording will stop and will not start automatically when you unlock your phone.

If you are trying to record something important you will want to make sure no sensitive information is being displayed on the screen. You might also want to turn on Do Not Disturb to prevent any interruptions.

Screen Recording with Audio

Apple has also added the ability record audio while you are screen recording. This can be helpful if you are recording a training video on your phone and want to narrate what you are doing.

Follow these steps if you want to enable audio while you are screen recording:

• Open Control Center

• Press and hold the Screen Recording icon

• Tap the Microphone icon to enable audio

• Tap Start Recording to begin recording your video

When you have completed your video recording, you might decide you want to be able to repurpose the audio for another project such as a podcast or maybe another video. This is SUPER easy to do, just follow our tutorial on how to convert video to audio.

What Can and Can’t Be Recorded

While Screen Recording is a useful and versatile application, there are limitations. Most streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or Apple TV+ have copyright protected content.

When you attempt to screen record shows or movies from these services, the video portion will not be captured. You may see on-screen information and controls, but the video and audio content itself will be blocked from recording due to Digital Rights Management (DRM) protections​.

Photo by Bastian Riccardi on Unsplash

Stopping and Saving the Screen Recording

Once you’ve finished recording, you need to stop the video. There are 2 ways to do this, and both are easy and straightforward:

• For newer iPhones, you’ll see a red timestamp in the top left corner of the screen. This indicates that screen recording is turned on. Simply tap on this, and you’ll be prompted to stop recording. Tap ‘Stop‘.

• With the second method, you can stop the recording via Control Center. Once you are in Control Center just tap the red Screen Recording icon to stop recording.

Saving and Watching the Recording

Once you have stopped recording, the video is saved automatically to the Photos library. To watch your video, simply open the Photos app and tap the video. Remember to unmute the video if you have added audio to the recording.

Common Uses for Screen Recording

There are several scenarios when being able to record the screen on your iPhone would be very useful. Here are a few examples:

• Webinars

• Training Videos

• An Application Demonstration

• Record Gaming strategies and techniques

Knowing how to screen record on iPhone simplifies all these use cases! Not having to download and use third party apps reduces the amount of time and effort users need when they are trying to share real-time information.

Editing and Sharing the Screen Recording

Once you have finished recording your video you are able to do some basic editing on your iPhone as well. Here are some of the options you have available to you:

• You can begin by doing some basic editing. First open your video in the photo library. You can trim the start and end of the video by dragging the sliders on both ends of the video. This is useful for removing unnecessary video from the beginning or end of the recording.

• You can also apply filters to change the overall complexion of the recording. You can also adjust the overall brightness, sharpness, and contrast of the video.

• If you want to focus on a particular area of your screen recording or change the orientation, use the crop and rotate tools. This can allow you to draw attention to a particular part of the video.

• Lastly, for instructional videos or demos, you can add text or use the markup tool to draw on the video.

Once you are done editing the recording you can upload it to a number of different apps. These include YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

You may run into some common problems when you are trying to record your screen. Here are some common fixes you may find helpful:

Missing Screen Recording Icon

If you can’t find the screen recording icon in the Control Center, go to Settings > Control Center and add the Screen Recording option by tapping the “+” next to it.

No Audio in Recordings

To record audio, press and hold the Screen Recording icon in the Control Center and tap the Microphone to turn it on. If it’s already on and there’s still no audio, make sure you unmute the video when you are playing it back on your phone.

Recordings Not Saving

If your screen recordings aren’t saving, check your iPhone storage; insufficient space can prevent saving. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to view available space. You must check that your Photos app has permission to use Screen Recording. To do this:

• Open Settings

• Tap Screen Time

• Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions

• Open Content Restrictions

• Verify Screen Recording is set to “ALLOW“.

Screen Recording Stops Unexpectedly

This can happen if you receive a call or notification, or if you lock your iPhone during recording. Use Do Not Disturb focus mode to avoid interruptions, and ensure your device doesn’t auto-lock by adjusting the settings in Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock.

Conclusion

The screen recording feature on the iPhone has become a versatile tool for capturing everything from webinars to gaming sessions. Its ease of use, and is a huge benefit to many iPhone owners.

With the ability to add audio and edit recordings directly in the Photo app, it offers a user friendly experience for creating and customizing content. In addition to making it easy to create content, it is just as easy to share your content after you have finished editing.

Despite some limitations with DRM protected content, screen recording is an awesome asset for iPhone users in a number of different situations.

If you found this article useful, you might also like our article on Full Page Screenshots. Visit our YouTube channel, @smartertechtalk, for more quick tips and tricks!