How to Screen Record on iPhone: Complete Guide

Want to record your iPhone screen to show someone a fix, record gameplay, or save a tutorial? If the screen recording option isn’t showing up or it’s not working correctly — don’t worry. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to enable screen recording, record with sound, and fix the most common glitches step-by-step.

What Screen Recording on iPhone Can and Cannot Do

Screen recording is built directly into iOS, so you don’t need any third-party apps for basic recording.

What you CAN do:

• Record everything on your screen including apps, games, and Safari
• Capture internal audio from videos and games
• Record your voice using the microphone
• Add voiceover narration while recording
• Edit and trim recordings immediately after capture

What you CANNOT do:

• Record phone calls (blocked by iOS for privacy)
• Record certain DRM-protected content like Netflix or Disney+ (you’ll see a black screen)
• Record Face ID authentication screens
• Capture audio from some apps that block recording

Most users don’t know this but even if an app doesn’t appear to record, you can still capture the visual interface — just not protected video content.

Check iPhone Compatibility (iOS Version & Devices)

Screen recording works on any iPhone running iOS 11 or later. That includes:

• iPhone 6s and newer
• iPhone SE (all models)
• All iPhone models from 2015 onward

To check your iOS version:

1. Open Settings
2. Tap General → About
3. Look for iOS Version

If you’re on iOS 10 or earlier, you’ll need to update your iPhone to use the built-in screen recorder.

How to Enable Screen Recording in Control Center

The screen recording button doesn’t appear automatically — you need to add it first.

Here’s how to enable screen record in Control Center:

1. Open Settings
2. Scroll down and tap Control Center
3. Tap Customize Controls (or Add Controls on some iOS versions)
4. Find Screen Recording in the list
5. Tap the green plus icon (+) next to it

The screen recording button will now appear in your Control Center.

Missing Button Fix

If you don’t see Screen Recording in the Customize Controls list, here’s what to check:

• Make sure your iPhone is updated to iOS 11 or later
• Restart your iPhone and check again
• If you have Screen Time restrictions enabled, go to Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions → Content Restrictions and ensure Screen Recording is allowed

Some managed or corporate iPhones have screen recording disabled by IT policies. If you still can’t find it, check with your organization’s tech support.

How to Start Screen Recording (With & Without Audio)

Once the button is added, starting a recording takes just seconds.

To start recording your screen:

1. Open Control Center:
   • On iPhone X or later: Swipe down from the top-right corner
   • On iPhone 8 or earlier: Swipe up from the bottom edge
2. Tap the Screen Recording button (circle icon)
3. Wait for the 3-second countdown
4. Your screen is now recording (a red indicator appears in the status bar)

To record WITH microphone audio:

1. Open Control Center
2. Press and hold the Screen Recording button (don’t just tap it)
3. Tap the Microphone icon to turn it ON (it should turn red)
4. Tap Start Recording

Most users don’t know this but the microphone setting is OFF by default. If you want to add voiceover or narration, you must enable it manually before each recording.

Tip: When the microphone is on, you’ll hear both app audio AND your voice. Keep this in mind if you only want game or video sound.

How to Stop and Save the Recording

Stopping your recording is simple, and the file saves automatically.

To stop recording:

• Option 1: Open Control Center and tap the Screen Recording button again
• Option 2: Tap the red status bar at the top of your screen, then tap Stop

Your recording will save immediately to the Photos app. You’ll see a notification confirming it was saved.

If the recording stops or fails unexpectedly, check the troubleshooting section below.

Where to Find Saved Screen Recordings

All screen recordings are automatically saved to your Photos library.

To find them:

1. Open the Photos app
2. Go to the Albums tab at the bottom
3. Scroll down to Media Types and tap Videos
4. Your screen recordings will appear with other videos

You can also find them in:

• Recents album (most recent recordings appear first)
• All Photos view in chronological order

Tip: Screen recordings are saved as .MOV files with your screen’s native resolution. On newer iPhones, that’s typically 1170×2532 or similar.

How to Edit or Trim Recordings on iPhone

You don’t need a separate app to edit your screen recordings — Photos has basic editing built in.

To trim a recording:

1. Open the recording in Photos
2. Tap Edit in the top-right corner
3. Drag the yellow handles on the timeline to select the portion you want to keep
4. Tap Done → Save Video (or Save as New Clip)

To share or export:

1. Tap the Share button (square with arrow)
2. Choose how to send: AirDrop, Messages, Mail, or save to Files
3. Select your recipient or destination

For more advanced editing like adding text, transitions, or multiple clips, you’ll need a third-party app (see Advanced Tips below).

Troubleshooting: Screen Recording Not Working

Here are fixes for the most common screen recording problems on iPhone.

No Sound

If your iPhone screen recording has no sound, check these:

For app audio (games, videos):

• Some apps block internal audio recording (like music streaming apps)
• Make sure your iPhone isn’t on Silent mode — flip the physical switch above the volume buttons
• Increase the volume during recording — audio level affects recording volume

For microphone audio:

• Press and hold the Screen Recording button before starting
• Make sure the Microphone icon is RED (enabled)
• Check Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone and ensure Screen Recording has permission

Most users don’t know this but you can’t record audio from phone calls or FaceTime. iOS blocks this for privacy protection.

Black Screen

If you see an iPhone screen record black screen, here’s why:

• You’re trying to record DRM-protected content (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, etc.)
• These apps block recording for copyright protection
• You’ll see your interface but the video content appears black

Fix: There’s no workaround for this — it’s an intentional security feature. The only option is to use a Mac with QuickTime Player to record your iPhone screen via cable.

Recording Stops or Fails

If your recording stops unexpectedly:

• Low storage: Check Settings → General → iPhone Storage. Screen recordings need significant space (1 minute ≈ 100-200MB)
• Phone call interruption: Incoming calls automatically stop recordings
• App crashes: Some apps (especially games) can trigger recording failures
• Overheating: Extended recordings (20+ minutes) can cause thermal issues

Quick fix: Close background apps, free up storage, and restart your iPhone before trying again.

Button Missing

If the screen recording button disappeared from Control Center:

1. Go to Settings → Control Center
2. Check if Screen Recording is still in Included Controls
3. If not, re-add it from More Controls

If you accidentally removed it, this is the fastest fix.

iPhone Storage Full

Screen recordings consume a lot of space quickly.

To manage and optimize your space more efficiently, you can try iCloud storage management software to organize your backups and free up space before recording.

To free up storage:

1. Go to Settings → General → iPhone Storage
2. Delete old recordings you no longer need
3. Consider uploading recordings to iCloud Photos or Google Drive
4. Offload unused apps temporarily

Tip: A 5-minute screen recording at 1080p can easily be 500MB–1GB. Always check storage before long recordings.

Advanced Recording Tips (Pro Workflow)

Here are some power-user techniques for better screen recordings:

Enable Do Not Disturb before recording:

• Prevents notifications from interrupting your recording
• Swipe down Control Center → long-press Focus → select Do Not Disturb

Use AssistiveTouch to start/stop hands-free:

1. Settings → Accessibility → Touch → AssistiveTouch → Turn ON
2. Tap Customize Top Level Menu
3. Add Screen Recording to the menu
4. Now you can start/stop without opening Control Center

Record in landscape for better video quality:

• Most apps and games look better in landscape
• Rotate your iPhone before starting the recording

Clean your home screen before tutorials:

• Hide sensitive widgets or personal info
• iOS captures everything visible on screen

Turn off Auto-Lock:

• Settings → Display & Brightness → Auto-Lock → Never
• Prevents screen from locking during long recordings

Most users don’t know this but you can record your screen while using AirPlay to mirror on a TV. The recording captures what’s on your iPhone, not the TV output.

Optional: Best Apps for Editing Screen Recordings

If you need more than basic trimming, these apps work great with screen recordings:

For quick edits:

• iMovie (free, built-in) — Add titles, transitions, music
• Clips (free) — Add text, stickers, effects

For professional editing:

• LumaFusion ($29.99) — Multi-track editing, chroma key, audio mixing
• CapCut (free) — Popular for social media content, templates

For annotations:

• Screen Record+ (free) — Add arrows, text, callouts directly on recordings

You don’t need these for basic recordings, but they’re helpful if you’re creating tutorials or YouTube content.

Final Best Practices & Wrap-Up

Screen recording on iPhone is incredibly useful once you know how to set it up properly. Here’s a quick recap:

Before recording:

• Enable screen record in Control Center through Settings
• Turn on Do Not Disturb to avoid notification interruptions
• Check storage space (you’ll need at least 1GB for longer recordings)

If you’re unsure what’s taking up iCloud space, the iCloud Storage Analysis Tool can scan your account and help you identify large files or backups before recording.

While recording:

• Enable the microphone if you need voiceover narration
• Keep your iPhone plugged in for recordings over 10 minutes
• Avoid opening apps with sensitive information

After recording:

• Trim immediately in Photos to save storage
• Share via AirDrop or upload to cloud storage
• Delete recordings you no longer need to free up space

If you run into issues like no sound or black screens, double-check the troubleshooting section above. Most problems have simple fixes like enabling the microphone or checking app permissions.

Now you’re ready to record tutorials, capture gameplay, or save important information from your iPhone screen with confidence.