Screen recording is built into every iPhone, but you have to add it to Control Center first
Your iPhone can record everything happening on your screen — apps, websites, games, video calls — but the screen record button does not appear in Control Center by default. You have to add it yourself in Settings. Once you do, you can start recording in seconds by swiping down from the top-right corner (or up from the bottom on older iPhones) and tapping the record button.
The process takes about two minutes and works the same way on every iPhone model running iOS 11 or newer. After you add it, the button stays there until you remove it.
Key Takeaways
- Screen recording is a built-in iPhone feature that you activate by adding a button to Control Center through Settings.
- You open Settings, tap Control Center, scroll to "Screen Recording", and tap the green plus sign next to it.
- Once added, you start recording by opening Control Center and tapping the red circle icon.
- Your iPhone records audio from the screen by default, but you can mute it before you start recording if you want video only.
- Recordings save to your Photos app in a folder called "Videos" and take up storage space depending on how long you record.
Step-by-step: Adding screen record to Control Center
Step 1: Open Settings. Tap the gray gear icon on your home screen. If you cannot find it, swipe left on your home screen until you see the search box at the top, type "Settings", and tap the result.
Step 2: Tap Control Center. Scroll down the Settings menu until you see "Control Center" and tap it. You will see a list of features you can add or remove from Control Center.
Step 3: Find Screen Recording. Scroll down through the list until you see "Screen Recording" with a red circle icon next to it. This is the feature you are adding.
Step 4: Tap the green plus sign. On the left side of "Screen Recording", you will see a green circle with a plus sign inside it. Tap it once. The plus sign will turn into a minus sign, which means screen recording is now added to your Control Center.
Step 5: Close Settings. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen or tap the home button to exit Settings. You are done — screen recording is now ready to use.
How to start and stop a screen recording
Once you have added screen recording to Control Center, opening it takes one or two swipes. On iPhone X and newer, swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen. On iPhone 8 and older, swipe up from the bottom of the screen. Control Center will slide into view.
You will see a red circle icon labeled "Screen Recording" (or just a red circle if your Control Center is crowded). Tap it once to start recording. Your screen will flash white for three seconds as a countdown, then recording begins. The time at the top of your screen will turn red to show you are recording.
To stop recording, open Control Center again and tap the red circle a second time. The recording stops immediately and saves to your Photos app. You can also stop recording by tapping the red time display at the top of your screen and confirming you want to stop.
Recording with or without audio
By default, screen recording captures sound from your iPhone — app audio, voice calls, notifications, everything. If you want to record video only without any sound, you can mute the audio before you start.
When you open Control Center and see the screen recording icon, press and hold it (do not just tap). A menu will appear with two options: "Microphone Audio" and "System Audio". If "Microphone Audio" is turned on (it will have a line through the microphone icon if it is off), tap it to turn it off. This stops your iPhone from recording any sound. Then tap "Screen Recording" to start recording silently.
If you want to record audio from your iPhone but not from your microphone — for example, if you are recording a game and do not want to hear yourself breathing — turn off "Microphone Audio" but leave "System Audio" on. The menu closes after you make your choice, and recording starts immediately.
Where your recordings save and how much space they use
Every screen recording saves automatically to your Photos app in the "Videos" folder. Open Photos, tap the "Albums" tab at the bottom, scroll down, and tap "Videos" to see all your recordings. From there you can watch, edit, delete, or share them like any other video.
Screen recordings take up storage space quickly. A one-minute recording at standard quality uses roughly 50 to 100 megabytes, depending on how much is moving on your screen. A ten-minute recording might use 500 megabytes to 1 gigabyte. If your iPhone is running low on storage, long recordings can fill it up fast. You can delete recordings from the Videos folder to free up space, or move them to your computer or cloud storage.
Troubleshooting: Screen recording is not working
If you added screen recording to Control Center but the button does not appear, restart your iPhone. Swipe up from the bottom (or down from the top-right on newer models) to open Control Center. If you still do not see the red circle icon, go back to Settings, tap Control Center, and check that the minus sign is showing next to "Screen Recording". If it shows a plus sign instead, tap it again to add it.
If screen recording starts but stops immediately or crashes, close all other apps first. Screen recording uses a lot of processing power, and running too many apps at once can cause it to fail. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen twice to see all your open apps, swipe up on each one to close it, then try recording again.
If your recording saves but you cannot find it in Photos, open the Photos app, tap "Albums" at the bottom, and scroll all the way down to "Videos". If it is not there, the recording may have failed to save. Try recording again with fewer apps open.
What you can and cannot record
Screen recording captures everything visible on your screen, including apps, websites, and games. However, some apps block screen recording for copyright or security reasons. If you try to record in an app like Netflix, Disney+, or your banking app, the screen will go black during the recording, or the app will show a message saying it cannot be recorded. This is intentional — the app developer has locked it down.
You can still record the rest of your screen while that app is open, but the protected app will appear blank in your video. If you need to record something from a protected app, you may need to use a different method, like taking screenshots or asking the app developer if they offer an export option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I record just part of my screen instead of the whole thing?
No. iPhone screen recording captures your entire screen from edge to edge. If you want to record only part of your screen, you would need to use a third-party app from the App Store, but the built-in feature records everything.
Does screen recording drain my battery?
Yes, it uses more battery than normal use because your iPhone is processing video constantly. A long recording can drain 10 to 20 percent of your battery. If you are recording for more than a few minutes, plug your iPhone in or have a charger nearby.
Can I record while using FaceTime or another video call?
Yes, you can record FaceTime calls, but the other person will see a notification that you are recording. Some other apps block recording during calls for privacy reasons. Always tell the other person you are recording before you start.
What happens if I run out of storage while recording?
Your iPhone will stop recording and show a message saying storage is full. The partial recording may or may not save. Delete some videos or photos from your Photos app, then try recording again.
Can I edit my screen recording after I save it?
Yes. Open Photos, go to Videos, tap the recording you want to edit, tap "Edit" at the top right, and you can trim the beginning or end. You cannot cut out the middle or add effects with the built-in editor, but you can trim and save a new version.