Screen recording is built into every iPhone, but you have to add it to Control Center first

Apple includes screen recording as a standard feature on all iPhones running iOS 11 or later, but it does not appear in Control Center by default. You have to add it yourself through Settings. Once you do, you can record your screen with one tap, and the video saves directly to your Photos app.

The process takes about one minute and works the same way on iPhone 12, iPhone 13, iPhone 14, iPhone 15, and newer models. Older iPhones use the same steps but may have slightly different Settings layouts.

Key Takeaways

  • Screen recording is a built-in iPhone feature that you activate by adding it to Control Center through Settings.
  • Once added, you open Control Center and tap the screen recording button to start and stop recording.
  • Recorded videos save automatically to your Photos app in a folder called "Videos" or "Recently Added".
  • You can record audio from your iPhone, your microphone, or both at the same time.
  • Screen recordings use storage space on your phone, so delete old recordings if you run low on space.

How to add screen recording to Control Center

Open the Settings app on your iPhone. Scroll down and tap Control Center. You will see a list of features you can add, with a green plus sign next to each one.

Find Screen Recording in the list and tap the green plus sign next to it. The plus sign will turn into a minus sign, which means screen recording is now added to your Control Center. Close Settings — you are done.

The next time you open Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner of your screen (or swiping up from the bottom on older iPhones), you will see a circle icon with a dot in the middle. That is the screen recording button.

How to start and stop a screen recording

Open Control Center and tap the screen recording button (the circle with a dot). A three-second countdown will appear on your screen, then recording starts. Everything you do on your iPhone — apps, text, video, web pages — will be recorded along with audio from your speakers.

To stop recording, tap the red bar that appears at the top of your screen, or open Control Center again and tap the screen recording button a second time. Your video saves automatically to your Photos app. You can find it by opening Photos, tapping the Library tab, and scrolling to the Videos section.

Recording audio with your screen

By default, screen recording captures sound from your iPhone's speakers — music, video dialogue, notification sounds, everything. If you want to add your own voice or record from an external microphone, you need to change the audio settings before you start.

Press and hold the screen recording button in Control Center (do not just tap it). A menu will appear with options for Microphone Audio. Tap On to include your microphone, or Off to record only what your iPhone is playing. Then tap Start Recording to begin.

If you want both your iPhone's audio and your microphone at the same time, you will need a third-party app like ScreenFlow or Mobizen, because the built-in screen recording tool records one or the other, not both.

Where your recordings are saved

Screen recordings save to your Photos app automatically. Open Photos, tap Library at the bottom, and look for the Videos section. Your most recent recordings appear at the top.

Each recording takes up storage space on your phone — roughly 100 to 150 megabytes per minute, depending on your screen brightness and how much is moving on screen. If you are running low on storage, delete old recordings by opening Photos, tapping Select, choosing the videos you want to remove, and tapping Delete.

You can also move recordings to cloud storage like iCloud, Google Drive, or Dropbox by opening the video in Photos, tapping Share, and choosing where to send it.

Removing screen recording from Control Center

If you added screen recording but do not use it, you can remove it to make room for other shortcuts. Open Settings, tap Control Center, find Screen Recording, and tap the red minus sign next to it. The feature stays on your iPhone — you just will not see it in Control Center anymore.

You can add it back anytime by following the same steps and tapping the green plus sign.

Troubleshooting screen recording problems

If screen recording is not working, check that you have enough storage space on your iPhone. Screen recordings cannot save if your phone is nearly full. Go to Settings, tap General, then iPhone Storage to see how much space you have left.

If the screen recording button does not appear in Control Center even after you added it, restart your iPhone by holding the power button until the shutdown slider appears, then slide to power off. Wait a few seconds and turn it back on.

If your recording stops unexpectedly or the video is corrupted, try restarting your iPhone and making sure you are running the latest version of iOS. Go to Settings, tap General, then Software Update to check.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I record just part of my screen instead of the whole thing?

The built-in screen recording tool records your entire screen. If you need to record only a portion, you will need a third-party app like Mobizen, ScreenFlow, or Reflector. These apps let you select a specific area before you start recording.

Does screen recording drain my battery?

Yes, screen recording uses more battery than normal use because your iPhone is processing video constantly. A 10-minute recording typically drains 5 to 10 percent of your battery. Plug in your phone if you plan to record for longer than 15 minutes.

Can I edit my screen recording after I save it?

Yes. Open Photos, find your recording, tap Edit, and you can trim the beginning or end by dragging the sliders at the bottom. You cannot cut out the middle or add effects with the built-in Photos app, but you can use iMovie or other video editing apps for more control.

What happens if someone calls me while I am recording?

An incoming call will pause your screen recording. When you hang up, recording does not resume automatically — you have to start it again. The paused recording saves as a separate video.

Can I record FaceTime calls with screen recording?

Yes, but the other person will see a notification that you are recording. Apple requires this for privacy. The audio from both sides of the call will be included in your recording.