How to Screen Record on iPhone, With or Without Sound

To screen record on an iPhone, swipe down from the top right corner to open Control Center, tap the Screen Recording button, and wait for the three second countdown. Tap the red timer or the red dot at the top of the screen when you are done. The video saves to Photos.

If you do not see the button, you have to add it once. That one missing step is why most people think their iPhone cannot record its screen. Here is the whole thing, plus the two mistakes that ruin a recording.

The Short Answer

Open Control Center. Swipe down from the top right corner.
Tap Screen Recording. It looks like a solid circle inside a ring.
Add sound. Touch and hold the button, tap Microphone, then Start Recording.
Stop. Tap the red circle or red timer at the top, then tap Stop.
Find it. Photos, then Collections, then Media Types, then Screen Recordings.
Before you record. Turn on Do Not Disturb so private texts do not end up in the video.

Step 1. Add the Screen Recording Button to Control Center

You only do this once. After that, the button stays in Control Center.

On iOS 18 and Later

Since iOS 18, you add controls from inside Control Center itself. These steps follow Apple's iPhone User Guide.

Swipe down from the top right corner to open Control Center.
Touch and hold an empty part of the background to start editing.
Tap Add a Control at the bottom of the screen.
Find Screen Recording in the controls gallery. ZDNET notes you can search for it by name.
Tap it to add it, then drag it where you want it.
Swipe up from the bottom center to close Control Center.

On iOS 17 or Earlier

CNET's guide covers older phones that cannot run iOS 18. Open Settings, tap Control Center, scroll to More Controls, and tap the green plus next to Screen Recording.

On an iPhone With a Home Button

Apple says you open Control Center by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, not down from the top. Everything else is the same.

Step 2. Start Recording

Open Control Center.
Tap the gray Screen Recording button.
Wait for the three second countdown. On iPhones with a Dynamic Island, CNET notes the countdown shows up there.
Swipe up to close Control Center, then do what you want to record.

Use the countdown to get out of Control Center. ZDNET points out that if Control Center shows up at the start of the clip, you can trim it off later.

How to Screen Record With Sound

There are two kinds of sound, and people mix them up.

Sound from the phone. ZDNET says a recording captures sound the phone itself plays while you record.
Your voice. That needs the microphone. Touch and hold the Screen Recording button, tap Microphone so it turns on, then tap Start Recording.

To turn the microphone off later, CNET says to touch and hold the button again and tap Microphone. If your voice is missing, check this first, then restart the phone.

Step 3. Stop the Recording

Apple gives two ways, based on your model.

iPhone with a Dynamic Island. Tap the red circle at the top of the screen, then tap the stop button.
Every other iPhone. Tap the red timer at the top left of the screen, then tap Stop.

You can also open Control Center and tap the red Record button. ZDNET says that stops the recording right away with no confirmation.

Apple says screen recordings save to your photo library on their own. To see only those, open Photos, tap Collections, scroll down to Media Types, and tap Screen Recordings.

To cut the start or end, follow Apple's trim steps.

Open the video in Photos and tap Edit.
Drag either end of the frame viewer to set the new start and stop.
Tap Done.
Tap Save Video to keep only the trimmed clip, or Save Video as New Clip to keep both.

Apple says you can undo a trim later with Revert, but a clip saved as a new clip cannot be reverted. To send it, tap the Share button and pick Messages, Mail, AirDrop or any app.

Keep Private Things Out of Your Recording

This is the step almost every guide skips. A screen recording captures everything on the screen. ZDNET lists notifications and pop ups among the things it records.

That means a text, a bank alert or a sign in code can pop up halfway through a clip you plan to share. Do these three things first.

Turn on Do Not Disturb from Control Center so banners stay hidden.
Close apps you do not want shown, like banking or email.
Watch the clip before you send it. Trim out anything private.

A warning while we are here. Never record or share your screen because a caller asked you to. A stranger who wants to see your screen can see your codes and account details too. Our guides to AI voice scam calls and how to stop spam calls explain how these calls work.

Why Your Screen Recording Is Black or Will Not Start

The app blocks it. Apple says some apps do not allow their content to be recorded. ZDNET notes this is common with streaming services. A black video is the usual sign.
You are mirroring. Apple says you cannot screen record and use screen mirroring at the same time. Stop AirPlay first.
The button is missing. Go back to Step 1 and add it.
Not enough storage. Videos take space. Our guide on how to clear the cache on your iPhone shows where to free some up.

Pick SDR or HDR Before You Record

Few people know this setting exists. In iOS 27, open Settings, tap General, then tap Screen Capture. Apple's guide gives you two formats.

SDR. Standard brightness and color. Apple says screen recordings use HEVC. This is the safe pick for videos you send to other people.
HDR. More brightness and color, saved as HEVC in HDR10. Apple says it needs an HDR display to show full quality, and HDR recordings play back with slightly lower quality on standard screens.

If a recording looks washed out or too bright on someone else's phone or laptop, switch to SDR and record it again.

Can You Screen Record a Phone Call?

You do not need to. Since iOS 18, the Phone app has its own call recording in many countries. Apple's steps are simple.

Start a call in the Phone app.
Tap the button for more options, then tap Call Recording.
Both people hear an audio notice that the call is being recorded.
Tap stop or hang up. The recording saves to a Call Recordings folder in the Notes app.

Apple says to make sure the other person is willing to be recorded. It also lists places where call recording is not offered, including the European Union, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Turkey.

The Bottom Line

Add the Screen Recording button to Control Center once. Then swipe down, tap it, and wait three seconds. Touch and hold it to turn on the microphone. Stop it from the red timer or red dot, and find the video in Photos under Screen Recordings. Turn on Do Not Disturb first, and watch the clip before you share it.

Keep Reading

Apple keeps changing Control Center and its capture tools. Follow the latest in our devices news, or browse more plain tech advice.

Questions Readers Ask

How do I turn on screen recording on my iPhone?

Add the Screen Recording button to Control Center. Swipe down from the top right corner, touch and hold the background, tap Add a Control, then tap Screen Recording. On iOS 17 or earlier, open Settings, tap Control Center, and tap the green plus next to Screen Recording.

How do I screen record with sound on iPhone?

Open Control Center and touch and hold the Screen Recording button. Tap Microphone to turn it on, then tap Start Recording. Sound your phone plays is captured too. The microphone adds your voice on top.

Where do screen recordings go on iPhone?

Apple says they save to your photo library automatically. Open Photos, tap Collections, scroll to Media Types, then tap Screen Recordings.

Why is my iPhone screen recording black or silent?

Apple says some apps do not allow their content to be recorded. Streaming video apps are the usual case. You also cannot screen record while you use screen mirroring.

Can I screen record a phone call on my iPhone?

Use the Phone app's own call recording instead. On iOS 18 and later, tap the button for more options during a call, then tap Call Recording. Both people hear a notice that the call is being recorded, and the recording saves to the Notes app. It is not offered in some places, including the European Union.

Does screen recording show notifications?

Yes. Everything on the screen is captured, including notifications and pop ups. Turn on Do Not Disturb before you record so texts and codes do not show up in the video.

How do I trim a screen recording on iPhone?

Open the video in Photos and tap Edit. Drag either end of the frame viewer to set where it starts and stops, then tap Done. Choose Save Video to keep only the trimmed clip, or Save Video as New Clip to keep both.