How to Set Up and Use Screen Recording on Android and iPhone

Published 2026-10-16 · Marion Phone Repair

Screen recording captures everything happening on your phone screen as a video file. It is useful for creating tutorials, recording gameplay, saving video calls, documenting bugs, recording social media content before it disappears, or showing someone how to do something on their phone. Both Android and iPhone have built-in screen recorders that require no additional apps — you just need to know where to find them and how to configure audio and recording quality settings for the best results.

Screen recording on iPhone

Add screen recording to Control Center

1. Open Settings, Control Center
2. Find Screen Recording and tap the green plus icon to add it. You only need to do this once

Start a screen recording

1. Swipe down from the top-right corner (Face ID) or swipe up from the bottom (Home button) to open Control Center
2. Tap the Screen Recording button (circle inside a circle). A three-second countdown begins, then recording starts. A red indicator confirms recording is active
3. Navigate to whatever you want to record. Everything on screen is captured including notifications

Record with audio

• Long-press the Screen Recording button in Control Center instead of tapping. A menu appears with a Microphone toggle. Tap the Microphone icon to turn it on (turns red when active), then tap Start Recording
• With the microphone on, the recording captures both the screen and external audio. With the microphone off, only internal app audio is captured

Stop recording

• Tap the red status bar indicator and confirm Stop Recording. Or open Control Center and tap the Screen Recording button again
• The video saves automatically to Photos. A notification confirms the save

Edit the recording

• Open the recording in Photos and tap Edit. Trim the beginning and end by dragging timeline handles. This removes Control Center opening and closing at the start and end
• For advanced editing (text, combining clips, music), use iMovie (free) or a third-party video editor

Screen recording on Android

Stock Android (Pixel, Motorola, Android 11 and later)

1. Swipe down twice to fully expand Quick Settings
2. Find the Screen Record tile. If not visible, tap the edit icon to add it
3. Tap Screen Record. Choose: Record Audio (Device Audio, Microphone, or both) and Show Touches on Screen (useful for tutorials)
4. Tap Start. A countdown begins and recording starts
5. To stop: pull down the notification shade and tap Stop. The video saves to Screen Recordings or Movies folder

Samsung phones

1. Swipe down to open Quick Settings. Find the Screen Recorder tile
2. Choose sound settings: No Sound, Media Sounds, or Media Sounds and Mic
3. Recording starts after countdown. A floating toolbar appears with pause, stop, and front camera controls
4. Samsung includes extra features: tap the pencil icon to draw on screen during recording. Tap the person icon to overlay your front camera as a small circle in the corner
5. Stop by tapping Stop on the floating toolbar. Video saves to Gallery in Screen Recordings album

Recording settings and quality

• Resolution: Most built-in recorders capture at native resolution. On Android some let you choose lower resolution to reduce file size
• Frame rate: Typically 30 FPS. Samsung allows 60 FPS on some models. Higher frame rate means smoother video but larger files
• File size: A 10-minute recording at 1080p 30fps typically generates 200 to 500 MB depending on content complexity
• Storage: Check available storage before long recordings. Settings, Storage shows free space

Common screen recording issues

• No audio: You did not enable audio before starting. Stop and start a new recording with microphone or device audio enabled
• Black screen: Some apps block recording for security or DRM. Banking apps and streaming services (Netflix, Disney Plus) show black in recordings. This is intentional and cannot be bypassed normally
• Notifications in recording: Enable Do Not Disturb before recording to prevent notifications from appearing in the video
• Recording stops unexpectedly: Phone calls can pause or stop recordings. Low storage also causes unexpected stops

Tips for better recordings

• Clean up your screen: Close unnecessary apps and clear notifications before recording
• Use Do Not Disturb: Enable DND to prevent interruptions from appearing in your recording
• Practice first: Do a short test recording to check audio levels and that content is captured correctly
• Show touches: For tutorials, enable Show Touches so viewers see exactly where you tap on the screen. This visual indicator makes instructional content much easier to follow
• Landscape vs portrait: Consider the orientation before recording. Landscape recordings look better when shared on YouTube or viewed on computers. Portrait recordings work better for social media stories and TikTok. The recording captures whatever orientation your phone is in when you start

Screen recording help in Marion

If screen recording is not working on your phone, if recordings have no audio, or if you need help setting up screen capture for a specific purpose, Marion Phone Repair can configure your phone screen recording settings and troubleshoot any issues with the recording feature.