How to Screen Record on iPhone (2026): Sound, Trims and Fixes

Screen recording on an iPhone is one of those small skills that saves a surprising amount of time. If you run a business, it's the quickest way to show a client where a setting lives, record a short walkthrough of your app or website, capture a bug for your developer, or film a demo for social media without any extra kit. Everything you need is already built into iOS.

This guide follows Apple's own support pages for screen recording, Control Center and editing videos in Photos. Apple's menus shift a little between iOS releases, so if a label on your phone looks slightly different, the idea is the same. I'll flag where the steps depend on your version. If you want to go further with video after this, my guide to creating promo videos on your iPhone picks up where this one stops.

Put the Screen Recording button in your iPhone Control Center

Apple says the Record button normally sits in Control Center. If you can't see it, you'll need to add it first. On recent iOS versions you customise Control Center from Control Center itself:

1. Open Control Center. On an iPhone with Face ID, swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen. On an iPhone with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom.
2. Tap the plus button at the top left of Control Center to start editing.
3. Tap Add a Control at the bottom of the screen to open the controls gallery.
4. Tap Screen Recording to add it.
5. Drag the new control to wherever you'd like it, then swipe up from the bottom centre of the screen (or press the Home button) to finish.

On older iOS versions, the controls were managed in the Settings app instead, under Control Center. If your phone hasn't been updated for a while and you don't see a plus button, look there.

Start and stop an iPhone screen recording

Once the button's in place, the recording itself takes a few seconds. These are Apple's steps:

1. Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen to open Control Center.
2. Tap the grey Record button and wait for the three-second countdown.
3. Leave Control Center. Everything that happens on your screen is now being recorded.
4. To stop, tap the red Screen Recording indicator at the top of the screen, then tap Stop. You can also open Control Center again and tap the red Record button.

Use the countdown to get ready. I like to open the app or page I'm going to show before I start, so the recording doesn't begin with me hunting through my home screen.

Recording your voice over an iPhone screen recording

A silent recording is fine for a quick bug report, but a tutorial or client walkthrough lands better when you talk people through it. Apple's steps for adding microphone audio are:

1. Open Control Center.
2. Touch and hold the grey Record button instead of tapping it.
3. Tap the Microphone button to turn it on.
4. Tap the Record button, wait for the countdown, then leave Control Center.
5. Stop the recording the same way as before.

Your phone remembers the microphone setting, so check it before your next recording if you don't want your voice, or the noise of your office, on the video.

• Record somewhere quiet, and turn on a Focus mode so notifications don't pop up on screen mid-demo.
• Hold the phone a little closer than usual if you're speaking over a busy screen.
• Keep each recording short. Several short clips are easier to trim and share than one long one.

Finding and trimming your iPhone screen recording in Photos

Apple says finished recordings go into the Photos app, in your Library. They sit alongside your other videos, so the newest one will be at the bottom of the library grid.

Most recordings have a fumbled start and a fumbled finish where you open and close Control Center. Apple's Photos app can trim those off:

1. Open Photos and tap the screen recording.
2. Tap Edit.
3. Drag the handles at each end of the timeline to set new start and end points. Tap Play to preview.
4. Tap Done, then choose Save Video to keep only the trimmed version, or Save Video as New Clip to keep the original as well.

If you trim too much, Apple's steps let you open the video, tap Edit, then tap Revert to go back to the original. Once it's tidy, you can share it from Photos by email, Messages or AirDrop, or upload it to your social channels.

What iPhone screen recording won't capture

Screen recording is handy, but it has limits, and some of them are deliberate.

• Some apps block it. Apple's page explains that some apps don't allow audio or video recording, so you may end up with a blank or incomplete capture. Streaming and banking apps are typical examples.
• You can't mirror and record at once. Apple says you can't record your screen and use screen mirroring at the same time.
• Calls and other people's content. Just because your phone can record something doesn't mean you should. If you're recording a video call or a private conversation, tell the other people first, and check the rules where you are.
• Private details. Notifications, messages and email previews can all appear in a recording. Clear your screen and switch on a Focus mode before you start, especially if the video's going to a client.

When the iPhone Record button is greyed out or silent

If something isn't working, run through these checks in order.

• Record button missing. Add it to Control Center using the steps above.
• Record button greyed out. Screen Time restrictions can switch screen recording off. In Apple's parental control settings, the Game Center section of the content restrictions includes a Screen Recording option. If you manage the phone yourself, check Screen Time in Settings. If it's a work or family-managed phone, the person who set it up may need to change it.
• No sound on the video. The microphone was probably off. Touch and hold the Record button and make sure Microphone is turned on before you start.
• Black screen in one app. That app is likely blocking recording, as described above. There's no setting to override it.
• Recording won't save. Check you've got enough free storage, then restart your iPhone and try a short test recording.
• Can't find the video. Open Photos, go to your Library and scroll to the most recent items.

Ways businesses use iPhone screen recordings

Once you've got the hang of it, you'll find plenty of uses. Here are a few I'd suggest to any small business owner:

• Show a customer exactly where to tap in your app or booking system, instead of writing a long email.
• Record a quick tour of a new website page and send it to your team for feedback.
• Capture an error message as it happens, so your developer or support team can see the steps that caused it.
• Film a short demo of a tool or process for an Instagram Story, a Reel or a LinkedIn post.
• Build a small library of how-to clips for staff onboarding.

If you need features the built-in tool doesn't have, such as webcam overlays, longer edits or recording on a computer, my roundup of screen recording software covers the wider options, and Android users can follow my guide to recording the screen on an Android phone.

iPhone screen recording at a glance

Task	Where to do it	What to remember
Add the Record button	Control Center, plus button, Add a Control	Older iOS uses Settings, then Control Center
Start recording	Control Center, grey Record button	Wait for the three-second countdown
Add your voice	Touch and hold Record, then Microphone	The setting stays on until you change it
Stop recording	Red indicator at the top, then Stop	Or tap the red Record button
Find and trim	Photos, Library, then Edit	Save as New Clip keeps the original

Frequently asked questions

Where do iPhone screen recordings go?

They save to the Photos app, in your Library, with your other videos. The newest recording appears at the bottom of the library grid.

How do I screen record on my iPhone with sound?

Open Control Center, touch and hold the Record button, tap Microphone to turn it on, then tap Record. That records your voice through the microphone along with the screen.

Why is screen recording greyed out on my iPhone?

It's often a Screen Time content restriction. Check Screen Time in Settings, where the Game Center section of the content restrictions includes a Screen Recording option, or ask whoever manages the phone.

Why does my screen recording show a black screen?

Some apps don't allow their content to be recorded, so the recording comes out blank or incomplete. There's no setting that changes this.

Can I cut the start and end off a screen recording?

Yes. Open the video in Photos, tap Edit, drag the handles on the timeline, then tap Done and save it as a new clip or replace the original.