How to Screen Record Your iPhone or iPad - MacRumors
Skip to Content

How to Screen Record Your iPhone or iPad

by

iOS comes with a handy new Control Center function that allows you to record what you're doing on your screen. It's great if you want to capture gameplay, walk someone through a tutorial in an app, demonstrate a bug, and more, and it's available on both iPhones and iPads.


Enabling Screen Recording Button

If you don't have the screen recording icon in Control Center, you can add it in the Settings app.

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Choose Control Center.
  3. Select "Customize Controls." ios11enablingscreenrecording
  4. Tap the + button next to "Screen Recording" to add it to the "Include" section.

How to Record Your Screen

  1. Bring up the Control Center.
  2. Tap the icon for screen recording. It's two nested circles. ios11screenrecording
  3. Your iPhone or iPad will start recording video of your screen automatically following a three second countdown.

While screen recording is turned on, a red bar is plastered across the top of the display so it's clear when you're recording and when you're not.

ios11screenrecordingredbanner

Ending a Recording

To stop recording the screen, you can go back to Control Center and toggle the screen recording icon, or your can tap the red bar at the top of the screen and confirm you want to end the recording. The video you made is then saved to the Photos app.

screenrecordingsavedios11

Screen Recording Options

There are a few options that are available when making a screen recording, which can be accessed directly in the Control Center. To bring up these options, simply 3D Touch on the screen recording icon.

ios11screenrecording3dtouch
From this menu, you can start a screen recording and toggle microphone audio on or off. These are the only options that are available for the feature -- it's fairly basic.

Related Forum: iOS 11

Top Rated Comments

trusso Avatar
119 months ago
I get that exact same option on my iPhone 6+ by just tapping and holding on the screen recording icon.

Really haven't felt I've been missing out on anything over the past several years by not having 3D touch on my iPhone.
You're not. I upgraded to a 6S last year for the larger internal storage, and I've forgotten 3D touch was even a thing. I never use it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rob.james.arias Avatar
119 months ago
Aka “How to record those Snaps”
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kdarling Avatar
118 months ago
Starting a Recording
[LIST=1]
* Bring up the Control Center.
* Tap the icon for screen recording. It's two nested circles.

Dear UI vetters at Apple (if you even exist any more):

Please add labels to all your icons, so that people who don't memorize them, and/or older people like my Mom, can figure out what the heck each icon does.

Thank you. Oh, and don't let Ive design any part of an UI any more, please.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Glassed Silver Avatar
119 months ago
I get that exact same option on my iPhone 6+ by just tapping and holding on the screen recording icon.

Really haven't felt I've been missing out on anything over the past several years by not having 3D touch on my iPhone.
Contextual previews (linked webpages or maps for example) are a Godsent.

I used to be pretty indifferent about them, thinking it might be a cool feature, but ever since I got my 6S Plus I can honestly say it made iOS a lot more convenient to me.

My iPad Air feels outright awkward without it.

Glassed Silver:win
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
aircanman Avatar
119 months ago
I’d like to see an option where it highlights where on the screen you press. This would make it easier for creating tutorial videos.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
119 months ago
Accessing Screen Recording Options

There are a few options that are available when making a screen recording, which can be accessed directly in the Control Center. To bring up these options, simply 3D Touch on the screen recording icon.



From this menu, you can start a screen recording and toggle microphone audio on or off. These are the only options that are available for the feature -- it's fairly basic.
I get that exact same option on my iPhone 6+ by just tapping and holding on the screen recording icon.

Really haven't felt I've been missing out on anything over the past several years by not having 3D touch on my iPhone.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone duo standby

Apple Retail Staff Told to Warn Against iPhone Duo Walk-In Purchases

Saturday October 17, 2026 2:30 pm PDT by
Some Apple retail employees have been told to warn customers against visiting to purchase an iPhone Duo without a pre-order on Friday, October 23. Apple Store employees told MacRumors that they have been advised that there will likely be no iPhone Duo stock available for walk-in purchases on launch day. Staff have been instructed to discourage customers without pre-orders from coming in...
iPhone Handoff Feature

Verizon Will Charge $10 a Month for iPhone Handoff

Friday October 16, 2026 4:37 pm PDT by
Verizon plans to charge customers $10 per month for the iPhone Handoff feature that Apple added in iOS 27. iPhone Handoff allows one phone number to be shared across two separate iPhones. Pricing was included in Verizon's iPhone Duo announcement today, with the carrier confirming iPhone Handoff will work with the iPhone Duo and the iPhone 18 Pro models. Verizon will support iPhone Handoff,...
iphone duo feature

Mark Gurman: Apple Made 'Major Mistake' With iPhone Duo Pre-Orders

Sunday October 18, 2026 7:33 am PDT by
Despite knowing that the iPhone Duo would face "severe supply constraints" due to manufacturing challenges, Apple chose to begin iPhone Duo pre-orders on Friday instead of waiting until it had more inventory ready, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, he called this decision a "major mistake." "Let me cut to the chase: Apple made a major mistake here," he...
Latest Stories
Apple Seeds macOS Golden Gate 27.2 Release Candidate to Developers
Apple Seeds macOS Golden Gate 27.2 Release Candidate to Developers
16 minutes ago
Apple Releases iOS 27.2 Release Candidate
Apple Releases iOS 27.2 Release Candidate
18 minutes ago
Apple Seeds watchOS 27.2, tvOS 27.2 and visionOS 27.2 Release Candidates
Apple Seeds watchOS 27.2, tvOS 27.2 and visionOS 27.2 Release Candidates
19 minutes ago
Samsung Slashes Prices on Frame TVs With Biggest Savings Yet for 2026 Models
Samsung Slashes Prices on Frame TVs With Biggest Savings Yet for 2026 Models
23 minutes ago
RIP, MacBook Ultra
RIP, MacBook Ultra
1 hour ago
Apple Announcing New Products Next Week: 'Pro and Tell'
Apple Announcing New Products Next Week: 'Pro and Tell'
2 hours ago
GM Says Apple Wallet Car Keys Coming to These Vehicles
GM Says Apple Wallet Car Keys Coming to These Vehicles
4 hours ago
Amazon Offers $900 Off 2026 16-Inch MacBook Pro With M5 Max Chip
Amazon Offers $900 Off 2026 16-Inch MacBook Pro With M5 Max Chip
5 hours ago
Amazon Discounts New Mac Mini by Up to $149, Mac Studio by $200
Amazon Discounts New Mac Mini by Up to $149, Mac Studio by $200
21 hours ago
Apple Expected to Release New Products on Next Four Fridays
Apple Expected to Release New Products on Next Four Fridays
1 day ago
Apple Reveals iPhone Duo's Battery Capacity
Apple Reveals iPhone Duo's Battery Capacity
1 day ago
Apple Planning 'HomeView Max' With 9-Inch, 360-Degree Screen
Apple Planning 'HomeView Max' With 9-Inch, 360-Degree Screen
1 day ago
Mark Gurman: Apple Made 'Major Mistake' With iPhone Duo Pre-Orders
Mark Gurman: Apple Made 'Major Mistake' With iPhone Duo Pre-Orders
1 day ago
Apple Retail Staff Told to Warn Against iPhone Duo Walk-In Purchases
Apple Retail Staff Told to Warn Against iPhone Duo Walk-In Purchases
2 days ago
Apple Hires Former Meta Lawyer to Oversee Global Litigation
Apple Hires Former Meta Lawyer to Oversee Global Litigation
2 days ago
Top Stories: Apple HomeView, New Apple TV and HomePod mini, and Sold-Out iPhone Duo
Top Stories: Apple HomeView, New Apple TV and HomePod mini, and Sold-Out iPhone Duo
2 days ago
Verizon Will Charge $10 a Month for iPhone Handoff
Verizon Will Charge $10 a Month for iPhone Handoff
3 days ago
Apple Calls iPhone Duo Demand 'Extraordinary' After Orders Slip to 2027
Apple Calls iPhone Duo Demand 'Extraordinary' After Orders Slip to 2027
3 days ago
New App Store Rules Target AI Deepfakes and Nudify Apps
New App Store Rules Target AI Deepfakes and Nudify Apps
3 days ago
Didn't Pre-Order Apple's HomeView? Here's How Long the Wait is Now
Didn't Pre-Order Apple's HomeView? Here's How Long the Wait is Now
3 days ago
Apple's $79 iPhone Duo Case Sticks On With Adhesive
Apple's $79 iPhone Duo Case Sticks On With Adhesive
3 days ago
Apple TV 4K and HomePod Mini Price Increases 'Much More Striking' Than New Features
Apple TV 4K and HomePod Mini Price Increases 'Much More Striking' Than New Features
3 days ago
The MacRumors Show: Was HomeView Worth the Wait?
The MacRumors Show: Was HomeView Worth the Wait?
3 days ago
Apple Refers to HomeView as 'HomePodDevice' in Legal Document
Apple Refers to HomeView as 'HomePodDevice' in Legal Document
3 days ago
Apple Pre-Orders Kick Off With First Discounts on HomeView and Apple TV 4K
Apple Pre-Orders Kick Off With First Discounts on HomeView and Apple TV 4K
3 days ago
Developers Question Scope of Potential Apple Antitrust Settlement
Developers Question Scope of Potential Apple Antitrust Settlement
3 days ago
iPhone Duo Resold for $5,000 on eBay After Selling Out
iPhone Duo Resold for $5,000 on eBay After Selling Out
3 days ago
Massive Discounts Hit 2026 MacBook Pro With Up to $800 Off
Massive Discounts Hit 2026 MacBook Pro With Up to $800 Off
3 days ago
iPhone Duo is Sold Out for Christmas as Shipping Estimates Slip to 2027
iPhone Duo is Sold Out for Christmas as Shipping Estimates Slip to 2027
3 days ago
Didn't Pre-Order an iPhone Duo Yet? Wait Times Are Significant Now
Didn't Pre-Order an iPhone Duo Yet? Wait Times Are Significant Now
3 days ago