How to Screen Record on iPhone With Sound

Before you can capture your display, you need to ensure the screen recording shortcut is added to your Control Center. While it is often included by default, it is easy to add or rearrange if it is missing.

Open your device and go to Settings > Control Center. Scroll down through the list of available controls until you find the option labeled Screen Recording. Tap the green plus icon next to it to add it to your active controls. You can also drag the control up or down to change its position in the menu, ensuring it is easily accessible whenever you swipe down from the top right of your screen.

Once the shortcut is added to your Control Center, capturing your display takes just a couple of seconds. Swipe down from the top-right corner of your iPhone screen to open the Control Center. If you are using an older iPhone model with a physical Home button, swipe up from the very bottom of the screen instead.

Locate the screen recording icon, which looks like a solid circle inside a dotted circle. Tap it once, and you will see a three-second countdown appear on the icon before the recording officially begins. A red indicator will then appear in your status bar at the top left of the screen, confirming that everything on your display is actively being captured. To stop the recording at any time, tap the red status bar or clock area at the top of your screen, then tap Stop on the confirmation prompt that pops up.

By default, iOS records system audio and video, but it keeps your microphone muted so your voice or surrounding room noise is not captured. If you want to narrate your video or record external sounds while capturing your screen, you can easily turn the microphone on.

Open your Control Center by swiping down from the top right corner. Instead of just tapping the recording button normally, press and hold firmly on the screen recording icon until a secondary menu pops up on your screen. At the bottom of this menu, you will see a button labeled Microphone. Tap it so that it turns red and says Microphone On. Once enabled, tap outside the menu to return to the Control Center, and then tap Start Recording to capture both your screen and your voice simultaneously.

After you stop a recording, iOS automatically saves the video file directly to your device storage so you do not have to worry about manual file transfers or lost clips. You will see a notification banner pop up at the top of your screen stating that the screen recording was saved to Photos.

To view, edit, or share your newly created video, open the Photos app on your iPhone. Go to your main library or tap Albums at the bottom and scroll down to the Media Types section, then tap Videos or Screen Recordings. From here, you can trim the beginning and end of your clip, apply filters, crop unwanted areas, or share the file via Messages, AirDrop, or email with just a few taps.

Sometimes screen recording does not work as expected due to restricted content or temporary software glitches. If the recording button appears greyed out or refuses to start, check your device restrictions. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Content Restrictions and ensure that screen recording is not explicitly blocked.

Another common issue is that certain streaming apps or games disable screen recording entirely due to copyright protection or privacy policies. If you try to record inside one of these restricted apps, the video file may end up completely black or the recording will fail to save. If you encounter persistent glitches, restarting your iPhone usually resolves temporary background software conflicts and restores normal recording functionality.