How to screen record and get audio

Do you need to record your iPhone screen? Maybe it’s a step-by-step how-to for work or a way to show your mom how to do something on her device. No matter why you need or want to record your iPhone screen, it’s extremely easy to do. This short tutorial shows you how to make an iPhone screen recording with and without sound.

Table of Contents hide

1) Add Screen Recording to the iPhone Control Center

2) Make your iPhone screen recording

3) Make your iPhone screen recording with sound

3.1) Record both internal and external sound

3.2) Record internal sound only

4) Use a third-party screen recorder

5) Use QuickTime Player on Mac

Add Screen Recording to the iPhone Control Center

First things first, if you don’t have the Screen Recording option in your Control Center, you can add it easily. Here’s how:

1) Open Settings and tap Control Center.

2) Under More Controls, tap the green plus sign next to Screen Recording.

Now, you’ll see Screen Recording at the top under Included Controls. It’ll be at the bottom of the list, but you can drag it to move it to a new spot if you like.

Make your iPhone screen recording

When you’re ready to record your iPhone screen, follow these simple steps:

1) Open Control Center. On iPhone with Face ID, swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen. On iPhone with the front Home button, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.

2) Tap the Screen Recording button.

You’ll then see a countdown of three seconds on the button. This gives you a small window of time to navigate to what you want to record on your screen. So, do what you can to be ready ahead of time, whether it’s having an app open or moving to a different screen.

Once the recording starts, you will see a red bar across the top of your screen, letting you know that it’s recording. You can stop recording by simply tapping that red bar. You’ll then see a confirmation to end recording, so tap Stop. If you prefer to continue recording, tap Cancel.

When you do stop recording, you’ll see a brief notification that your recording is saved to Photos.

Make your iPhone screen recording with sound

Maybe you need to make a screen recording that includes audio. This is also easy to do, and you have two options. You can record just the sound from your iPhone internal microphone or the sound from your iPhone as well as your external microphone.

Record both internal and external sound

This is a good way to go if you are creating a recording where you want to explain what you’re doing and also bring the sounds taking place on your iPhone into the video.

1) Open the iPhone Control Center.

2) Press firmly (or tap and hold) the Screen Recording button.

3) Tap the red microphone icon to turn On the external audio.

4) Tap Start Recording.

Record internal sound only

If you don’t want any outside noise in your video and just the sounds from your iPhone, then this is the option you need.

1) Slide up to access the Control Center.

2) Press firmly (or tap and hold) the Screen Recording button.

3) Tap the red microphone icon to turn Off the external audio.

4) Tap Start Recording.

Regardless of the audio option you select, you’ll still see the red bar at the top, can tap and confirm to stop, and have the video saved to your Photos.

Use a third-party screen recorder

Of course, you can search the App Store for screen recording tools and find plenty. But if you’re looking for a recommendation, check out TechSmith Capture. This is a free tool made by the creators of Snagit. So if you happen to use Snagit on your Mac, you’ll like this option.

TechSmith Capture works similar to the Screen Recording tool on your device. But we’ll walk you through the steps just the same.

1) Once you download the app, open and tap the Record button on the top left.

2) Make sure TechSmith Capture has a checkmark and tap Start Broadcast. Optionally, you can turn the microphone on to record your device’s sound too.

3) You’ll see a three-second countdown above Screen Broadcast, giving you time to prepare to record. Move about your device capturing what you need to, and tap the red indicator at the top when you finish.

4) Confirm that you want to Stop recording. You’ll see a message that the video was saved to the app.

When you open TechSmith Capture, you can view your recording, save it, share it via AirPlay, Facebook, Mail, or another service, or export it to companion apps like Snagit and Camtasia.

TechSmith Capture is designed for iPhone and iPad and is available for free on the App Store. If you use a different free third-party app for screen recordings that you’d like to recommend, leave us a comment below!

Use QuickTime Player on Mac

If you plan to use the video on your Mac, maybe for editing or uploading, then you can record your iPhone or iPad screen with QuickTime Player on Mac. This way, you have the video right on your computer screen.

1) Connect your iOS device to your Mac with your Lightning cable and open QuickTime Player.

2) Click File > New Movie Recording from the menu bar.

3) In the QuickTime window, click the arrow next to the Record button. Select your iOS device for the Camera and optionally for the Microphone input too. You can also choose High or Maximum for the Quality.

4) Click the Record button and jump over to your iPhone or iPad to perform whatever actions you want to capture.

5) When you’re done recording, hit the Stop button in QuickTime.

You’ll then have your video right there in QuickTime on your Mac for editing, reviewing, saving, or uploading.

Pro Tip: You can use this method to record FaceTime calls from your iPhone or iPad.

Things get easier all the time on our Apple devices, and the Screen Recordings feature is another example. You can use it for articles, presentations, how-tos, and so much more. When you want to record your iPhone or iPad screen, you have these three easy ways to do it. Use whichever is most convenient or appropriate for what you want to accomplish. Which one will you use and why? Let us know!

How do I record my screen with sound?

Can screen record have audio?

How do I record my iPhone screen with internal audio?