How to Screen Record on iPhone?

Hey there! Have you ever wanted to record your iPhone screen to capture app demos, create how-to tutorials, or even record your epic mobile gameplay? Well, you‘re in luck – screen recording on iPhone just got super simple.

In this detailed guide, I‘ll walk you through everything you need to know about recording your iPhone screen. We‘ll cover:

Why screen recording is so useful
How to take standard screenshots on iPhone
Step-by-step instructions for the built-in screen recorder
Tips for editing and trimming recordings
Reviews of the top third-party screen recording apps
Comparisons and recommendations to help you choose the best method
Pro tips for improving your iPhone screen recordings

Let‘s dive in!

Why Screen Recording on Your Phone Is So Handy

Screen recording allows you to capture video of anything that happens on your iPhone screen. Here are just a few reasons you may want to record your screen:

Create tutorial or demonstration videos – easily show steps rather than trying to explain in writing
Record your epic mobile gameplay to share on YouTube or social media
Capture interesting apps or glitches to show friends
Save how-to lessons so you can watch again later
Document issues/bugs when contacting customer support

Mobile content creators, gamers, developers, and anyone sharing digital content will find screen recording useful.

Screen recording tools have advanced a lot over the years. What used to require specialized software or workarounds can now be done with just a tap thanks to built-in recorders on iOS and Android.

But before we get into recording, let‘s go over the basics of taking standard screenshots on your iPhone.

How to Take a Screenshot on iPhone

Capturing a screenshot is useful for many of the same reasons you may want to record your screen. You can quickly snap and share moments from apps, games, websites, and more.

Luckily, taking a screenshot on iPhone is super simple. You have a couple options:

Method 1: Side and Volume Button

This method uses the physical buttons on your iPhone. Just follow these steps:

Step 1: Press and hold the Side button and your Volume Up button at the same time.

Step 2: You‘ll briefly see a thumbnail preview of your screenshot.

Step 3: Tap on the thumbnail preview to open editing options.

Step 4: Select "Done" and then "Save to Photos" to save the screenshot to your camera roll.

Easy as that! This method works on all iPhone models currently supported by Apple.

Method 2: Using AssistiveTouch

Alternatively, you can take screenshots using AssistiveTouch if you have that accessibility feature enabled:

Step 1: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch and toggle on AssistiveTouch.

Step 2: You‘ll see a small circular menu button overlaying your screen. Tap it.

Step 3: Select "Screenshot" from the menu options.

Step 4: Tap the screenshot thumbnail to save it to your Photos app.

AssistiveTouch adds a floating on-screen menu to make performing system actions like taking screenshots easier.

Now that you know how to take standard still image screenshots, let‘s move on to recording your screen as video.

How to Screen Record on iPhone with the Built-in Tool

Ever since iOS 11, iPhones have had a super simple built-in screen recorder. Here‘s how to use it:

Step 1: Open the Control Center on your iPhone. Swipe down from the top right corner on iPhone X or later models. Or swipe up from the bottom on iPhone 8 or earlier models.

Step 2: Long press the Screen Recording button in Control Center. A 3 second countdown timer will appear.

Step 3: Your screen will begin recording immediately after the countdown. Feel free to close Control Center and use your phone normally while recording.

Step 4: To stop recording, open Control Center again and tap the Screen Record button.

Your iPhone screen recording will be automatically saved to your Photos app for you to enjoy!

The built-in recorder captures both system audio playing on your phone as well as microphone audio if you enable that in the Control Center. But it does not record external audio sources.

I find the native screen recording tool works great for quick captures, gameplay videos, and short tutorial clips. But for more professional use, third-party apps provide more control. We‘ll get into those soon!

First, let‘s go over how to trim and edit your recordings.

How to Trim and Edit Screen Recording Length

The built-in screen recorder captures everything from the moment you tap start until you manually stop it. You‘ll likely want to trim off the beginning and end sections.

Here are the steps to trim and edit your iPhone screen recording length:

Step 1: Open the Photos app and select the video you want to edit.

Step 2: Tap "Edit" in the upper right corner.

Step 3: Use the start and end sliders at the bottom to trim off any unnecessary sections.

Step 4: Optionally, you can crop the video or apply filters and effects too.

Step 5: When finished editing, tap "Done" to save your changes.

The Photos app makes it super quick and easy to trim and edit videos without needing any extra software.

Pro Tip: You can trim multiple videos in bulk too! Just select them all, tap "Edit", and apply trim adjustments to one video that will apply to all.

Best Third-Party Screen Recording Apps

Now let‘s dive into third-party screen recorder apps for iPhone and iPad. While the built-in tool works great, third-party apps unlock extra features like:

Picture-in-picture mode – Add a facecam video of yourself
Annotate videos with drawings, text, stickers
Green screen background effects
Custom resolutions and aspect ratios
HD quality capture
Record external mic or audio input
Live stream to YouTube or Twitch

Here are the top screen recording apps I recommend checking out:

1. AirShou

AirShou is a powerful screen recorder packed with features. You can record your front or back camera, mic audio, on-screen drawings, and system audio all in one video. Plus it has options like resolution selection, aspect ratio, and quality controls.

Useful utilities like trimming recordings, browsing the photo library, annotating videos after recording, and blurring out sensitive info make AirShou a great all-in-one recorder and video editor.

You can save recordings to your camera roll or share directly to YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and more. At $9.99 one time purchase, AirShou provides excellent value.

2. DU Recorder

If high-quality videos are your priority, DU Recorder can capture full HD 1080p or even 60fps recordings. You can show taps and clicks on screen with the touch overlay feature.

DU Recorder stands out for its live streaming support – you can stream gameplay or your screen live to YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, and other platforms as you record.

The front/back camera picture-in-picture feature lets you include a video of yourself in the recording. And cool post-recording tools like video cropping, merging, and adding subtitles can really polish your videos.

3. ScreenRec

ScreenRec makes recording your iPhone screen a breeze. Quickly start capturing your screen with just one tap. Switch between front and rear cameras for picture-in-picture with a tap.

Useful annotation tools let you draw, add text, stickers, and emojis during recordings. You can enable touch indicators to showcase taps. An efficient overlay toolbar gives quick access to tools and buttons without getting in the way.

ScreenRec also enables landscape orientation for full-screen captures. At $5.99 it offers great value and utility for casual to professional use.

4. Az Screen Recorder

Az Screen Recorder captures smooth 60fps video and can record both internal audio and external mic input simultaneously. A clean interface makes it quick to start recording one or both cameras.

Robust editing tools allow you to trim, crop, merge videos, blur faces or logos, and even extract audio from recordings. The annotation features make it easy to add subtitles, text, and drawings.

Once finished, instantly share videos to YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, or other platforms right from the app. Az Screen Recorder is free with ads or $4.99 for pro.

Built-in vs. Third-Party Screen Recorders: Which Should You Use?

So which iPhone screen recording method is right for you – the native tool or third-party apps? Here are a few things to consider:

The built-in tool works great for more casual captures and quick sharing to social media or friends. It‘s fast and convenient if you don‘t need advanced options.
Third-party apps like DU Recorder and AirShou give you more granular control over resolution, quality, aspect ratio and other settings for professional recordings.
If you want to narrate or react on camera, third-party apps make it easy to record picture-in-picture facecam video.
Use a third-party app if you need to capture external audio like microphone narration in your recordings.
The editing and annotation features in apps like ScreenRec and Az Screen Recorder allow creating professional tutorials and guides.

My recommendation – try out the built-in tool first to get a feel for iPhone screen recording. If you find yourself needing more advanced features, upgrade to a dedicated third-party recording app for more control.

The good news is that screen recording on iPhone keeps getting easier. Now let‘s go over some pro tips to take your recordings to the next level.

Pro Tips for Better Screen Recordings

Here are some expert tips to improve your iPhone screen recordings:

Turn off notifications before recording to keep them from interrupting your video.
Close unnecessary apps running in the background to optimize performance.
Adjust microphone input levels in Control Center for optimal audio capture.
Use a tripod mount to keep your phone steady and avoid shaky footage.
Record a short test clip first to check your setup and settings.
For picture-in-picture, position a bright light in front of your face to be seen clearly.
Tap the screen gently to avoid shaking and capture smooth footage.
Use Airplane mode if recording a tutorial to avoid interruptions.
Record a voiceover narration separately, then merge it with your video for best audio clarity.

Put these tips into practice to craft professional screen recordings that engage your viewers!

Start Recording Your iPhone Screen Like a Pro!

And there you have it – everything you need to start recording your iPhone screen with ease!

Whether you just want to capture funny moments or create Hollywood-style cinematic tutorials, iPhone screen recording has never been more powerful and easy to use.

If you‘re looking to take your iPhone content creation to the next level, screen recording is a must-have tool. I hope this guide gave you a helpful overview of your options.

Now pick your favorite screen recorder and start making awesome videos! Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions.

Happy iPhone screen recording!