A screen recording shows exactly what is on your phone, with sound if you want it. It is useful for showing a friend how to do something, saving a video call tutorial or reporting a problem to a support team.

On iPhone

1. Look in the Control Centre for the screen recording button. If it is not there, add it from the Control Centre section in Settings.
2. Tap it. A short countdown starts and the recording begins.
3. To stop, tap the red status bar or open the Control Centre and tap the button again.
4. To record sound from the microphone, press and hold the button and look for the microphone option.

On Android

1. Pull down the quick settings panel and look for Screen recorder (or Screen record). Most phones have it built in. The name varies by brand.
2. If it is not in the first panel, swipe to the next page or use the edit option to add it.
3. Choose whether to record sound from the phone, the microphone, or neither, then start.
4. Stop it from the notification or the floating button.

If your phone has no built-in recorder, use a well-known app from the official store and check what permissions it asks for.

Where the recording goes

It is saved in your photo gallery, usually in a Screen recordings or similar album.

Make the recording useful

• Close apps you do not need first.
• Turn on Do Not Disturb so notifications do not appear in the video.
• Keep it short. Long recordings are big files: phone storage full? how to free up space.
• Send large videos over Wi-Fi, not mobile data: how to reduce mobile data usage.

Privacy and rules

• Do not record while your passwords, bank details or other people’s messages are visible.
• Some apps, such as video and banking apps, block screen recording, so you may see a black screen. This is by design.
• Ask for permission before recording a call or a meeting with other people in it.
• Never share a recording of your screen with someone who contacted you unexpectedly. See how to spot phone scams.