Screen recording lets you capture video of whatever is happening on your phone or computer screen along with audio. It is built into most modern devices including iPhone, Android, Windows 11 and Mac. But sometimes you want to enable screen recording for many reasons, e.g., to make a tutorial, to capture a bug for tech support, to save a video call for reference or to record gameplay.
Look, screen recording is buried in different places on every platform. The steps are quick once you know where to look. Bear with me though, getting audio included is a separate setting on most platforms.
This easy guide will help you enable screen recording by walking you through iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac steps and helping you make sure your audio is captured along with the video.
Method 1: Enable Screen Recording on iPhone
iPhone has built-in screen recording but you have to add it to Control Center first.
- Open Settings > Control Center.
- Scroll down to More Controls and tap the green plus next to Screen Recording.
- Close Settings.
- Open Control Center (swipe from top right).
- Tap the screen recording icon (circle inside circle).
- 3 second countdown then recording starts.
- To stop, tap the red recording indicator at top.
Video saves to Photos automatically. To include microphone audio, long-press the screen record button and tap the microphone before starting.
Method 2: Enable Screen Recording on Android
Android 11 and newer have built-in screen recording in Quick Settings.
- Swipe down twice from the top to expand Quick Settings.
- Tap the pencil or edit icon to manage tiles.
- Find Screen Record in available tiles and drag it to active.
- Back in Quick Settings, tap Screen Record.
- Choose what to record (whole screen or one app).
- Choose audio source (device, microphone or both).
- Tap Start.
To stop, swipe down and tap the recording notification.
Method 3: Enable Screen Recording on Windows 11
Windows has two built-in options. Game Bar and Snipping Tool.
For Game Bar:
- Press Windows + G to open Game Bar.
- Click the Capture widget (camera icon).
- Click the record button (white circle).
- Stop by clicking the stop button or pressing Windows + Alt + R.
Videos save to C:\Users\YourName\Videos\Captures.
For Snipping Tool (better for non-game stuff):
- Open Snipping Tool from Start menu.
- Click the video camera icon at the top.
- Click New.
- Drag to select the area to record.
- Click Start.
Stop in the Snipping Tool window and save.
Method 4: Enable Screen Recording on Mac
Mac has the easiest screen recording. One keyboard shortcut.
- Press Shift + Command + 5.
- A toolbar appears at the bottom.
- Pick Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion.
- Click Options to set save location, timer or microphone.
- Click Record.
- To stop, click the stop icon in the menu bar.
Video saves to Desktop by default.
What If Recording Has No Audio
Common issue. Each platform handles audio differently.
- iPhone: Long-press screen record button and tap microphone before recording.
- Android: Pick audio source when starting (Device, Microphone or Both).
- Windows Game Bar: Click the microphone icon during recording.
- Mac: Click Options before recording and pick a microphone.
Default behavior on most platforms is no microphone audio for privacy. Turn it on explicitly.
My Honest Opinion
Built-in screen recorders are good for quick stuff. For anything serious like YouTube tutorials, use OBS Studio. Free and way more powerful.
For phone screen recording, iPhone has the cleanest experience. Android is more capable but the interface varies by manufacturer.
Final Thoughts
Enabling screen recording is one toggle on every modern platform. Add to Control Center on iPhone. Add to Quick Settings on Android. Win+G or Shift+Cmd+5 on Windows or Mac.
Also, if you follow our steps and still face difficulties enabling screen recording, seek help from your device manufacturer or leave a comment in the comment section of our blog.