Learning how to record your screen is useful for almost everyone. You might want to record a video call with family, save a lesson for later, show a friend how to fix a problem on their computer, or make a video for work or YouTube. The good news is that you do not need to buy special software to do it. Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android all have a screen recorder built in, and it only takes a few minutes to learn how to use it.
This guide shows you how to record your screen on Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android, using only the free tools that are already on your device. You will also learn how to record your voice, how to include your face in the video, and how to fix the most common problems, such as a recording with no sound. No technical knowledge is needed.
What Is Screen Recording?
Screen recording is making a video of what is happening on your screen. It captures everything you see, such as a website, a game, a presentation, or an app, and saves it as a video file you can watch later or share with other people. It is different from taking a screenshot, which is a still photo of your screen. A screen recording is a moving video, with sound if you choose to include it.
People use screen recordings for many reasons. Teachers record lessons so students can watch them again. Workers record a process so a colleague can follow the same steps. Gamers record their gameplay to share online. Families record video calls to keep a memory. If you can do it on a screen, you can probably record it, and the built-in tools make it easy to start.
How to Record Your Screen on Windows
Windows 11 has two built-in ways to record your screen. The easiest is the Snipping Tool, which now includes video recording. Open the Snipping Tool from the Start menu, click the video camera icon, and choose the area of the screen you want to record. You can record the whole screen or just a part of it. Click Start, and the tool will count down for three seconds before it starts recording. When you finish, click Stop, and you can save the video or share it straight away.
The other way is the Xbox Game Bar, which was made for gamers but works for any app. Press the Windows key and G together to open it, then press the Record button, or press Windows, Alt, and R together to start recording straight away. The Game Bar records the app you have open, not your whole desktop, and it is a good choice if you want to record a game or a single program. Your recordings are saved in the Videos folder, in a folder called Captures.
Before you record on Windows, check your sound settings. The Snipping Tool can record your microphone, but you need to turn it on in the recording settings. The Game Bar can record your microphone and the sound from your computer, but you may need to turn on the microphone in the Game Bar settings first. Do a short test recording of 10 seconds, play it back, and check that you can hear your voice and the computer sound clearly.
How to Record Your Screen on a Mac
On a Mac, screen recording is built into macOS, and it is one of the easiest systems to use. Press Shift, Command, and 5 together, and a toolbar appears at the bottom of your screen. You can choose to record the whole screen, or a part of it that you select with your mouse. Click Options to choose where to save the video, whether to record your microphone, and whether to show mouse clicks in the video. Then click Record, and a small Stop button appears in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Click it when you finish.
Your recording is saved to your Desktop by default, or to the folder you chose in Options, and you can open it in QuickTime Player to trim the start and end. If you want to record your face as well as your screen, you can use QuickTime Player: open QuickTime, choose File, then New Movie Recording, and add your camera as a picture-in-picture window. Or you can record your screen and your face separately and combine them later in a video editor. For help with that next step, see our guide to the best free video editing software for beginners.
How to Record Your Screen on iPhone
On an iPhone, screen recording is in Control Centre. First, make sure the Screen Recording button is there: go to Settings, then Control Centre, and add Screen Recording if it is not already listed. Then swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen to open Control Centre, and tap the Screen Recording button, which looks like a circle inside another circle. The phone will count down for three seconds, then start recording everything on your screen.
To record your voice as well, press and hold the Screen Recording button before you start, and turn on the microphone. That is useful if you want to explain what you are doing while you record. When you finish, tap the red bar at the top of the screen, or open Control Centre and tap the button again. The video is saved to your Photos app, where you can trim it, share it, or send it to your computer. If you only need a still image instead of a video, read our guide to how to take a screenshot on any device.
How to Record Your Screen on Android
On most Android phones, screen recording is in the Quick Settings panel. Swipe down from the top of your screen twice to see all the quick settings, and look for Screen Record. If you do not see it, tap the edit button and add it. Tap Screen Record, choose whether to record sound from your phone, your microphone, or both, and whether to show touches on the screen. Then tap Start, and the phone will count down before it starts recording.
When you finish, swipe down and tap the Screen Record notification to stop, or tap the floating stop button if your phone shows one. The video is saved in your Photos or Gallery app. The exact steps vary a little between Samsung, Google Pixel, and other Android phones, but the idea is the same, and the settings are usually in the same place. If your phone does not have a built-in screen recorder, you can download a free screen recording app from the Play Store, but check its reviews first, because some free apps show a lot of adverts.
Tips for a Good Screen Recording
- Close extra apps and tabs: so notifications and private messages do not appear in your video.
- Turn on Do Not Disturb: to stop calls and notifications interrupting your recording.
- Clean your desktop: close or hide files and windows you do not want other people to see.
- Check your sound first: record a 10-second test and play it back before you record the real thing.
- Speak slowly and clearly: pause between steps, so viewers can follow along.
- Keep it short: a short, clear recording is more useful than a long, rambling one.
It also helps to plan what you will do before you press Record. Write down the main steps on a piece of paper, and practise them once without recording. That will make your recording smoother, and you will be less likely to pause, repeat yourself, or make a mistake in the middle. If you do make a mistake, you do not need to start again from the beginning: you can trim the mistake out later in a video editor, or simply pause, take a breath, and carry on, because most viewers will not mind a small pause.
Fixing Common Screen Recording Problems
If your recording has no sound, the microphone or system sound was probably turned off. Check the recording settings before you start, and do a test recording. If your recording is black, or only shows a black screen, the app you were recording may block screen recording for copyright reasons, such as a streaming service. Try recording a different app to check whether the recorder is working.
If your recording is very large, or your phone or computer runs out of space, try recording for a shorter time, or at a lower quality if your settings allow it. Screen recordings use a lot of storage, especially on a phone, so check how much free space you have before a long recording. If the video looks blurry, check that you are recording at the highest quality your device offers, and that the app you are recording is not set to a low resolution.
Conclusion
Recording your screen is easy once you know where the built-in tool is. On Windows, use the Snipping Tool or the Xbox Game Bar. On a Mac, press Shift, Command, and 5. On an iPhone, use Screen Recording in Control Centre. On Android, use Screen Record in Quick Settings. In every case, do a short test first, check your sound, close extra apps, and turn on Do Not Disturb. With those simple steps, you can make clear, useful screen recordings for work, study, family, or sharing online.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I record my screen with sound?
Turn on the microphone or system sound in the recording settings before you start. On Windows and Mac, this is in the recording toolbar. On iPhone and Android, press and hold the Screen Record button and turn on the microphone. Always do a short test first.
Where are screen recordings saved?
On Windows, recordings are saved in the Videos folder, in Captures. On a Mac, they are saved to the Desktop by default. On iPhone and Android, they are saved in the Photos or Gallery app.
Can I record my screen for free?
Yes. Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android all have a free screen recorder built in. You do not need to buy software for basic screen recording, although paid tools offer extra features such as editing and annotations.
Why is my screen recording black?
Some apps, such as streaming services, block screen recording to protect copyrighted content, and they will show a black screen in the recording. Try recording a different app to check that your recorder is working correctly.
How do I record my face as well as my screen?
Use a tool that supports picture-in-picture, such as QuickTime Player on a Mac, or a video calling app that records both. Or record your screen and your face separately, and combine the two videos in a free video editor.