What’s the easy way to record your mobile phone screen while playing a video file? You might even want to record a procedure or presentation on your mobile phone screen to share with others later.
For users of Android 11 (and higher) as well as iPhones, it is quite easy. You most likely already have a built-in feature to record your mobile phone screen in your phone’s Settings app. You may also access it in the draw-down notification bar at the top of your mobile phone. The icon or symbol for the screen recorder in the notification bar should look like any of the two below:
But just in case it does not appear there, not to worry. You only need to add/enable the screen recording tool from the Settings app. But there is more than one method you can use to record your mobile phone screen quite easily.
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Methods You can Use to Record Your Mobile Phone Screen
Three major methods of recording your phone screen are by using any of the following:
- In-built screen recording tool in the phone’s Settings
- Google Play Games screen recorder
- Third-party screen recorder apps
Use The In-built Screen Recording Tool in the Phone’s Settings
On Android
If you are sure the Android version of your mobile phone is Android 11 or higher, then you don’t need a third-party app. The screen recording tool is already an in-built feature in your Android operating system. In some cases, even Android 10 already has this feature, though it may or may not be named ‘Screen record’. It could be some other label, such as ‘Captivate’ or ‘Capture’.
To check the Android version of your mobile phone, follow the steps below:
- Open the Settings app
- Scroll down and select About Phone/Tablet > Android version (or About Phone/Tablet > Software Information). The version of your Android will be cearlt displayed.
Now to start using your screen recorder tool.
- With one finger, swipe down your screen to reveal the notification bar atop your phone screen.
- If you do not see the screen record tool, then tap the tiny pencil icon to the bottom of the notification bar. It should reveal the Edit panel where all the quick access tools/buttons will appear.
- Look for the Screen Record button. With one finger, click and drag it to a suitable place close to the top of the notification bar. So you will be able to see it clearly thereafter.
- Tap the Back arrow (or a Home button) at the top-left corner of the Edit panel to return to the phone screen.
- When you are ready to record your mobile phone screen, swipe down the screen to reveal the notifications bar.
- Now tap the Screen Record button/tool to activate it. Some additional button controls would appear on the screen to start, stop, pause, delete, and even record audio (microphone).
- Tap the Start button (usually a triangle, or a white circle) to record. The Stop button is either two short vertical bars, or a red circle. Use them as needed.
- Once you stop the recording, you will be shown a notification to indicate the location of your recorded video in your phone.
On iOS/iPad
You can access the screen recording tool in the Control Center of your iPhone or iPad. Take note that the Control Center is different from the Notification bar. The Control Center is designed to give you instant access to the tools you use most often. That includes Wi-fi, hotspot, Apple TV remote, music player and more.
On iPhone X and above, swipe down the top-right corner of your phone to reveal the Control Center. On iPhone SE, iPhone 8 and below, swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen to reveal the same. But to close the Control Center, tap the screen (or swipe up from the bottom).
Ensure you do not swipe down the middle of the screen (or close it it), otherwise it will take you to the notification bar.
- Open the Settings app.
- Select Control Center, then tap the plus button close to Screen Recording tool.
- Now open the Control Center.
- The Screen Recording tool is a gray circle in a bigger circle. Tap it to start recording.You can exit the Control Center to take it into the background, while the recording goes on.
- To stop the recording, tap the now red circle. Alternatively, you can tap the red status bar atop the phone screen to select the stop button.
- Your recorded video will appear in the Photos app thereafter.
Use Google Play Games to Record Your Mobile Phone Screen
Google Play Games may come preinstalled on your Android phone. If not, then you an download it from the Google Play Store. You may use the app to record your moves on a mobile game. Interestingly enough, you can also use it to record other activities on another app (or directly record the phone screen) as well. To proceed, follow the steps below:
- Open the Google Play Games app.
- Tap Library to check all your installed apps. Select the one you wish to use.
- When the game window opens, tap the camera icon at the top-right corner of the window. The video quality settings will be revealed to you. You can choose either 720P HD or 480P HD, with a description of each HD recording time just below it.
- Then click Launch button.
- You should see a set of floating screen recorder buttons, which you can drag anywhere convenient on the screen. There will normally be camera, mic and record/stop buttons. Use them as appropriate.
- Once you press the stop button, the video will be stored on your mobile device.
Use Third-party Screen Recorder apps to Record Your Mobile Phone Screen
Users of Android phones with a version lower than Android 11 may not have an in-built screen recording tool. You may also be lucky to have a phone brand (and model) with an built-in screen recorder. Samsung phones for instance have that privilege. But where no screen recorder tool is available, a good option would be to download and use third-party screen recorder apps. Some of the best screen recorder apps available in the Google Play store for Android phones include the following 19 apps:
- AZ screen recorder
- ADV screen recorder
- Mobizen screen recorder
- Super screen recorder
- RecMe free screen recorder
- DU screen recorder
- Inshot screen recorder
- Record it! screen recorder
- Apowersoft screen recorder