How to record your screen on your PC, Mac, iOS, and Android devices

A person using a desktop computer.
(Image credit: Gorodenkoff / Shutterstock)

There are lots of reasons to record your screen, whether you're using a Windows PC, a Mac, a phone or a tablet – you might be making a video for YouTube, composing a software tutorial, or preparing a presentation for work.

You might start by reaching for a free screen recorder, and there are some excellent options around, but you might not realize that Windows already has its own built-in recording tool, hidden away in the pre-installed Xbox app.

You can also record your screen from within a browser window, without downloading and installing a large program. It all depends on what you're recording, the hardware you're using, and how much time is at your disposal.

Once you've finished, you can either share the recording as-is, or make a few adjustments using the best video editing software or the best free video editing software – trimming the clip to length, adding titles, or recording a voiceover.

Image

<a href="https://www.prf.hn/click/camref:1101lr4vm/pubref:hawk-custom-tracking/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.adobe.com%2Fuk%2Fproducts%2Fcaptivate.html" data-link-merchant="adobe.com"" target="_blank">The best screen recorder right now is: Adobe Captivate
It's not free, but if you want to record footage from your screen for use in presentations and YouTube videos, Adobe Captivate is the best tool for the job. Not only can it capture footage from your screen, but it also allows you to integrate PowerPoint slides, and even add interactive questions for your audience.

How to record your screen in Windows

It’s well hidden, but Windows 11 has its own built-in screen recorder, intended for recording games. To find it, open the pre-installed Xbox app (type Xbox into the search box to find it) then tap [Windows]+[G] on your keyboard and click ‘Yes, this is a game’. 

Click ‘Start recording’ or tap [Windows]+[Alt]+[R] to start, then use the same shortcut when you've finished. Recorded videos will be saved in your Videos/Capture folder in MP4 format.

To customize the recorder's settings, log into the Xbox app and access the Game DVR options. You can't choose a different destination folder for recordings, but you can pick a quality setting, decide whether or not to record audio, and set a maximum clip length.

Unfortunately not all Windows 10 devices can record footage with the Game Bar. To use it, you’ll need a video card supporting one of the following encoders:

  • Intel Quick Sync H.260
  • Nvidia NVENC
  • AMD VCE

How to record your screen on a Mac

Using Camo on macOS

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Recording the screen of a Mac is much easier than a Windows PC. If you're using macOS Mojave, just hit the keyboard shortcut Shift+⌘+5 and all the controls for capturing video and still images from your desktop will appear. You can record the whole screen, a section, or a specific window, then trim, save or share the resulting footage.

If you're using an older version of macOS, you can record the screen using Quicktime Player. Just open the app (which is installed by default)

How to record your screen on Android

Google Pixel 6a

(Image credit: Google)

Android 13 includes its own screen recorder, which you can find by opening the 'Settings' menu and selecting 'About phone'. Tap the version number seven times, then enter your unlock credentials when prompted. This will put the phone in developer mode, letting you test features that aren't yet fully finished.

Return to the system settings, tap 'Developer options' and select 'Feature flags'. Find the flag 'settings_screenrecord_long_press' and toggle the switch to activate it. You can now record your screen any time by hitting the power button to bring up the power options menu, then holding the screenshot button until the screen recording options appear.

If you're using Android Pie or earlier, you'll need a third-party screen recorder from the Google Play Store. Such apps are very popular, so there's no shortage of shoddily made or outright malicious ones available. 

If you want to record gameplay footage, Google Play Games has a built-in screen recorder that will start capturing footage automatically when you launch a game. For anything else, we recommend AZ Screen Recorder. It's simple to use, and packed with handy features. The free version is excellent, but extra options are available for a small fee.

How to record your iPhone or iPad screen

NewProfilePic on iOS

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Recording the screen on an iPhone or iPad is similarly straightforward. Tap 'Settings', followed by 'Control Center' and 'Customize Controls', then tap the green plus icon next to 'Screen Recording'.

Load the app you want to record, then swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or down from the top-right if you're using an iPhone X or later, or an iPad with iOS 12 or iPadOS. Tap the 'Record' button (a dot within a circle) and a three-second countdown will begin. Once this is over, the recording will begin.

To end the recording, tap the time indicator at the top left of the screen and select 'Stop'. Bear in mind that all notifications you receive while recording will also be captured.

Daryl Baxter
Software & Downloads Writer

Daryl had been freelancing for 3 years before joining TechRadar, now reporting on everything software-related. In his spare time he's written a book, 'The Making of Tomb Raider', alongside podcasting and usually found playing games old and new on his PC and MacBook Pro. If you have a story about an updated app, one that's about to launch, or just anything Software-related, drop him a line.