How to Screen Record on Any Android Phone

Someone sends you a voice note about how to do something on their phone, and you wish you could just show them the screen. That is exactly what screen recording is for. Almost every Android phone can record what is on the screen, and you do not need to install any extra app to do it. In this guide I show you how to screen record on Android, how to add sound, and how to find and share the video afterward.

What you need before you start

Most Android phones from the last few years have a built in screen recorder. You will find it in the quick settings panel, which you open by pulling the top menu down once or twice. If you do not see it, you can add the tile by tapping the edit button and dragging Screen record into the panel.

Check that you have enough free storage first. A five minute recording can take a few hundred megabytes, and a full phone will stop the recording partway.

Step 1: Start a screen recording

The steps are close to the same on most phones:

1. Open quick settings. Swipe down from the top of the screen, once or twice depending on your phone.
2. Tap Screen record. Look for a tile with a circle or a camera icon. Some brands call it Screen recorder.
3. Choose audio and start. Pick whether to record sound from the device, the microphone, or both, then tap Start.
4. Wait for the countdown. The phone counts down three seconds before the recording starts.

On Samsung phones, the recorder can also be found in the Settings app under Advanced features. Tecno, Infinix and itel phones often keep it in the tools folder.

Step 2: Choose the right audio option

Audio is where most people go wrong. The audio choice decides whether your video has sound from the app, your voice, or both:

• Device sound. Records sounds from apps, games and videos on your phone. Your voice will not be captured.
• Microphone. Records your voice clearly, but the phone sound may be quiet or missing.
• Device and microphone. The best choice for tutorials, because it captures both the app audio and your explanation.

Make sure you keep the volume low if you record a video call, since some apps block sound from being captured.

Step 3: Stop and find your recording

To stop the recording, pull down the notification shade and tap the stop button. You can also tap the red bar at the top of the screen if your phone shows one. The video is saved automatically.

1. Open Gallery. Go to Gallery or Photos and look for the Screen recordings album.
2. Open the video. Tap the video to watch it back and check the sound.
3. Share it. Tap Share and send it through WhatsApp, email or any app you use.

Tips to make your recordings better

• Lower your brightness. Lower brightness saves battery and makes long recordings smaller.
• Turn on Do Not Disturb. This stops notifications from popping up in the middle of your recording.
• Trim before sharing. Use the built in editor in Gallery to cut the start and end, which also makes the file smaller.

If you want to shrink the file before sending it on a data bundle, read our guide on how to reduce data usage on your Android phone.

Troubleshooting when recording fails

If the recording stops by itself, your phone may be running out of storage or memory. Close apps you do not need and try again. If the sound is missing, check that you chose the right audio option and that the app allows recording. Some banking and streaming apps block screen recording for privacy reasons, and there is no workaround for that.

For a bigger clean up of your phone, check our guide on how to make your Android battery last the whole day, since long recordings drain battery quickly.

Final thoughts

Screen recording on Android is simple once you find the tile. Pick the right audio option, record, then trim and share the file. Keep your storage clear and close unused apps, and your recordings will come out clean. More simple phone guides are in our smartphones category.

Using screen recording for tutorials and calls

If you want to send a tutorial to a family member or a client, record each step in order and keep the video short. Pause between steps so the viewer can follow. For video calls, check the rules of the app first, because some apps block screen recording for privacy. Asking the other person before recording is always the right thing to do.

A short recording is easier to share on WhatsApp because it uses less data. A two minute video at medium quality usually sends faster than a long one, which saves your bundle as well.

Where to find more information

Google explains the built in tools on its official Android help pages, which you can read here: Google Android help. The menu names change from brand to brand, so use the official page if your phone looks different from the steps above.

Choose the right sound setting

Recording sound is where most people get confused. Some phones record internal audio, which is the sound from the game or video, and some only record the microphone. Check the sound option before you press start. If you are making a tutorial, you usually want the microphone on so that your voice is captured, and the internal audio on if the video has sound you need to show.

Also turn off notifications before you record. A message popping up during a tutorial looks unprofessional, and it can leak private information onto the video.

Where recordings are saved

On most Android phones the recordings go to the Gallery app or to a folder called Screen recordings inside Pictures or DCIM. Open the Files app and search for screen recording if you cannot find it. Once you have the file, you can trim it, send it on WhatsApp or upload it to YouTube.

Recordings can be large. A two minute video can take a noticeable amount of storage, so delete the ones you no longer need after you share them.

Stop the recording when you are done

To stop, pull down the notification shade and tap the red stop button, or tap the recording notification. Some phones also let you press the side button with the volume button to stop. Once you stop, make sure the file saved before you close the app, because a stopped recording that did not save will be gone.