Capturing moments, creating tutorials, or sharing gameplay highlights on your iPhone is incredibly easy thanks to its built-in screen recording feature.
But a silent video often misses the point. To truly make your recordings useful and engaging, you need to screen record on iPhone with sound, capturing both the internal audio playing on your device and your own commentary via the microphone.
In 2025, iOS continues to refine this functionality, making it seamless to record with sound for tutorials, games, calls, or any other on-screen activity.
This step-by-step guide will walk you through how to activate the native recorder and configure its audio settings, ensuring your videos are complete with all the necessary sounds.
Understanding iPhone Screen Recording Audio Options
When you record your iPhone screen, you have control over the audio input:
- Internal Audio (Device Audio/System Sounds): Your iPhone, by default, records the sounds playing directly from apps, games, music, or videos on your device. This is crucial for capturing the in-app experience without external noise. Note: If your iPhone’s physical mute switch is on, internal audio will also be muted.
- Microphone Audio: This captures your voice, ambient sounds, or any external audio picked up by your iPhone’s microphone. This is essential for narrating tutorials or providing commentary over gameplay.
The built-in screen recorder allows you to record just the internal audio, just the microphone audio, or both simultaneously.
How to Screen Record on iPhone with Sound: Step-by-Step Guide (2025)
The iPhone’s screen recorder is integrated into the Control Center, making it quick and easy to access.
Step 1: Add Screen Recording to Control Center (If Not Already There)
If you don’t see the screen recording icon in your Control Center, you’ll need to add it first.
- Open the Settings App: Tap the grey gear icon on your Home screen.
- Go to Control Center: Scroll down and tap “Control Center.”
- Customize Controls: Under “More Controls” (or “More Controls” in older iOS versions), scroll down and find “Screen Recording.”
- Add It: Tap the green plus (+) icon next to “Screen Recording.” This will move it to the “Included Controls” section.
- You can drag the three horizontal lines (☰) next to “Screen Recording” in the “Included Controls” section to rearrange its position in your Control Center. (Imagine a screenshot here showing “Settings > Control Center” with the green plus icon next to “Screen Recording” highlighted.)
Step 2: Access Control Center
- For iPhones with Face ID (iPhone X and later models): Swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen.
- For iPhones with a Home button (iPhone 8 Plus and earlier models): Swipe up from the bottom edge of your screen. (Imagine a screenshot here showing the Control Center pulled down/up with various icons.)
Step 3: Enable Microphone Audio (Crucial for Your Voice)
- This is the most important step for recording with your voice or external sounds.
- Press and hold (long-press) the Screen Recording icon (a solid circle inside a thin circle). Don’t just tap it, as that will start recording without microphone audio.
- An expanded menu will pop up, showing options for where to save the recording and, most importantly, a Microphone Audio button.
- Tap the Microphone Audio button to toggle it On. It will turn red (or another indicator color) when activated. (Imagine a screenshot here showing the long-press menu for Screen Recording with the Microphone Audio button highlighted and turned ON.)
Step 4: Start Recording
- Once your microphone is enabled (and you’ve selected a save destination like “Photos”), tap “Start Recording” within the pop-up menu.
- A three-second countdown will appear on your screen before the recording begins.
- During recording, you’ll see a red status bar at the top of your screen (for iPhones with Face ID) or a red indicator icon next to the time (for iPhones with a Home button). (Imagine a screenshot here showing the 3-second countdown before recording starts.)
Step 5: Stop Recording
- When you’re finished, you can stop the recording by:
- Tapping the red status bar at the top of your screen (Face ID iPhones) or the red indicator icon next to the time (Home button iPhones), then tapping “Stop” in the pop-up.
- Alternatively, open Control Center again and tap the red Screen Recording icon.
Step 6: Access Your Recorded Video
- After stopping, a notification will briefly appear at the top of your screen stating, “Screen recording saved to Photos.”
- Your screen recordings are automatically saved to your Photos app. You can find them in your main “Library” or by going to “Albums” and selecting “Screen Recordings” under “Media Types.” (Imagine a screenshot here showing the “Screen recording saved” notification and a preview of the recorded video in the Photos app.)
Tips for Optimal Screen Recording with Sound
- Test Your Audio: Always do a short test recording to ensure both internal and microphone audio levels are balanced and clear.
- Mute Switch: Ensure your iPhone’s physical mute switch (on the side) is NOT set to mute if you want internal device sounds to be recorded.
- Headphones with Mic: For clearer voiceovers, use headphones with a built-in microphone.
- Do Not Disturb: Turn on “Do Not Disturb” mode from Control Center before recording to prevent notifications from interrupting your video.
- App Restrictions: Be aware that some apps (like streaming services for copyrighted content or banking apps for security) may block screen recording, or prevent audio from being captured.
- Check Storage: Ensure you have enough free space on your iPhone, especially for longer recordings, as video files can be large.
Screen recording on iPhone with sound is a powerful feature that turns your device into a versatile content creation tool. By following these steps, you can easily capture high-quality videos complete with both internal and external audio, perfect for tutorials, gaming, or sharing your digital experiences.