apturing what’s happening on your Android phone’s screen can be incredibly useful, whether you’re creating a tutorial, recording gameplay, or documenting an issue.
But a silent video often misses the point. To truly convey the experience, you need to record with sound – specifically, both the sounds coming from your phone (internal audio) and your own voice via the microphone.
In 2025, modern Android versions (from Android 11 up to Android 15, the latest release) offer a fantastic built-in screen recorder that handles both internal audio and microphone audio seamlessly.
This guide will walk you through how to set up and use this feature, ensuring your screen recordings are complete with all the necessary audio details.
Understanding Audio Options for Screen Recording
When you record your Android screen with sound, you typically have a few choices for the audio source:
- No sound: Records only the screen visuals.
- Media sounds (or Device audio/System sounds): Records only the sounds playing directly from your phone, like game audio, music, or app sounds. This is crucial for capturing in-app experiences clearly without external noise.
- Microphone: Records sound captured by your phone’s microphone, typically your voice or ambient sounds around you.
- Media sounds and microphone (or Device audio and mic): Records both the internal sounds from your phone AND your voice/external sounds via the microphone simultaneously. This is ideal for tutorials or gameplay commentary.
Android’s built-in recorder, especially from Android 11 onwards, provides these options directly, making recording with sound straightforward.
How to Screen Record with Sound on Android: Step-by-Step
The built-in screen recorder is usually found in your phone’s Quick Settings panel. The steps are largely consistent across Android 11, 12, 13, 14, and the latest Android 15.
Step 1: Access Your Quick Settings Panel
- Swipe down twice from the very top of your screen. The first swipe reveals a condensed notification shade; the second swipe fully expands the Quick Settings panel, showing more tiles. (Imagine a screenshot here showing two downward swipes from the top of an Android phone screen to reveal the full Quick Settings panel.)
Step 2: Locate the Screen Recorder Tile
- Look for a tile labeled “Screen recorder,” “Screen record,” or an icon resembling a camcorder (a circle with a dot inside).
- Can’t find it? You might need to add it. Look for a pencil icon (✏️) or an “Edit” button usually at the bottom or top of the Quick Settings panel. Tap it, then find the “Screen recorder” tile in the list of available tiles and drag it to your active Quick Settings area. (Imagine a screenshot here highlighting the “Screen recorder” tile in the Quick Settings panel, and potentially the “Edit” button.)
Step 3: Configure Your Audio Source (Crucial for Sound Recording)
- Tap the “Screen recorder” tile. A small setup overlay or pop-up will appear before the recording starts. This is where you select your audio input.
- You’ll typically see options like:
- “No sound”
- “Device audio” (or “Media sounds”)
- “Microphone”
- “Device audio and microphone” (or “Media sounds and mic”)
- Select “Device audio and microphone” if you want both internal sounds and your voice. Choose “Device audio” for just internal sounds, or “Microphone” for just your voice.
- You might also see options for “Show touches on screen” (useful for tutorials) or video quality settings. (Imagine a screenshot here showing the screen recorder settings pop-up with the audio source options clearly visible and “Device audio and microphone” selected.)
Step 4: Start the Recording
- After configuring your audio and other settings, tap “Start recording” or “Start”.
- A countdown (e.g., 3-2-1) will usually appear on your screen, giving you a few seconds to navigate to the app or screen you wish to record.
- Once the countdown finishes, the recording officially begins. You might see a small floating bubble, a recording icon in your status bar, or a persistent notification to indicate recording is active. (Imagine a screenshot here showing the countdown timer before recording starts.)
Step 5: Stop the Recording
- When you’re finished, you can stop the recording by:
- Tapping the “Screen recorder” notification in your notification shade (swipe down from the top).
- Tapping a floating stop button (some manufacturers, like Samsung, provide this).
- Locking your phone’s screen (this also often stops the recording).
Step 6: Access Your Recorded Video
- Immediately after stopping the recording, a notification will usually appear saying “Screen recording saved” or “Video saved.” Tap this notification to quickly view, edit, or share your video.
- All your screen recordings are automatically saved to your phone’s Gallery app (or Google Photos app), typically in a dedicated album like “Screen recordings” or “Movies.” (Imagine a screenshot here showing the “Screen recording saved” notification and a preview of the recorded video in the Gallery app.)
Tips for Optimizing Your Audio Recordings
- Test Your Audio Settings: Always do a short test recording to ensure your chosen audio source (internal, mic, or both) is working as expected and the volume levels are balanced.
- Use Headphones with Mic: If you’re recording your voice, using headphones with a built-in mic can significantly improve clarity by reducing ambient noise.
- Enable Do Not Disturb: To avoid interruptions during your recording (which can be very distracting in the final video), enable “Do Not Disturb” mode from your Quick Settings. This silences notifications.
- Check App Permissions: Ensure your screen recorder app has permission to access your microphone. Go to
Settings > Apps > [Your Screen Recorder App] > Permissions > Microphone. - Close Background Apps: For smoother recordings, especially of games or demanding apps, close unnecessary apps running in the background to free up RAM.
Screen recording with sound on Android has never been easier or more integrated. By following these steps and adjusting your audio input, you can capture clear, informative, and engaging videos directly from your phone’s screen, ready for tutorials, gaming highlights, or any other purpose.