You don’t need an extra app to record a mobile game. On an iPhone, swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center and tap the Screen Recording button. On most Android phones, swipe down twice from the top of the screen and tap Screen record. Both save the video to your photos with the game’s sound. Going live takes a little more setup, and YouTube only allows streaming from a phone once your channel has at least 50 subscribers.
How to screen record on iPhone #
- Add the button if it’s missing. Open Control Center, tap the plus sign in the top-left corner, choose Add a Control, and add Screen Recording.
- Open your game, then swipe down from the top-right corner and tap the gray Record button. A three-second countdown gives you time to close Control Center.
- Stop the recording by tapping the red indicator at the top of the screen and choosing Stop, or by tapping the Record button in Control Center again.
- Find the video in the Photos app, in your Library.
The recording captures whatever sound the game is playing. Many games go quiet when the phone is in silent mode, so turn silent mode off if you want the soundtrack. To add your own voice, touch and hold the Record button in Control Center and turn on the microphone before you start. Apple notes that some apps block recording, and you can’t record while mirroring your screen to a TV.
How to screen record on Android #
- Swipe down twice from the top of the screen to open Quick Settings.
- Tap Screen record. If it isn’t there, tap the edit (pencil) icon and drag the tile into your panel. Samsung calls it Screen recorder.
- Choose whether to record audio and whether to show your touches on screen, then tap Start.
- To stop, swipe down and tap the recording notification.
On Pixel phones the video is saved in the Photos app, in the Movies collection. Other brands put it in their own gallery app. Some phones also have a game overlay that appears while you play, such as Game Dashboard on Pixel or Game Booster on Samsung, with its own record button. The paths vary by brand and Android version, so if a menu name doesn’t match, search your Settings for “screen record.”
Turning on “show touches” is worth it if you’re making a tutorial. Viewers can see exactly when you tapped, which matters a lot in timing games.
Tips for a video people will watch #
- Turn on Do Not Disturb first. A message preview sliding in during your best run ends up in the video, along with who sent it.
- Record portrait games in portrait. TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels are vertical, so a portrait game fills the whole frame with no black bars.
- Record the whole session, then cut. You never know which run will be the good one. Both the iPhone Photos app and Google Photos let you trim a clip by dragging its start and end handles.
- Start with a charged battery and some free storage. Recording while playing works the phone hard, and screen recordings take up a lot of space.
- Keep it short. A 20-second clip of a close call gets watched. A 10-minute unedited session mostly doesn’t.
- Be careful with music. Game soundtracks can be copyrighted, and video platforms sometimes mute or claim clips that use them. Your own commentary over the gameplay avoids most of that.
How to record your high score #
Mobile game videos took off with Flappy Bird. In early 2014, YouTubers filming themselves losing their minds over a tiny bird helped push it to the top of the charts. We cover the rest of that story in what happened to Flappy Bird.
The same kind of clip still works best: a short run with a clear result. A screen recording of the run itself proves a score in a way a screenshot can’t.
In Flappy Kittens (Flappy Cat on Google Play), start recording on the menu so the countdown is out of the way before your first tap. The game is portrait, so the clip fills a vertical video, and the game-over screen hands out a medal from bronze at 8 points to diamond at 100, which gives the clip an ending. The game can also make a square share card of your score for a group chat. If the run you recorded fell apart early, our Flappy Bird tips will help with the next take.
How to livestream mobile games #
YouTube #
YouTube lets you stream straight from its phone app, but only after you meet its mobile live streaming requirements:
- At least 50 subscribers
- A verified channel
- No live streaming restrictions on your channel in the last 90 days
- Live streaming turned on, which can take up to 24 hours the first time
YouTube also says that for channels with 50 to 1,000 subscribers, it may limit who can see mobile live streams. Once you qualify, tap the create button in the YouTube app, choose Go live, and follow the prompts to share your screen.
Twitch and TikTok #
The Twitch app can broadcast from your phone, including your screen, without a computer. TikTok LIVE is only open to accounts that meet TikTok’s age and follower rules. Both platforms change their requirements from time to time, so check their help pages before you plan a stream.
Streaming through a computer #
For better quality, connect your phone to a computer and send the screen to streaming software like OBS. On a Mac you can plug in an iPhone with a cable and select it as a camera source in QuickTime. This takes more setup, but it lets you add a webcam, alerts and your own layout.
Is it okay to post gameplay videos? #
Most game companies are happy for you to share gameplay, since it’s free advertising, and many publish a video policy. If you plan to earn money from videos, read the publisher’s policy first, because some set extra rules for monetized channels. Posting clips of a friend’s run is also fine to do as long as they’re happy to be in it. Pass-the-phone score battles make great clips, and our list of mobile games to play with friends has more ideas.
Frequently asked questions #
Why is there no sound in my screen recording? #
On iPhone, the recording only captures sound the game is actually playing, so check silent mode and the game’s own volume settings. On Android, choose to record audio in the options before you tap Start. Some apps block audio capture entirely.
Does screen recording make games lag? #
It can on older phones, because the phone is encoding video at the same time as running the game. Close other apps first. If it still stutters, try recording shorter clips.
Can I stream mobile games without a PC? #
Yes. YouTube and Twitch both let you go live from their phone apps. YouTube requires at least 50 subscribers for mobile streaming, and it may limit viewers on small channels.
Will my notifications show up in a screen recording? #
Yes. Anything that appears on screen is recorded, including message previews. Turn on Do Not Disturb or a Focus mode before you start.