How do I turn on screen recording on an iPhone?
Screen recording is built into iOS, but its button isn't in Control Center until you add it. On iOS 18 and later, open Control Center, touch and hold an empty spot, tap Add a Control and choose Screen Recording. On earlier versions, go to Settings → Control Center and add Screen Recording from the list.
How do I start and stop a recording?
- Swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center.
- Tap the record button, a filled circle inside a ring. A three-second countdown starts.
- Close Control Center and use your app as you want it shown.
- Tap the red indicator at the top of the screen, then Stop. The clip saves to Photos.
The countdown and the swipe to close Control Center are in the clip, so plan to trim the first couple of seconds. Mockya trims from the media card without a timeline.
How do I record the screen with sound?
Touch and hold the record button in Control Center and turn Microphone on before you start. That records your voice as well as the app. For a silent product video, leave it off: most launch videos play muted, and a clean recording is easier to put music under later.
How do I make the recording look clean?
- Turn on Do Not Disturb or a Focus, so no notification slides in over your app halfway through.
- Charge the phone, so the status bar shows a full battery rather than a red one.
- Use real-looking data: a demo account with names, photos and numbers, not "Test User 1".
- Move deliberately. Pause for a beat on each screen. A viewer needs about a second to read what changed.
- Pick light or dark mode on purpose, and keep it the same across every clip in the launch.
How do I record from the iOS Simulator?
If you build the app in Xcode, the Simulator gives you the cleanest recording there is: full resolution, no notifications, and a status bar you control. With a simulated iPhone running, set the status bar first:
xcrun simctl status_bar booted override --time 9:41 --batteryState charged --batteryLevel 100Then record, and press Control-C in Terminal to stop:
xcrun simctl io booted recordVideo --codec=h264 demo.mp4The H.264 codec gives an MP4 every browser plays, so it drops straight into Mockya. Run xcrun simctl status_bar booted clear afterwards to put the status bar back.
What size is an iPhone screen recording?
A recording has the shape of the iPhone's screen, tall and narrow, a little over 9:19.5. Each model's panel is a slightly different size. These are the native resolutions Mockya's iPhone frames are built around:
| iPhone | Native resolution | Shape |
|---|---|---|
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max | 1,320 × 2,868 | 9:19.6 |
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro | 1,206 × 2,622 | 9:19.6 |
| Apple iPhone Air | 1,260 × 2,736 | 9:19.5 |
| Apple iPhone 17 Pro | 1,206 × 2,622 | 9:19.6 |
| Apple iPhone 17 | 1,206 × 2,622 | 9:19.6 |
| Apple iPhone 16 Pro | 1,206 × 2,622 | 9:19.6 |
| Apple iPhone 16 | 1,179 × 2,556 | 9:19.5 |
Frame the clip in the same model you recorded on and it fills the screen exactly. A different iPhone still works: the shapes are close, so only a sliver is trimmed.
How do I turn the recording into a device video?
- AirDrop the clip to your Mac, or copy it to your computer any way you like.
- Open the Mockya studio and drop the file in. It stays on your computer; nothing is uploaded.
- Pick the iPhone you recorded on, and an angle: Front, Left or Right.
- Choose a background, then tick the sizes you need: 9:16 for Reels and TikTok, 4:5 for feeds.
- Export. Every size renders in one go, as MP4, with no watermark.
Questions
Where do iPhone screen recordings go?
To the Photos app, in your library and in the Screen Recordings album, alongside your other videos.
Why does my iPhone screen recording have no sound?
The microphone is off by default. Touch and hold the record button in Control Center and turn Microphone on. Some apps also block their own audio from being recorded.
Why is my screen recording black?
Apps that play protected video, such as streaming services, block screen recording, so their content records as black. Your own app records normally.
How do I get the 9:41 clock in an iPhone recording?
On a real iPhone you can't override the clock. In the iOS Simulator, xcrun simctl status_bar booted override --time 9:41 sets the time, battery and signal for the recording.
