How to Record Your iPhone 11 Screen: Complete Guide with Audio & Sharing

Need to capture a tutorial, document a bug, or record gameplay on your iPhone 11? Screen recording is a built-in iOS feature that lets you record everything on your display as a video file in seconds—complete with optional audio and direct sharing to your favorite apps.

What is Screen Recording on iPhone 11?

Screen recording is a native iOS feature that captures everything happening on your iPhone’s display as a video file. On iPhone 11, this feature is accessible directly from Control Center and allows you to record apps, tutorials, gameplay, and system interactions with optional audio capture. The resulting video file saves automatically to your Photos app for immediate playback, editing, or sharing. Current as of: iOS 26.2 (late 2025) — Screen recording has been available since iOS 11 and remains unchanged in functionality for iPhone 11 devices.

Why Use This Feature?

• Create tutorials instantly: Demonstrate step-by-step processes in apps without needing external recording equipment
• Document issues for support: Capture bugs or problems exactly as they occur, with audio explanations included
• Record gameplay and entertainment: Save gaming moments, app demonstrations, or creative content directly to your Photos library
• Share workflows easily: Send recorded instructions to colleagues, friends, or family through Messages, email, AirDrop, or social media apps — no file conversion needed

Things to Consider Before Recording

• Some apps block recording: Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, Disney+, and other streaming services use DRM (Digital Rights Management) protection that prevents screen recording. When you attempt to record these apps, the screen appears black in your recording — this is a system-level security restriction that cannot be overridden.
• Storage space matters: Screen recordings use approximately 125-150MB per minute at iPhone 11’s standard 1080p resolution and 30fps. Maintain at least 3GB of free storage space to ensure recordings save successfully and your device operates smoothly. While 2GB can technically support 15-30 minutes of recording, Apple’s recommended minimum is 3-6GB for normal operation.
• Audio recording requires permission: If you want to capture audio (voices, app sounds, music), you’ll need to enable microphone audio before recording. Some jurisdictions have specific privacy laws about recording conversations — if you’re recording audio that includes other people’s voices, verify your local two-party or one-party consent laws before sharing recordings. This varies significantly by country and state, so check your location’s regulations.

How to Record Your iPhone 11 Screen — Step by Step

Step 1: Add Screen Recording to Your Control Center

Open the Settings app on your iPhone 11, then navigate to Control Center. Tap “Customize Controls” and look for “Screen Recording” in the “More Controls” section. Tap the green plus (+) icon next to Screen Recording to add it to your Control Center.

Step 2: Enable Microphone Audio (Optional)

If you want to capture audio during your recording, you’ll need to enable microphone audio. The current method in iOS 18/26: Open Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner of your screen. Long-press (touch and hold) the Screen Recording button, then tap the microphone icon to toggle it on. A microphone icon will appear, indicating audio will be captured. You can also toggle the microphone during an active recording by opening Control Center again.

Step 3: Prepare Your Screen

Before you start recording, navigate to the app or content you want to capture. Close any notifications that might appear during recording, and remove any sensitive information (passwords, personal data, etc.) from your screen. Make sure the content you want to record is clearly visible and ready to demonstrate.

Step 4: Open Control Center

Swipe down from the top-right corner of your iPhone 11 screen (the same gesture you use to view notifications). The Control Center panel will appear, showing all your quick-access controls including the Screen Recording button.

Step 5: Start Recording

Tap the Screen Recording button in Control Center. A 3-second countdown will appear on your screen before recording begins. This gives you time to prepare or dismiss the Control Center. If you’ve enabled microphone audio in Step 2, it will automatically capture audio during recording.

Step 6: Perform Your Actions

Navigate through your app, demonstrate your workflow, or capture the content you need. The Screen Recording indicator (a small red bar or icon at the top of your screen) shows that recording is active. You can continue using your iPhone normally — everything on the display is being captured.

Step 7: Stop Recording

When you’re finished recording, open Control Center again and tap the Screen Recording button (which now appears highlighted or active). The red status bar at the top of your screen will disappear, indicating recording has stopped. The app will confirm that your recording has been saved.

Step 8: Find Your Recording

Your screen recording automatically saves to the Photos app. Open Photos, tap “Recents” (or “Albums” > “Recents”), and you’ll see your video file listed with today’s date and time. The file appears as a video thumbnail you can tap to preview.

Step 9: Edit Your Recording (Optional)

Tap your recording in Photos, then tap “Edit” to trim the video, adjust audio levels, or make quick cuts. Use the timeline at the bottom to drag the start and end points to remove unwanted sections. Tap “Done” to save your edits. Your original recording remains intact — editing creates a new version.

Step 10: Share Your Recording

Tap the Share icon (arrow pointing out of a box) to send your video. You can share via Messages, email, AirDrop, or any installed social media apps. Select your preferred method and follow the app’s instructions to complete sharing. The video file is ready to send immediately without any conversion needed.

Troubleshooting: Quick Fixes for Common Issues

Screen Recording doesn’t appear in Control Center

Verify it’s enabled by opening Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls. Look for Screen Recording in the “More Controls” section and tap the green plus (+) icon to add it. If it’s already listed under “Included Controls,” then Screen Recording is active in your Control Center.

Audio isn’t recording

Check that microphone audio is enabled. Long-press the Screen Recording button in Control Center and ensure the microphone icon is toggled ON. Note that some apps restrict audio recording for copyright or security reasons — if audio still doesn’t capture from a specific app, that app may have built-in recording restrictions that cannot be overridden.

Recordings appear choppy, laggy, or corrupted

Close background apps before recording (double-tap home button or swipe up on app switcher to close unused apps). Ensure you have at least 3GB of free storage space available — recordings require continuous write access to storage. If your iPhone storage is full or nearly full, recording quality will suffer. Delete unnecessary photos, videos, or apps to free up space.

Cannot record from Netflix, YouTube, or streaming apps

These services use DRM (Digital Rights Management) protection that prevents screen recording. This is a system-level security restriction enforced by Apple and these services to protect copyrighted content — it cannot be overridden by users. Your recording will show a black screen during these portions. This behavior is consistent across all iOS devices.

Low Power Mode is preventing successful recording

Low Power Mode disables background processes needed for proper video file encoding and storage, which can cause recordings to fail or not save. Before recording, turn off Low Power Mode by opening Settings > Battery and toggling off the Low Power Mode switch. This ensures your device has full processing power to save your recording successfully.

Screen recording on iPhone 11 is a powerful tool that takes just seconds to set up and master. Whether you’re creating tutorials, documenting problems, or sharing gameplay moments, this built-in feature puts professional-quality video capture directly in your hands — with no special apps or subscriptions required. Start recording today and see how easily you can capture and share what matters.