How to Record the Screen on Your Android Phone If you need to record the screen on your computer, Windows has a Game Bar and macOS has a screen capture tool. Apple devices have a Screen Recording tool, but what about Android?
Screen recording for Google’s mobile OS was introduced in Android 11, but some devices from Samsung, LG and OnePlus running Android 10 have their own versions of the feature. Users with older devices can turn to a third-party app. Here are your options.
Android Screen Recorder
Online screen recorder for android The screen recording process is pretty much the same across devices, with a few tweaks here and there. To view the quick settings options, pull down the notification bar from the top of the screen. Tap the Screen Recorder icon and enable your device to record your screen (you may need to adjust the default icons that appear). Specify what sound (if any) you want to record. Tap Start Recording and a countdown will begin before the on-screen toolbar appears and recording begins.
The toolbar includes the option to minimize the bar, draw on the screen, turn on the front camera, pause the recording or stop it completely. The toolbar and selfie window can be freely moved around the screen.
When recording stops, the video is saved to your phone’s media storage. For more settings, long press the Screen Recorder quick settings icon.
Google Play Games
Record your gameplay in the Google Play Games app
If you want to record a game, Google Play Games (opens in a new window) is a solid free option. Although it can only record in 480p SD or 720p HD, the app allows you to record any game and add camera footage from your phone’s front lens.
Open the app and select a game – it can be any of the games included in the Home tab or a title you previously downloaded. Tap the game thumbnail to view game details, then tap the Record button at the top. Select the video quality here.
Click Start to launch the game and a floating video bubble will appear on the screen with the option to select recording settings. The buttons that surround your head will control your microphone, front camera and recording. You can also drag the video bubble around the screen to find the perfect placement.
Click the red button to start recording the video. After a three-second timer, Google Play Games will start uploading. Tap the recording button again to stop, or drag the floating video bubble to the center of the screen via the X. Once the video is finished, you can edit or upload it via the YouTube app if you like.
ADV Screen Recorder
ADV Online Screen Recorder (opens in a new window) is a free third-party option that allows you to record any screen activity. Tap the plus icon in the app to open a button overlay that lets you control recordings from any screen. Note that when this overlay is open, you cannot interact with the rest of the screen.
When you open the button overlay, you’ll see controls that let you start recording, add a front-facing camera view, access your video collection, and draw on the screen. Before all these features are available, you need to grant the appropriate permissions to the app.
Tap the record button to start the video and then stop or pause it from the overlay button. You can edit and share your recording from within the app. In the settings, you can change the resolution (up to 1080p), transfer rate (up to 15 Mb/s) and frame rate (up to 60 frames/s). You can also change the video orientation and microphone settings.
The app lets you control the overlay by changing the overlay, replacing the default icon with your own image, and adding text or removing it entirely. You can also enable the app to display screen touches during recording, though you’ll need to enable this feature in your phone’s settings first.
You may notice that the app button overlay remains on the screen even after closing the app. The only way to remove the overlay is to long press the icon and drag it to the X towards the bottom of the screen.
AZ Screen Recorder
Screen recording in AZ Screen Recorder
Third-party AZ Screen Recorder (opens in new window) is a free, ad-supported app (with an ad-free upgrade for $2.99) that lets you capture video, take screenshots, and play live video. The app can be controlled from the phone’s notification bar and will add a pop-up control button to the screen after obtaining the appropriate permissions.
Open the app and tap the orange camera button to start recording your screen, then browse your phone as usual. There will also be a smaller video camera bubble on the screen that will remain even after you move away from the app. Tap this icon to stop or pause the recording. The bubble has additional options that allow you to open saved recordings in the app, activate various toolbox items, and start a live video on Facebook or YouTube.
Inside the app, you can view saved videos and screenshots that can be shared and edited. The settings menu allows you to configure video options such as resolution (up to 2220 x 1080), frame rate (up to 60 fps), bit rate (up to 12 Mbps), device orientation and time lapse, as well as audio recording controls.
Don’t want the record button to appear in your recording? There are options to disable the button while recording, add an invisible button, and change how to stop recording.
Mobizen Screen Recorder
Screen recording in Mobizen Screen Recorder
Unlike other screen recorders, Mobizen Screen Recorder (opens in new window) primarily exists as a floating control bubble called AirCircle. Tap the overlay to start a video, take a screenshot, or view captured media and change settings. You can start screen recording from the AirCircle menu and then pause or stop the video. Commands in the notification panel also give you a degree of control.
Mobizen then allows you to view, edit and share your recordings. You can view videos and screenshots from the app’s storage overlay, though it can also import some images from your device. The settings menu allows you to adjust the resolution (up to 1080p), frame rate (up to 60fps) and sound settings.
A built-in recording wizard will help optimize your video, while a clean recording mode removes overlays and improves overall quality.
By default, Mobizen will have the front camera disabled, but you can turn it on in the settings to add an additional video overlay to all recordings. You also have the option to fully customize AirCircle by replacing the logo with your own image, hiding it while uploading or changing its transparency.
Super Screen Recorder
How to Record the Screen on Your Android Phone With the ad-supported Super Screen Recorder (opens in a new window), you can record your screen, take screenshots, and more. You can use the overlay to record video, take photos and draw on the screen. You can also add features like live video, front camera window and floating brush icon.
Inside the app, you can view, share, and edit recorded media. A full editing menu lets you add music, merge videos and images, compress files, convert videos to GIFs, and more. The settings menu gives you control over resolution (up to 1080p), bitrate (up to 12Mbps), frame rate (up to 60fps) and video orientation. You can also change video and audio recording settings, set control options, and display screen touches once developer options are enable on your device.
With a professional subscription, Super Screen Recorder removes ads, provides dubbing and voice change functions, and allows you to add custom images for the floating button and watermark.
