Bad screen recordings are everywhere—pixelated tutorials, glitchy demos, and that awkward moment when notifications pop up mid-recording. Your iPad content deserves better, whether you're teaching students, updating your team, or creating for an audience.

Creating professional-quality screen recordings on your iPad isn't complicated—it just takes 6 simple steps. Here's your guide to capturing crisp, clear footage that actually does your content justice.

Can you screen record on iPad?

Yes, you can screen record on an iPad. Apple integrated a screen recording feature directly into the iPad operating system, so you can easily capture whatever's happening on your screen without needing third-party apps.

To find and set up this feature, you'll need to enable screen recording in your Control Center. Then, simply tap the screen recording button when you're ready to start and stop a recording. The entire process takes just a few seconds to set up.

How to screen record on iPad with audio

1. Enable screen recording in Control Center

Before you can start recording, you'll need to add the Screen Recording option to your Control Center for quick access. Go to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls, then tap the plus sign next to Screen Recording.

1. Go to Settings.
2. Scroll down and tap on Control Center.
3. Find Screen Recording in the list and tap the green "+" icon next to it.

2. Open Control Center

Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen to access your Control Center. Locate the Record button (it looks like a solid circle inside another circle). If you can't find the Screen Recording button, you may need to add it to Control Center first using the steps above.

3. Turn on microphone audio

If you want to record voiceovers or external sound with your screen recording, long-press the Record button to access additional options. You can choose to record with your microphone on (for narration) or off (to capture only the iPad's internal audio).

1. In the Control Center, long press and hold the Record button.
2. Tap the microphone icon, turning it from gray to red, indicating it's active.

4. Start screen recording

With everything set: 1) Tap the Record button to begin a three-second countdown, 2) Wait for the countdown to finish, and 3) Your iPad will start recording everything on your screen, including internal audio if selected.

• Tap the Record button in the Control Center.
• You'll see a three-second countdown on the icon, giving you a brief moment to navigate to where you want the recording to start.

5. Navigate and record

Once the countdown finishes, your iPad will start recording whatever is displayed on the screen. Navigate through apps, make a tutorial, or showcase whatever you want to record.

Remember, any notifications or messages that pop up during this time will also be recorded.

6. Stop recording

When you're done recording, tap the red status bar or red button in the top right corner of your screen. Then tap Stop when you receive the prompt. For iPad models with no home button, you'll see the red recording indicator in the top-right corner.

Once stopped, the screen recording will be automatically saved to your Photos app. You can view, edit, and share it as needed. To find your recordings, open the Photos app and look in the Videos album or Recent album.

Troubleshooting if the screen recording button is missing

If you can't find the screen recording button in your Control Center, first confirm that your iPad is running iPadOS 11 or later by going to Settings and checking your version as advised by Apple Support. Next, verify the button is added to Control Center by opening Settings, tapping Control Center, and selecting Screen Recording from the list. If the button still won't appear or function, try restarting your device to resolve any temporary software glitches. Also, look in Screen Time settings to ensure there are no restrictions preventing screen recording per Apple's guidelines. Finally, be sure you're not simultaneously using screen mirroring, which can disable the screen recording option.

4 tips for better iPad screen recordings

1. Clean up your screen before recording

Remember that people will see everything in your screen recording. Ideally, you want to avoid any distractions during your session.

Imagine watching a tutorial where the instructor has numerous app notifications popping up or random apps scattered everywhere. It's distracting and takes away from the main content.

So, do some housekeeping before you record:

1. Clear any pending notifications (like your 11,000 email notifications).
2. Organize your apps.
3. Remove any personal or sensitive information.
4. Set a clean and neutral background.

Spending a few minutes cleaning up your screen can make your recording look professional and keep viewers focused on your content.

2. Enable Do Not Disturb mode

As you now see, notifications can interrupt a recording. Picture the moment you're about to explain a crucial step in your recording, and suddenly, Mom calls, breaking the flow of the video.

Before recording, swipe into the Control Center and tap the crescent moon icon to activate 'Do Not Disturb' mode. This prevents calls, messages, and app notifications from interrupting your recording session. On newer iPadOS versions, you can also use Focus mode for the same purpose.

3. Use a stylus or Apple Pencil

An Apple Pencil makes your touch inputs (tapping, swiping, long pressing) more precise and clear for the viewer. If you're doing a lot of screen recordings and drawing and writing during them, a stylus or Apple Pencil can improve the overall quality of your demonstration.

The Apple Pencil can significantly improve your screen recordings by making your touch inputs (tapping, swiping, long pressing) more precise and clear for the viewer. If you're creating tutorials or demonstrations, consider investing in an Apple Pencil to enhance the quality of your screen recordings.

4. Plan your narration and movements

Spontaneous recordings often have pauses, errors, or unnecessary segments.

Imagine watching a video where the narrator is unsure, repeatedly going back on their steps, or taking long pauses to figure out what to do next. It feels unorganized and can make viewers lose interest.

Before hitting record, take a moment to outline what you want to say and do. If you need it, practice your movements and narration several times. The result is a more smooth and professional-looking recording.

iPad model-specific instructions

While the basic process for screen recording is mostly consistent across all iPad models, a few variations exist. On an iPad Pro, confirm your microphones are unobstructed, as newer models include multiple mics for enhanced audio according to Apple Support. If you're using an iPad Mini, ensure it's updated to iPadOS 11 or later so screen recording appears in Control Center by default. On the 9th generation iPad or newer, simply add the control and tap the microphone icon if you need external narration. Regardless of the model, you can always find your recorded clips in the Photos app under Screen Recordings.

4 best screen recording apps for iPad

Record it!

Record it! is a popular screen recording app for iPadOS that lets you record walkthroughs, demos, tutorials, and training videos.

Record it! has some cool features like FaceCam Reactions, where, after recording, you can go back and add reactions throughout your recording. It also has a basic video editor where you can trim videos, add filters, adjust playback speed, and change background colors.

Once your recording is finished, you can share directly to YouTube, camera roll, or export the recording to a more advanced editing tool like Descript.

App Store rating: 4.6 out of 5 ⭐ with 345,900 ratings.

Key features:

• Audio only commentary recording.
• One-tap recording.
• Editing functions.

Pros:

• Easy editing.
• Can add commentary to existing videos.
• Free.

Cons:

• Three minute recording limit on free version.

Price: Free or $4.99 for the pro version.

RecPro

RecPro is another screen recording app that lets you on any iOS device with iOS11 and higher. The free version uses ads to make up for your subscription fee. It's good for people who want more control over their recordings.

Similar to Record it!, this app lets you record with a face cam where you can add comments and reactions throughout the video. It also offers a video editor with lots of stickers and filters.

App Store rating: 3.7 out of 5 ⭐ with 2,300 ratings.

Key features:

• Rotate and flip videos.
• Choose video sizes.
• Record at various FPS and Mbps rates.

Pros:

• Unlimited time recording.
• Easy to add text and edit videos.
• Great control over video style.

Cons:

• Coin system to buy upgrades is useless.
• Expensive if paying monthly.

Price: $9.99 monthly or $29.99 yearly.

DU Recorder

DU Recorder is an excellent iPad app for creators that livestream a lot. It offers 1080p streaming to platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch, making it perfect for games, live shows, sports, and more.

Of course, you can also screen record with it. For editing, you can add music, filters, and crop recorded videos. DU Recorder is free, but has premium upgrades you'll need to pay for to access.

App Store rating: 4.4 out of 5 ⭐with 56,600 ratings.

Key features:

• Record audio and video.
• Stream straight to popular platforms like Twitch.
• Choose the resolution for streams.

Pros:

• Go live in minutes on many platforms.
• Supports Replaykit and RTMP addresses.

Cons:

• Relatively low FPS compared to other tools.
• Low quality audio recording.

Price: Free with paid upgrades.

Screen Recorder Pro

Screen Recorder Pro is a good app for annotating videos on your iPad. You can easily create tutorials and other videos and share them on YouTube, Instagram, Twitch, or Facebook. For creators who want to edit on their iPhone or iPad, you can edit in Screen Recorder Pro's studio.

App Store rating: 4.5 out 5 ⭐with 21,400 rating.

Key features:

• Records from screen or face cam.
• Annotate videos in real time.
• Sophisticated studio for editing videos.

Pros:

• Intuitive interface.
• Makes tutorials and gaming videos easy to create.

Cons:

• Not much control over settings.
• Very limited free version.

Price: $4.99 weekly, $9.99 monthly, $39.99 yearly.

How to screen record with Descript

The best screen recorder for iPad really depends on what you're doing with your video.

You can always use the built-in function shown above, which captures your iPad screen and saves it to the camera roll—but it doesn't have many features. If you're planning to stream live, add annotations, or need more advanced editing capabilities, there are third-party apps better suited for those specific needs.

If you want to record on your Mac, Descript is an excellent option. You can record your computer screen with audio, edit the video, and publish it all in one app. Editing in Descript is as easy as editing text in your transcript. Learn more about our video editing and podcasting today.

How to screen record on iPad: FAQ

How do I turn on screen recording?

To turn on Screen Recording, swipe down from the upper right corner to open your Control Center. If you've added the Screen Recording tool to your Control Center, tap on its icon to start recording. To stop, tap on the red recording indicator at the top of your screen and confirm the "stop recording" prompt. If you're using an iPad with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access Control Center.

Why can't I screen record on my iPad?

iPads can indeed screen record. Apple has built a Screen Recording feature directly into iPadOS, which means you can record your iPad screen without installing third-party apps. This feature works on all iPad models running iOS 11 or later.

How do I record my iPad screen without an app?

Use the built-in Screen Recording feature to record your iPad screen without an app. You can customize Control Center options by going to Settings > Control Center. Then, add the Screen Recording tool. Activate it from the Control Center when you want to start recording. Your recordings will capture both visual elements and internal audio from your iPad.

How do I fix the screen recording button not showing up?

First, confirm your iPad is running a compatible version of iPadOS and that Screen Recording is enabled in Control Center per Apple’s guidance. You can check by going to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls. If it still doesn’t appear, a quick device restart can help. Also, confirm that Screen Time restrictions aren’t blocking it and that screen mirroring is turned off. These steps typically restore the Screen Recording button within minutes.

Will my screen recording capture internal audio or just the microphone?

By default, your iPad captures system sounds, like app audio, but not microphone input. To enable the microphone, long-press the screen recording button and toggle the mic on as recommended. Some apps may restrict audio recording, so if you’re still not getting sound, check the app’s permissions or usage policies. Usually, a quick settings review fixes things. This gives you full control over whether you want internal audio, external narration, or both.