This is the era of smartphones. As more and more people become connected to the Internet, the information superhighway that the Internet provides becomes much more intense, not just in need but also in demand. With more than half of the population having a smart device these days, recording information, as well as conversations, on screens, apps, and everything else in between, is a necessity.
It started with the screenshot. The screenshot is a way for people to take a snapshot of what they have going on on their screens, in order to get a reference for the processes they’re doing, whether it be a conversation, a prompt, or a result. As we move to a much more connected world, screenshotting become commonplace, and the next big thing to supplant it is screen recording. In this article, we’ve listed down the ways you can screen record on any device:
On smartphones
The smartphone industry is currently reigned by two major operating systems: iOS and Android. Smartphones that carry the iOS software are iPhones, and if you have one, then the ability to screen record is pretty much embedded in the system itself. But how to screen record with different kinds of iPhones? The latest iteration of iOS, which is iOS 14, lets its user to access screen recording features in just two steps quickly:
- For iPhone X and up users: From your screen, swipe from the top left part. This should give you access to the Control Center, where you see some quick toggles. For iPhone SE 2020 and down users, swipe up from your screen to access the same Control Center.
- From there, press the button with a circular dot that has another circle on it. It will trigger the screen record function. You know you’ve successfully done it if there’s a countdown that happens. When you swipe up/down from the Control Center, there should be a red recording icon on the top of your iPhone.
If you are an Android user, there’s also a built-in system on the smartphone’s operating system that lets you quickly access screen recording capabilities. While it’s true that there are quite a number of Android devices, the process should be similar across all devices:
- Swipe from the top of your screen to access the Notification shade.
- Go to Quick settings. This is different from one device to another, as some already give you access to quick settings like brightness, sound levels, etc.
- Tap the screen recorder icon and wait for it to start. Some Android devices will ask for permission first to screen record. Click Start when ready, and Stop when finished.
It should be said that there is also a barrage of apps on both operating systems that offers screen recording functions. One of the best ones is Go Recorder, which is exclusive to Apple. Screencam app is the top choice for Android users.
On laptops and computers
Before smartphones took over our lives, laptops and computers were the go-to devices to communicate, get information from, and do tasks. Screen recording has been present on laptops and computers for quite some time, and similar to smartphones, it also has quite a number of apps that offer the capability.
Mac users
For Mac users, macOS has a screen recording capability built-in in its system through its default media player, QuickTime. You can access the player from Applications, then once you’ve opened it, go to file, and select Screen Record. It’s an excellent screen recorder, but if you want more flexibility on the resulting files, you’d need to get a third-party application like Camtasia or Lonely Record.
Windows 10 users
For Windows peeps, the Window’s Game Bar has a nifty screen record tool hidden on the menu. If you are a Game Bar user on Windows 10, you can easily screen capture and record by pressing the Windows Key + G on the Xbox app. A pop up should appear, click on that and press start recording.
Takeaway
Bear in mind that you are also recording whatever it is you are doing on your screen when screen recording so you might want to stay away from opening banking sites and such.
