Do you want to record your iPad screen, but you don't know how or if that's even possible? Then this article is for you. Screen recording is such a convenient feature; it saves tons of time and helps create engaging and informative content. You should be able to use it on your iPad.
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Is It Possible to Record a Screen on an iPad?
Yes. The iPad has a built-in feature you can use to record anything on the screen. The feature is called Screen Recording, and you can find it in your iPad's Control Center. In addition to recording with sound, it can also take individual snapshots of your screen.
It's not the only way to record your iPad's screen, though. If, for any reason, you don't want to use the built-in feature, there are third-party apps you can try. But we'll talk more about that later on. Now, let's see how to screen capture a video on an iPad using Screen Recording.
You may also be interested in how to record your screen on iPhone.
How To Turn On Screen Recording on iPad
Here's what you need to do to enable Screen Recording on your iPad:
- Go to Settings from your iPad's Home Screen and open Control Center.
- Click on Customize Controls.
- If Screen Recording is not already in the INCLUDE section, scroll down to the MORE CONTROLS section and find it there. Tap the green + button next to it.
- Now, go back to your Home Screen and swipe up or down to access the Control Center. Look for an icon that looks like a dot inside of a circle.
- When you're ready to start recording your screen, simply tap this button.
After you activate Screen Recording, you'll see a countdown instead of the dot and circle button. When the time is up, your iPad will start recording everything on your screen.
How To Screen Record on iPad With External Sound
The Screen Recording feature on your iPad will record audio and picture, giving you a full video recording of your screen. But what if you need to capture your voice on top of that? If you're creating tutorials or sending instructions to someone, they should be able to hear your commentary.
Apple has thought of that, too, so they included the option to record the screen with an external sound in addition to the sound coming from your iPad. This function is part of Screen Recording, so ensure you've enabled it according to the instructions above. Here's what you should do next:
- Open the Control Center and find the Screen Recording button.
- Click on the Screen Recording button to start recording.
- At this point, you'll see a red Microphone button. Turn it on.
Important: To capture external sound with Screen Recording, you must have iOS 11 or later on your iPad. If you're unsure which iOS version you have, you can check that right now in Settings. This information is available under General > About > Software Version.
How To Stop Recording Your iPad Screen
The Screen Recording feature on your iPad will keep recording until you turn it off. Here's how to stop the screen recorder for iPad when you've captured everything you need:
- Tap the red Screen Recording button in the top right corner of your screen.
- You'll see a pop-up window with two options - Cancel and Stop. Tap on Stop.
But wait, shouldn't you save your screen recording first? Don't worry about that. Once you tap Stop, the recording will be automatically saved to your Apple Photos app.
You may also be interested in how to stop screen recording in Quicktime Player
Tips for Making Amazing Screen Recordings on iPad
Turning a screen recording into a shareable piece of content is more complicated than you think, but we know some tricks that can help you create fantastic videos of your screen.
Enable the Do Not Disturb Mode
Our screens give out more about us than we would want them to. Things like home screen clutter, bookmarked tabs, and notifications can steal focus, not to mention reveal confidential information. Luckily, your iPad has a Do Not Disturb mode that hides calls and notifications. Head to the Control Center and turn it on before recording your screen.
Declutter Your Home Screen
The Do Not Disturb mode will prevent interruptions, but it won't remove all distractions from your screen. You will have to do this manually. If you want professional-looking content, you must take a moment to declutter your home screen, taskbars, and your browser. You should also change your wallpaper - a clean background with neutral colors is the best choice.
Plan Out Your Video
If you've ever performed in front of a live audience, you know that practice is key to perfection. The same is true for video content. Nobody wants to watch a tutorial where the narrator keeps making mistakes and circling around the point. Unless you're a confident and precise speaker, you should have a script and practice your delivery and movements beforehand.
Use an Apple Pencil
Did you know you can write on top of your videos on an iPad? If you have an Apple Pencil, you can use it to annotate your screen while recording. In addition, the Apple Pencil serves as an excellent pointer for the iPad. You can use it instead of your finger to tap and swipe the screen. That will add precision to your presentation and make you look more professional.
Limits of Built-in iPad Screen Recorder
iPad's built-in tool allows you to record screens quickly and easily, with no involvement of third-party apps. To some users, this is more than they need. However, if you record your screen often for tutorials, presentations, gaming videos, etc, you might need more functionality.
Screen Recording has a few limitations you should know about. Depending on the type of content you make, they could be less or more crucial for your creative process:
- No live streaming - If you're a teacher who records lectures for online classes, you probably want to have an option to live stream your recordings. The same goes for team leaders and other professionals who need to hold presentations in real-time.
- No editing tools - Unedited video recordings are often full of mistakes and look sloppy. If you intend to post your videos online for a wider public, you need basic tools for trimming and cutting, adding text and effects, and adjusting speed and sound.
- Average quality—While the iPad's screen recorder offers decent video and audio quality, some use cases require more. Third-party apps for screen recording ensure a crystal-clear picture and include tools for denoising videos and sound editing.
Are you still unsure whether you need a more advanced screen recorder for your iPad? Perhaps this can help you decide: if more than five people will see your video, and none of them are your friends and family, you should get a more capable tool.
Third-Party Screen Recorders for iPad to Consider
Videos posted on YouTube, VPlayed, and Twitch all use creative effects, transitions, and forms to spark engagement. If you want to turn your screen recordings into engaging videos, you should try a third-party screen recorder for iPad. These are our top picks:
Du Recorder
This top-rated screen recording app has everything that iPad's Screen Recording feature lacks - the option to live-stream your screen to YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch, editing tools to trim, merge, and add music to screen recordings, and customizable video and audio quality.
Du Recorder has 4.4 stars on the App Store and over 1 billion users globally.
Record it!
Record it! has been part of the essential game recording kit for quite some time. In addition to all the basic features, it allows you to add FaceCam Reaction to your recordings and personalize them with effects, change canvas and background color, create Camera Roll, etc.
With 4.6 out of 5 stars, Record it! It's one of the best apps on the App Store.
Screen Recorder Pro
Screen Recorder Pro is a popular screen recording app for iPad that can be used for anything from recording game walkthroughs to creating training videos. The feature list includes advanced options like FaceCam recording and a drawing pen you can scrabble with while recording.
This reliable app has a 4.5 rating on the App Store based on 22,000 reviews.
Bonus Tool: Best Screen Recorder for a Mac
Do you need a screen recorder for your computer, as well? If you are loyal to the Apple ecosystem, as millions of iPad users are, you probably use a Mac in addition to your tablet.
If you own a Mac but don't use it to make videos from screen recordings, you should try a really good screen recorder for Mac. A powerful, feature-rich screen recording tool like Wondershare DemoCreator can take your video content to a new level.
DemoCreator is a superior solution for screen recording and video content creation that includes everything you need to create professional-looking videos - and then some:
- Screen recording with presets for YouTube, TikTok, and other video platforms;
- Versatile capture options, including cross-screen;
- The ability to capture screen, webcam, and audio with separate tracks for post-production;
- Screen & Camera mode with portrait masking, matting, and mirroring;
- A variety of screen drawing tools;
- The ability to schedule recordings;
- High-quality recording modes for games, video presentations, and more;
- Exclusive Avatar recording mode with expression and motion capture;
- Instant social media sharing with YouTube, TikTok, Vimeo, and more;
- The ability to live stream screen on conference platforms like Zoom and Skype;
- Tools for creative editing - annotations, transitions, effects, stickers, and more;
- AI Teleprompter that allows you to read the script while recording;
- AI tools for denoising, adding voice, generating titles, editing sound, etc.
Despite its extensive list of advanced features, DemoCreator is very easy to use - even for beginners. If you want to start recording your Mac screen, just follow these steps:
- Download Wondershare DemoCreator for Mac from the official website and install it on your computer.
- Select Video Recorder.
- Customize your recording settings according to your needs.
- When you're ready to record your screen, press the red REC button.
- If you want to use the drawing pen while recording, click on the Pen icon in the toolbar at the top right corner of the screen. You can also pause, reset, or stop screen recording from this toolbar.
- Click the Stop button when you're ready to finish screen recording. The recordings will go into the Library of DemoCreator. You can export them directly or edit them in the Video Editor, where you can add effects, transitions, annotations, and more.
Conclusion
If you want to capture and share your iPad screen, you have several options. Your favorite tablet has an in-built tool for this called Screen Recording, but it lacks some capabilities you might need. For a more professional result, most video content creators use third-party screen recording apps with advanced features like FaceCam recording and creative editing tools.
Another option is transitioning from an iPad to a Mac, assuming you own one. That will enable you to use powerful screen recording and video editing solutions like Wondershare DemoCreator. This tool offers recording presets, versatile capture options, and a variety of editing tools that can help you transform your screen recordings into awesome videos with millions of views.
