How to Screen Record in Android

Unless you’re using mobile devices that include it by default, screen recording on Android will need a bit of work to set up. This is a feature that, as of yet, Google hasn’t decided to make standard in all of its systems.

Until that time, you’ll have to settle for a workaround. In this article, we’ll show you how to screen record using an Android device.

Screen Recording Built in for Android 10 Devices

If you have Android 10 on your device, then screen recording should already be built in as of the latest update. If you have newer versions of the Samsung or LG phones, then you can access screen recording directly from the Quick Settings bar. To open that, just swipe down twice to see the Quick Settings menu. Scroll left or right to locate Screen Recording, then simply tap to enable it.

If you don’t have an LG or Samsung phone, but still have an Android 10 OS, screen recording is still enabled, but must be reactivated as it’s disabled by default. To do this, you’ll need to use ADB debugging tools. You’ll need a computer and a USB cable to connect it to your phone to proceed.

Do note that this method will only work if your phone’s power menu is that of stock Android’s. This means that if you long press the power-button you’ll see a menu that includes Screenshot as one of the choices.

Before you proceed to install the ADB tools, you must enable USB Debugging on your phone. To do this:

1. Open your Phone’s Settings.
2. Find System and tap on it.
3. Tap on About Phone.
4. Tap on Build Number seven times. You’ll be given a warning that you’ll be enabling Developer Tools. This is normal. Proceed.
5. Once Developer Tools is enabled, it will have its own menu. Find it under Settings or System, then open it.
6. Scroll down to find enable USB debugging, then click on it so it’s enabled.

Once you have USB Debugging enabled, proceed to download the ADB tools. They’re available through the SDK Platform Tools Release. Choose the appropriate link for the computer that you’ll be using. You can extract the folder to any location, but uncompressing them onto the desktop will make it easier to get to them later.

Once the folder is extracted, follow these steps to enable Screen recording:

1. Open your command prompt. On Windows, this can be accessed by typing command prompt in the search bar. If you’re using a Mac, search for Terminal.
2. Once the Command Prompt or Terminal is open, navigate to your desktop, and keep either command or terminal on top. Type in cd, put in a space, then drag and drop the extracted folder into the Command Prompt or Terminal window. Once that’s done, press enter.
3. This should navigate you to the folder automatically. If you extracted the folder to another location, navigate to it using the cd commands.
4. Plug your phone to the computer, then type in adb devices then press enter. If you’re on Mac or Linux, type in ./adb devices if the first command results in an error. Press enter.
5. You should see your Android device in the list shown.
6. Type in the command adb shell settings put global settings_screenrecord_long_press true for Windows, or ./ adb shell settings put global settings_screenrecord_long_press true for Mac or Linux. Press Enter.
7. This should enable Screen Recording for your Android 10 device.
8. To use screen recording, long press power, then long press screenshot to open the Screen recording menu. Choose Start Recording to begin.

Using Third Party Apps

If you don’t have Android 10, you can still use screen recording by using third-party applications available on the Google Play Store. There are several highly rated apps available that you can use like the AZ Screen Recorder, V Recorder, and X Recorder that will do the job really well.

All it takes is a download and installation to be able to use them. The recommended apps are free, though expect ads every now and then.

The apps don’t have any recording limit, and don’t require rooting of your device. They also offer several editing tools that you can use to edit any clips that you do capture.

Recording the Phone Through a PC

Another, if less popular option, would be to mirror your phone to a computer then use a screen recorder from there. There are many ways to do this, like through wireless casting, a Bluetooth connection, or even through a USB cable.

An advantage of this method though is that it gives you access to all of a computer’s editing tools to properly manage your clips.

A Rather Useful Function

It may take a bit of effort, but being able to record your screens on Android is a rather useful function. Until a version of this OS comes with screen recording as standard, you can always rely on the methods outlined above.

Do you have other tips on how to screen record on an Android device? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.