Apple didn’t change the iPhone’s Screen Recording feature at all on iOS 14. And there’s a good reason for that. Screen Recording is already the best screen-capturing app/feature on the market (counting both iOS and Android). It’s as simple as it gets and does exceptionally. So, there’s no need to fix what’s not broken.
Except that Screen Recording is actually broken for some users. Although a small number, there are still some people who reported that they’re unable to record screens on iOS 14. If you’re among them, I’ll try to help you resolve the problem, and revive the Screen Recording feature on your iPhone.
Since this isn’t a widespread issue on iOS 14, we’ll try some older workarounds that helped people with the same problem before and perhaps will get the job done here, as well. Keep reading.
Table of contents:
- Check restrictions
- Reboot your iPhone
- Check for updates
- Check the storage
- Make sure you’re allowed to record
- Add Screen Recording to Control Center
Solution 1 – Check restrictions
The most common reason why screen recording doesn’t work is if it’s in the list of restricted apps and content. This is especially likely if you share your phone with your child.
So, before doing anything else, head over to Screen Time and make sure Screen Recording isn’t “blacklisted”. Here’s exactly how to do that:
- Go to Settings.
- Open Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Tap Content Restrictions.
- Scroll down. Under Game Center, make sure Screen Recording is set to Allow.
Solution 2 – Reboot your iPhone
Before moving on, I’ll quickly stop to tell you to reboot your iPhone. Although I’m not sure a fresh start will help, it’ll bring your phone back to its optimal state, and who knows, maybe Screen Recording will start working again.
To reboot your iPhone, press and hold the Side button + the Volume Up button at the same time until the power off slider appears. Now, just drag the slider, and wait for a couple of seconds for your iPhone to power off. When your iPhone turns back on, check if Screen Recording now works. If it doesn’t, we’ll try another solution.
Solution 3 – Check for updates
iOS updates are generally something you should be looking forward to. Most of them introduce bigger or smaller features or at least make your iPhone more secure. On the other hand, it’s not a rarity for an update to mess up an already well-functioning feature on your iPhone.
If you suspect that may be the case here and that you’re unable to record because an update messed up the Screen Recording feature, your only option is probably just to wait for another update that will eventually fix the problem.
In the meantime, you could try using a third-party screen recorder from the App Store, although I doubt there’s any better than the built-in one. After all, Apple is the champion of first-party apps.
Solution 4 – Check the storage
If you’re unable to save your recordings, there’s a good chance you don’t have enough storage on your iPhone to store the clip. Now, these screen recordings don’t take up too much space, certainly not as much as that 4k 60 FPS video you took with your rear camera, but it can add up.
So, head over to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, and check if there’s any available space left. While you’re there, you can take a minute and optimize your iPhone’s storage by deleting unnecessary apps or files, just to keep it better organized and prevent future “low on storage” messages.
Bonus #1: Make sure you’re allowed to record
You should keep in mind that you’re not allowed to record just about any screen on your iPhone. For example, you can’t record anything in the Netflix app, with some other video streaming apps not being an exception.
The reasons for this are obvious. And that’s fighting piracy. Most streaming platforms won’t allow you to screen-record content inside the app, simply because it would probably be the easiest possible way for pirates to illegally snatch movies and TV shows from these platforms.
I know this would also be an amazing way for you to make memes (I know I would meme the hell out of Netflix if I could), but we have to respect content distributors and their efforts to protect the intellectual property they hold exclusive licenses for.
Bonus #2: Add Screen Recording to Control Center
The only way to access Screen Recording on your iPhone is from the Control Center. It should be there by default, but in case it isn’t, here’s how to bring it back:
- Go to Settings.
- Head over to the Control Center.
- Under More controls, find Screen Recording and tap the green plus to add it to the Control Center.
That’s about it. I hope at least one of these solutions helped you resolve the Screen Recorder issue on iOS 14. If you want to discuss this problem further, but also find even more articles like this one, make sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
