To screen record on an iPhone SE, swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen to open Control Center, tap the Screen Recording button (a solid dot inside a circle), and wait for the three-second countdown. To stop, tap the red indicator at the top of the screen and tap Stop. The video saves to the Photos app.
The swipe-up gesture is the part that trips people up. Apple’s instructions tell you to swipe down from the top-right corner, but that only works on iPhones without a Home button. On any iPhone SE, or another model with a Home button, Control Center opens from the bottom. If the record button isn’t there, you’ll need to add it once, which is covered below.
Which steps apply to your iPhone?
How you add the button depends on the iOS version your model can run, so find your phone here first.
| iPhone | Newest iOS it runs | Open Control Center | Add the Screen Recording button |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone SE (2nd or 3rd generation) | iOS 26 and iOS 27 | Swipe up from the bottom edge | In Control Center (iOS 18 and later) |
| iPhone SE (1st generation) | iOS 15 | Swipe up from the bottom edge | In Settings > Control Center |
| iPhone 8, 7 or 6s | iOS 16 (iPhone 8) or iOS 15 (7 and 6s) | Swipe up from the bottom edge | In Settings > Control Center |
| iPhone XR (no Home button) | iOS 18 | Swipe down from the top-right corner | In Control Center |
The 1st-generation SE is the small 4-inch model from 2016. The 2nd (2020) and 3rd (2022) generation models look like an iPhone 8. You can check which you have in Settings > General > About, next to Model Name.
How to add Screen Recording to Control Center
Open Control Center first. If you already see the record button, skip to the next section.
iPhone SE (2nd or 3rd generation) on iOS 18 or later
- Swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen to open Control Center.
- Touch and hold an empty spot in Control Center until the controls start to jiggle, or tap the + in the top-left corner.
- Tap Add a Control at the bottom.
- Type screen in the search field and tap Screen Recording in the results. The button drops into Control Center.
- Tap an empty area to finish.
iPhone SE (1st generation) and other models on iOS 17 or earlier
- Open Settings and tap Control Center. On iOS 13 or earlier, also tap Customize Controls.
- Under More Controls, tap the green + next to Screen Recording. It moves up to the list of included controls.
Screen recording needs iOS 11 or later, which every iPhone SE can run.
How to record your screen on iPhone SE
- Go to the app or screen you want to record.
- Swipe up from the bottom edge to open Control Center.
- Tap the Screen Recording button. A 3, 2, 1 countdown plays on the button.
- Swipe down or tap an empty area to close Control Center before the countdown ends, so the recording starts on your app instead of on Control Center.
- Use your iPhone as normal. A red indicator stays at the top of the screen while recording.
- To stop, tap the red indicator and then tap Stop. You can also open Control Center again and tap the red record button.
A notification confirms the recording was saved to Photos. Tap it to watch the video right away.
Tip: Turn on Do Not Disturb before you start. Otherwise a text or call that arrives mid-recording shows up in the video, name and message preview included.
How to record your voice with the screen
A screen recording picks up sound playing from apps, such as a game or video, but not your voice. To narrate:
- Open Control Center.
- Touch and hold the Screen Recording button until a larger panel appears.
- Tap Microphone so it turns red.
- Tap Start Recording.
The microphone stays on for future recordings until you turn it off the same way. Our main guide to screen recording with or without sound has more on audio problems, including apps that block their sound from being recorded.
Where to find the recording
Open Photos. The newest recording is at the bottom of your library. To see only screen recordings, scroll down to Media Types (under Collections on iOS 18 and later) and tap Screen Recordings.
To cut off the first second where Control Center is still visible, open the video, tap Edit and drag the ends of the timeline. Here’s how to trim a video on iPhone in more detail.
Screen recording problems on iPhone SE
The recording stops by itself or won’t save
Many SE models have 64 GB of storage or less, and video fills it quickly. Check Settings > General > iPhone Storage and clear some space. Long recordings can run to several gigabytes.
The button is gray or does nothing
- You can’t screen record while mirroring your screen to a TV. Stop mirroring first.
- Screen Time may block it. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Content Restrictions > Screen Recording and choose Allow.
- A work or school iPhone may have recording turned off by its administrator.
Part of the video is black
Streaming apps and some banking apps block screen capture to protect their content. That’s the app, not your iPhone, and there’s no setting to change it.
Common questions
How long can I screen record on an iPhone SE?
There’s no fixed time limit. Recording continues until you stop it, the battery runs out or storage fills up. Plug in for long sessions; recording video uses a lot of power on the SE’s small battery.
Is there a way to record the screen without Control Center?
Not with Apple’s built-in tools. Control Center is the only place to start a screen recording. If you only need a still image, take a screenshot instead: on an iPhone SE, press the side (or top) button and the Home button at the same time.
Why can’t I swipe down to open Control Center on my SE?
Swiping down from the top shows Notification Center on iPhones with a Home button. Control Center is always a swipe up from the bottom on these models, including on iOS 26 and iOS 27. Apple’s general steps are in Record the screen on your iPhone.
Matthew Roberts is the founder and editor of ARS Digitech. He started the site to answer the iPhone questions his friends and family kept asking him, and it has grown into a library of iPhone and iOS how-to guides. Matthew writes and maintains every tutorial on the site, checking steps and menu names against Apple’s official support documentation and updating guides when an iOS release moves a setting.