How to record your screen on any device

From sharing how-to guides and tutorials, to showing off your excellent gaming skills, or to make a presentation at work, there are many reasons why being able to record your smartphone or PC screen is important. While it's increasingly becoming a feature that is baked into an OS, if it isn't, there's definitely a third-party app that saves the day. Here's how to record your screen on any device!

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How to record your screen on Android

A native feature

Users will have to wait till Android Q is released to get a native screen recorder on their smartphones. However, a few OEMs have baked the feature into its software already.

OnePlus

OnePlus recently introduced screen recording with the OnePlus 7 Pro. Screen recording may make its way over to older devices like the OnePlus 6T and OnePlus 6 as well. Here's what you need to do to activate screen recording on the OnePlus 7 Pro.

1. You may need to add the Screen Recorder option to the Quick Settings menu. To do so, tap on the pencil icon at the end of the quick settings panel and drag the "Screen Recorder" button to the top.
2. Simply tap the Screen Recorder toggle to get started.
3. Once the screen recording options pop up, you can tap on the red record button to begin recording your screen.
4. The gear icon opens the screen recording settings. Here you can set the video resolution, audio source, video orientation, and much more.

Xiaomi

1. Most Xiaomi smartphones come with Xiaomi's pre-installed MIUI Screen Recorder app.
2. You will find the Screen Recorder in the Tools folder that is either on your one of the home pages or in the app drawer (if you have one).
3. Tap on the gear icon at the top right corner to set or change settings like video resolution, quality, orientation, sound source, frame rates, and more.
4. Then tap on the red record button at the bottom right and then tap on start to begin recording your screen.

Huawei and Honor

1. Huawei and Honor have screen recording baked into EMUI as well.
2. Like with OnePlus, you will find a screen recording (video camera icon) toggle in the Quick Settings menu when you pull down the notification shade.
3. You can also enable screen recording by pressing and holding the power button and the volume up key simultaneously.
4. Repeat either process to end screen recording.

Recording gameplay

Samsung

1. With Samsung smartphones, you can record your screen by using the Samsung Game Launcher.
2. Go to Settings – Advanced Features and enable Game Launcher. All your games will now be moved to the Game Launcher folder.
3. When you play a game, swipe up from the bottom. At the bottom left is where you will see a screen recording/screenshot icon.

Using Google Play Games

1. On some smartphones that don't have their own screen recorder built-in, you can also record your gameplay using Google Play Games.
2. You may have to download and sign in to Play Games if you don't already have it on your device.
3. Find the game you want to record, then tap on the video camera icon at the top.
4. Change the recording settings if needed, and then tap on Launch to begin recording your game. While this method is built to record gameplay, once the screen recording options are on the screen, you can quit the game and then record anything else you're doing as well.

Third-party apps

Using Google

Play Games provides a quick workaround to basically get native screen recording on your Android phone. However, instead of going through all these steps, you're better off using a third-party app instead. There are a lot of third-party screen recording apps that you can download from the Google Play Store. One of our favorites is the AZ Screen Recorder.

1. Download the app from the Google Play Store.
2. The app will ask permission for a screen overlay. This results in a screen recorder floating head being on the screen all the time. Tap on the icon to get started.
3. You can adjust settings by tapping on the gear icon and start recording by tapping on the red video camera button.
4. You can end the recording by pulling down the notification shade and pressing the stop button on the persistent notification.

The app doesn't require root access, there are no time limits, watermarks, or ads to deal with, and some basic video editing features are also available. Be it for games or anything else, the AZ Screen Recorder is one of the best apps that you can download.

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How to record your screen on Windows 10

Xbox Game Bar

Windows 10 has a built-in Game Bar that's basically a screen recorder to help you capture gameplay but can be used for anything else as well.

1. Press and hold the Windows key and G simultaneously. Then select "Yes, this is a game."
2. Click on the large record button to begin recording your screen. You can also adjust other settings and enable features like recording audio via the microphone, enabling broadcasts, and more.
3. The captured video will be in the Captures folder of the Videos section in your C: drive.
4. To change recording settings, open the Xbox app (by typing Xbox in the search bar). Go to Settings via the menu on the left side and open the Captures tab. If you don't want to use the Xbox app, you can also find it by going to Settings (search for settings in the windows search bar) – Gaming. You can then access "Game DVR" settings and change settings like audio and video quality, audio volume, video frame rate, and more.

Unfortunately, not every Windows 10 PC might support screen recording via Game DVR. If you're PC doesn't meet the hardware requirements, you'll have to depend on third-party apps instead.

Third-party apps

There are also various third-party apps available that let you record your screen on Windows. Some are available for download directly from the Microsoft Store as well. One of my favorites is OBS Studio. It's a free and open source product that lets you record or live stream what's on your screen.

1. Download the OBS Studio desktop software. OBS Studio also supports older Windows versions going back to Windows 7, along with MacOS 10.11+, and Linux.
2. Click on the plus icon at the bottom of the Sources box to add video and audio sources. To record what you are doing on your screen, tap on Display Capture.
3. Click on Start Recording in the menu on the right side. Then click on Stop Recording once done.
4. Video files will be saved in the Videos folder of the C: by default. You can change the destination folder by clicking going to File – Settings – Output and making in the change in the Recording section.

The steps above are just to simply record your screen easily. However, this is a professional grade app that gives you granular control over almost every aspect of your screen and audio recording. If you're looking for a complete screen recording package, OBS Studio is an excellent option.

If you don't want to go through the hassle of downloading a desktop app or are looking for something quick and simple, the Apowersoft Free Online Screen Recorder is a good alternative. It's packed with features but presents everything in an intuitive interface.

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How to record your screen on Chrome OS

To record your Chromebook screen, you will have to depend on third-party apps and Google Chrome extensions for now. Luckily, there are some great options to choose from. Our recommendation here is Loom. Unlike a lot of other screen recorders, you don't have to worry about recording time limits with Loom — even with the free version.

1. Enable the Loom Chrome Extension by clicking on Add to Chrome.
2. The extension should automatically be added to the Chrome toolbar.
3. Click on the icon. You might have to sign in with a Google account.
4. Once the setup is complete, you can record your screen easily by clicking on Start Recording.
5. Recording options include Screen only, Screen + Cam (laptop camera), and Cam only.
6. You can also change audio and video sources by clicking on Show Advanced Options.

What the Loom Pro edition gets you is the ability to record your screen in HD, enjoy unlimited storage, and get access to recording tools and a premium editing suite. If you want a free screen recorder for Chrome OS, Loom is the way to go.

Other popular options like Screencastify and Screencast-o-matic have 15-minute and 10-minute time limits. If you're looking to go premium though, these are both significantly cheaper than the $10 per month subscription for Loom. Screencastify and Screencast-o-matic will set you back $2 per month and up to $4 per month respectively.

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So there you have it for this roundup of how to record your screen on any device. If you've found any other methods or apps that have worked for you, let us know in the comments section below.

from Android Authority http://bit.ly/2WWVTXL
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