How Long Can You Screen Record on iPhone

Updated on July 12, 2023
How Long Can You Screen Record on iPhone

If you’re like most people, then you’re probably on your phone a lot. And, basic logic dictates that, if you tend to use your phone that often, there’s a pretty decent chance that you’re going to see a lot of things that you would like to store. This may be for further reference or so that you could show some friends later or for any number of different and personal reasons.

Now, following this line of thinking, one very important question that you’re likely to find yourself asking sooner or later is the big question of how long can you screen record on iPhone.

There are several overt and covert reasons why anyone can quite rightly say that the iPhone and iOS devices, in general, aren’t anything like your usual tech gadgets. As those fine points do not bear going into at this time, we’ll be glossing over them. However, let us suffice it to say that it is very important that you take the time to frankly and honestly answer this question, even if that information won’t be of any particular use to you at this very moment.

Why Is It Important That You Know How Long Can You Screen Record on iPhone Today?

For those who have already been leveraging this amazing feature of iOS devices without any error or mishap in the past, it’s only natural that you would be wondering why it is that you would have to know this piece of information.

So, why exactly are you almost always better served knowing precisely how long can you screen record on iPhone in this day and age?

As you can imagine, several crucial things might motivate your quest for this particular tidbit of knowledge. However, the one thing that we believe should genuinely drive people to find out this information is convenience.

Don’t know what we might mean by that? 

Consider this!

Perhaps, for any number of unforeseen reasons, you have to be away from home while one of your favorite shows is streaming online. Now, if you wanted to make sure that you had a record of this particular event and you only had your iPhone with you, you can see what the only viable way out of your current dilemma would be.

Now, in the process of screen recording the event, would you want the recording session to be suddenly and unexpectedly terminated?

You are almost certain to want to avoid the occurrence of something so unpleasant.

And that is precisely why you should know how long you can record on your device! Because that way, you can be certain that you have everything under control and you can carry on with your screen recording exercise.

How Long Can You Screen Record on iPhone – Answering The Big Question

So, you probably already have a decent idea of why you would want to know the answer to this big question. We should get into attending to that promptly.

Along these lines, you would do well to know that there isn’t exactly a fixed answer to this question!

What this essentially translates to is that the precise length of time that you can screen record for is tied to several dependent and independent variables. We’ll be addressing some of the most important ones now.

The factors that play the strongest role in determining just how long you can screen record on iPhone include:

The Storage Size of Your iPhone Device

Every devout iPhone user understands one thing succinctly, storage size is one of the direct determinants of the price of your mobile phone. For those who don’t understand what we mean, let’s break it down for you.

Let’s use the iPhone 11 device as an example. The iPhone 11 is available in three storage options. These are the iPhone 64 GB, iPhone 128 GB, and iPhone 256 GB. The iPhone 64 GB is less than the iPhone 128 GB in terms of price. The iPhone 128 GB is in turn significantly lesser than iPhone 256 GB in terms of cost.

For the purpose of clarity, we need to emphasize that Apple isn’t the only brand that makes a habit of releasing the exact same mobile device put in different storage size categories. That being said, the one thing that makes iPhones different in this regard is that they don’t offer you the additional external storage option that you would typically get with most other devices.

The result of this is that what you buy at the point of sale is essentially what you’re stuck with. Now, following that logic, you can see why someone with the iPhone 11 64 GB device mightn’t have enough screen recording time when compared to someone with the iPhone 128 GB variant.

The Amount of Storage Space Available on Your Device

Here is yet another important element for you to give careful and thorough consideration.

Following the analogy that was established earlier, it is one thing for you to have the iPhone 11 256 GB but only 40 GB of space available on it. It is another for you to have the iPhone 11 128 GB variant and have 80 GB free.

While the former might have the device with the larger storage space, the memory space available is smaller than what the person with the smaller storage size device has. As a result, the person with the iPhone 128 GB device will be able to screen record for much longer than their counterpart.

The Battery of Your iPhone

Yup, you might not immediately know it but the fact is that your battery power does have a significant influence on the answer to the question of how long you can screen record on iPhone. And, naturally, this effect is significantly more pronounced when there isn’t a power outlet that you can quickly tap into nearby.

Again, if you’re intimately familiar with your iPhone you would know that the battery of the device appears to readily show the effects of wear and tear over time. But, even when your battery is in top condition, you should keep in mind that the process of screen recording can be incredibly demanding on your battery power.

As such, the longer you screen record, the more your battery power will be drained.

What Does It All Mean For Your Screen Recording Time on iPhone?

All things being equal, it means that the average iPhone user will be able to typically use their mobile device to screen record anywhere from between 2 to 3 hours. However, in doing so, you should be prepared to give up a significant chunk of your device’s storage space. As we have repeatedly stressed, space is a premium commodity on any Apple device.

So, it is only to be expected that you mightn’t be too happy about this. The good news is that there are a number of things that you can do to make the situation a little easier for you to bear.

How to Manage Space When Screen Recording on Your iPhone

There are several measures that you can take to help you save space when it comes to screen-recorded videos. Some of these include:

Method One – Edit with Photos App

This is arguably one of the easiest ways that you can significantly bring down the size of heavy screen-recorded videos on your device. Simply run these through the Photos app on your device and edit or trim them while you’re at it and you’re essentially good to go!

You don’t have to worry about sacrificing the quality of your video either as this won’t affect that in any appreciable manner.

Method Two – Consider Deleting Old Videos

Sometimes, there’s just no getting around the fact that some videos have to go if your more recent screen recordings are to stay. Deleting old videos works great because, depending on just how many of these you delete, you could be freeing up a considerable amount of space for your future recordings.

You can make this process cleaner and more efficient for you by using the Files app for the deleting process.

Method Three – Find And Remove Duplicate Videos Using the Gemini Photos Tool

There are times that even pros may struggle with using the screen record tool to the best effect on the first try. This may be due to the fact that the timer kicks in at the wrong time or some other thing.

In any event, this can result in you having many videos of the same thing on your iPhone. Naturally, you probably do not want that. All you have to do is use the Gemini Photos tool to find these duplicates, delete them and you’ll have space for the stuff that truly matters!

Bottom Line

Now that you know the answer to how long you can screen record on iPhone, what do you think?

The most important thing is to remember that you have a degree of control over that duration and be sure to use that wisely.

Happy screen recording!

Article by:
Erwin Valles

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