How to Record Your iPhone Screen on Mac (USB & Wireless)

If you are a mobile developer, app designer, or content creator, you frequently need to record your iPhone's screen. While iOS has a built-in screen recorder, transferring the resulting video files to your Mac for editing is an extra step, and you cannot easily capture your webcam simultaneously.

The most efficient workflow is to mirror your iPhone screen to your Mac and record it directly on macOS.

Here is how to capture your iOS screen on Mac using both wired and wireless methods.

Method 1: The Wired QuickTime Method (Most Reliable)

The most reliable way to mirror and record your iPhone screen with zero lag is using a Lightning or USB-C cable.

1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac using a USB cable.
2. If prompted on your iPhone, select Trust This Computer.
3. Open QuickTime Player on your Mac.
4. Select File > New Movie Recording (not Screen Recording).
5. In the recording controls, click the arrow next to the red Record button.
6. Under Camera, select your connected iPhone.
7. Your iPhone screen will mirror onto your Mac display. Click record to capture.

Method 2: Wireless AirPlay Mirroring

If you do not have a cable, you can use Apple's native AirPlay mirroring:

1. Ensure both your Mac and iPhone are on the same Wi-Fi network.
2. On your iPhone, swipe down to open Control Center.
3. Tap the Screen Mirroring icon (two overlapping rectangles).
4. Select your Mac from the list.
5. Your iPhone screen will appear in a window on your Mac.
6. Start your screen recorder on Mac and capture the mirrored window.

Editing and Polishing Your Demo

Once you have captured your iPhone screen, you can use ScreenKite to trim the video, add a custom background canvas to fit the vertical video aspect ratio, and export the file in high quality.