We’ve covered how to record an iPhone screen, but Android users also want to create demo videos, so we’re back with a look at the tools you need for Android screen capture.
Android Screen Recording Apps
On iPhones, native screen recording is a new addition (and has some major flaws), but Google has allowed Android apps to natively capture screen recordings since Android 5.0 (Lollipop). As a result, there are a lot of apps that will let you record directly on the device. We’ve tried several, and the free Android screen recording app we recommend is AZ Screen Recorder by Hecorat.
This app has plenty of options, including settings for resolution, bitrate, custom watermarks, fast/slow motion recording, and more. It can also be set to show touches to call out any interactions with your phone.
A screen recording app is a great option that’s always available, but you can get a cleaner, higher quality app recording with desktop software like the excellent AndroidTool for Mac.
Record Your Android Phone with a Mac
AndroidTool for Mac is a free (and open source), straightforward screenshot and screencast tool.
Simply install the software, Enable USB Debugging on your phone (you’ll find it under Developer Options in the “System” section of settings), then connect your phone to your Mac with a USB cable.
AndroidTool’s “secret weapon” is the ability to clean up and customize the status bar in your recordings and screenshots. With options to set the time, signal strength, and even battery level, you can always make recordings that look great. The tool saves MP4s or GIFs right to your Mac, and can make extremely high-quality recordings with the settings set to maximum.
Record Your Phone Using Windows
We haven’t been able to find a Windows equivalent of AndroidTool that’s high-quality, free, and easy to use. However, there are a number of paid options.
AirDroid is an extremely popular all-in-one tool that includes the ability to wirelessly mirror your Android screen to your computer. It does a lot more than that, including shared notifications, file transfers, and two-way remote control between your smartphone and your PC.
You can also use a screen mirroring tool like Vysor (paid) or scrcpy (free, open source) to mirror your Android screen to your PC, then use separate Windows-based screen recording software to capture that section of your display. This can sometimes result in lower-quality recordings, so be careful if you go this route.
Takeaways
Android’s native screen recording support makes on-device recording a great option, but if you have access to a Mac, AndroidTool might be an even better choice.
If you’re thinking of making screen recordings of your Android app and want the best results, get in touch with us! We have the expertise to create a video that will really make your app shine.