How to record your gameplay with your iPad
Apple’s Game Center not only gives third-party apps leaderboards and multiplayer options, it also offers gameplay recording features. It all started with iOS 9 that included a new framework called Replay Kit wjich allows game developers to integrate recording features into their apps. If the app you use supports Game Center’s ReplayKit, you can record your screen and microphone during gameplay to share it with friends, or stream it online to make some cool “Let’s Plays.”
With the latest iOS 11 upgrade this has made it even easier to record gameplay by allowing screen recording at anytime through the Control Center. All you need to do is add screen recording to your Control Center enabled functions.
- Launch Settings from your Home screen.
- Tap Control Center
- Now tap Customize Controls.
- Then tap Screen Recording.
Now you can pull up the Control Center at anytime and start recording what’s on your screen. All the recording videos will save to your Camera Roll automatically when you stop recording.
Record your gameplay with iPad supporting Replay Kit
Before you use this feature note that not all games support ReplayKit so always read the App Store game descriptions to see if your favorite game title supports screen recording. In any game that supports it, you can tap the “Record” button and you’ll be able to choose whether you just want to record the screen or whether you also want to capture audio from your microphone. This button will look different and be in a different place in any game.
- Open a ReplayKit-compatible game.
- Find the screen recording feature. It usually shows up as a camera icon on the main screen.
- Tap the screen recording icon.
- Press Record Screen or Record Screen and Microphone, if applicable) when prompted to allow the game to record.
- Now play your game.
- Press the Stop button when finished.
Click here to know which games support Replay Kit for your iPad
Record your gameplay on iPad with an unsupported game
If your game doesn’t support ReplayKit, you can still record your screen if you have a Mac nearby by using QuickTime Player.
- Connect your iPad to your Mac via Lightning cable.
- Open QuickTime Player.
- Go to File > New Movie Recording.
- Click on the Down Arrow next to the Recording button and select your iPad under Camera.
- Press Record.
Disable screen recording for games using Restrictions
If your kids spend too much time playing certain games, or you don’t want your kids inadvertently filling up your iPad with HD game recordings, you can easily turn off screen recording from the Restrictions screen on your iPad.
- Simply launch settings from your Home screen.
- Tap on General.
- Scroll down and tap Restrictions.
- Tap Enable Restrictions if you haven’t done so already.
- Next enter a passcode and keep it safe from kids. Enter it again to confirm.
- Tap the switch next to Screen Recording under Game Center, all the way at the bottom.
Screen recording is now disabled during gameplay, and the icon won’t show up in the game.
Disable screen recording for games by signing out of Game Center
If you don’t want to set up Restrictions on your iPad then there’s another way to prevent screen recording: Sign out of Game Center. If you’re not logged in with your Apple ID, there’s no option to record gameplay.
- Launch Settings from your Home screen.
- Tap Game Center. You’ll have to scroll about halfway down.
- Tap your Apple ID at the top of the screen.
- Tap Sign Out.
You will now be signed out of Game Center and will have to sign in if you want to use Game Center when playing games.