iOS 8 and Mac OS X Yosemite let you record your iOS device screen natively

BY Stephen Hall

Published 3 Jun 2014

ios 8

With iOS 8, you can now record your iOS device screen using only Apple’s own software. App Store “App Previews” which were announced yesterday were of course going to need an easy way to be recorded by developers, and Apple has–as expected–detailed this process at its Developer Support website.

It’s quick and easy to record your device because, under iOS 8, devices are recognized as a video camera in OS X. This allows you to use Quicktime to record their screen and, if you’re a developer, this is the way Apple says you should record your new video app previews for the App Store.

But it’s worth noting that this will open up an entire realm of possibilities for app developers and gamers alike. Recording iOS tutorials, demoing mobile websites, recording gameplay videos, and creating GIFs for app landing pages will be a breeze once these features are released to the world.

If you’re already running iOS 8, simply plug your device into a Mac using its lightning cable to start using the feature. Head over to the built-in Quicktime application, select ‘File’, ‘New Movie Recording’, and then choose your iOS device from the menu next to the record button. Note that you must have a beta of Mac OS X Yosemite for this to work.

According to 9to5mac’s tests, the recording abilities of the feature don’t have the best framerates. While this feature definitely intends to replace the countless workarounds (such as AirPlay mirroring and the like), Apple is going to have to make sure that the recording experience is seamless before officially launching Mac OS X Yosemite and iOS 8.

Developers, is this a welcome feature?

[via 9to5mac]