Record an iPhone or iPad

Device mode records the screen of an iPhone or iPad that is plugged into your Mac. You get the phone's picture and, if you want it, its sound, in the same kind of project as a screen recording.

Note: Device mode is experimental. Cutscript hides it until you switch it on, and it has had less testing than recording a Mac screen. If something misbehaves, say so on the support page.

Before you start

• A Mac on macOS 15 or later, like any recording.
• A cable between the phone and the Mac. A dock or hub can hide the phone, so try the Mac's own port. Wireless recording is not supported.
• The phone unlocked, and trusted: tap Trust on the phone and enter its passcode when it asks.
• Camera permission for Cutscript. macOS treats a connected iPhone as a camera, so Cutscript needs camera access to record it. Screen recording permission is not needed in this mode.

Turn Device mode on

1. Open Settings › Recording.
2. Switch on Experimental recording modes. This adds Device to the recorder bar. It also adds Choose apps for per-app sound.
3. Optional: a Device sound switch appears under it. It controls whether the phone's own sound is recorded. It is on by default.

Record the phone

1. Connect the phone, make sure it is unlocked and tap Trust if it asks.
2. Open the recorder with ⇧ ⌘ R and press Device, or press 4. The iPhone or iPad picker opens.
3. If it shows Allow camera access, press it. If you refused camera access before, the button reads Open System Settings. Cutscript re-checks every 2 seconds, so you do not need to reopen the picker.
4. Pick your device in the list. While Cutscript looks for it the picker says "Looking for devices…". If exactly one unlocked device is connected, Cutscript picks it for you.
5. Optional: press Show preview to see one picture from the phone.
6. Press Start recording in the bar. The usual countdown runs.
7. Press Stop when you are done. The take opens as a project.

If the picker shows "No iPhone or iPad found", it lists what to check: connect it with a cable, make sure it is unlocked, tap Trust if it asks and enter the passcode. Press Retry after each change. A locked phone shows in the list but cannot be chosen until it is unlocked. Cutscript notices by itself.

Sound, microphone and camera

In Device mode the sound picker becomes a single switch, Record device sound, and the bar reads "Sound from iPhone" (or iPad) while it is on. Your Mac's microphone and camera pickers still work, so you can narrate over the phone's screen and add your face.

While you record

• Phone locks. The take waits, and the bar says recording resumes by itself. Wake the phone and enter its passcode, and the take carries on.
• Cable comes out. The take pauses and the bar says the device disconnected. Plug it back in, then press Resume. If it is not back within 10 minutes, Cutscript stops and saves what it has.
• You rotate the phone. The picture keeps the size it had when you started. A rotated screen is fitted inside that frame with bars around it, so rotate before you press start.

What is different from a screen recording

• There is no pointer, so there is no click tracking and no zoom that follows one.
• The drawing tools are not available. The palette says "Drawing is unavailable for device recordings".
• Display, Window and Area picking and Hide desktop icons do not apply.

Related

• Record your screen
• Record sound from one app
• Webcam and layouts