Recording a video of the simulator used to be a bit clunky – either using the command line via simctl or other software such as Quicktime. Thankfully it’s now much easier!

Screen Recording in Xcode

Above the simulator is a toolbar which includes a button to take a screenshot:

Xcode Simulator Toolbar with screenshot button

In the File menu there is an option to Record Screen.

Record screen option

Selecting this option, or pressing Command + R, starts recording the simulator. The screenshot button changes to a stop recording button.

Xcode Simulator Toolbar with screenshot button

When you’ve finished the task you want to record, simply tap the stop button. A preview will show on screen briefly and then the recording will be saved to your Desktop as an mp4.

![Screen Recording Preview](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/s1351dyrb8fddli0w4ul.png)

Additional Options

While the preview is on screen you can also right click and choose other options including Save as Animated GIF.

Screen Recording Preview Menu

(TIP: to play the GIF, locate in Finder and then press the spacebar).