Hide notifications in an iPhone screen recording.

Quick answer: Open Control Center, turn on a Focus such as Do Not Disturb, then start your screen recording. In Settings, limit notification previews so banners show less message content. When you finish, open the clip in Photos and watch it at full size before you send it anywhere.

Turn on Focus before you record

1. Swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center.
2. Tap Focus, then tap the Focus you want (for example, Do Not Disturb).
3. Start the screen recording from Control Center and wait for the countdown to finish.
4. When you are done, stop the recording from the status indicator or Control Center, then turn the Focus off if you no longer need it.

Apple’s Focus instructions explain turning a Focus on from Control Center and scheduling one to turn on automatically. With a Focus on, its icon appears in the status bar and on the Lock Screen, and Apple says your status can appear in Messages so people know notifications are silenced.

A Focus reduces interruptions; it does not blur or hide apps that are already open on screen. Close or navigate away from sensitive content before you record.

Limit what notification previews show

Even with a Focus, tightening preview settings can keep less text on the Lock Screen and in banners at other times.

1. Go to Settings → Notifications.
2. For a specific app under Notification Style, tap the app, tap Show Previews if it appears, then choose When Unlocked or Never.
3. To change previews for more apps, repeat for each app that handles sensitive messages.

Apple’s notification settings guide lists Always, When Unlocked, and Never for previews and notes that previews can include message text and calendar details. Not every app supports previews.

When you use a Focus, Apple says it can delay notification delivery to prevent interruptions. That behavior is separate from what a screen recording captures while you are actively using the phone.

Know the difference for screen sharing sessions

If you share your screen with SharePlay or Screen Mirroring, Apple treats notifications differently from a local screen recording saved to Photos.

1. Go to Settings → Notifications → Screen Sharing.
2. Turn Allow Notifications on or off for those sessions.

Apple documents this under Show or hide notifications during screen sharing in the same notification settings guide. It applies to SharePlay and Screen Mirroring, not every local screen recording workflow.

Record, then review before you share

1. In Control Center, tap the gray Record button (or touch and hold it to turn the microphone on or off), then wait for the countdown.
2. Perform the steps you want to capture, then stop recording from the status indicator or Control Center.
3. Open the recording in Photos and watch the entire clip with sound before you share or upload it.

Apple’s screen recording instructions describe starting and stopping a recording and finding the saved video in Photos. Some apps may not allow recording their content, and you cannot record the screen while using screen mirroring at the same time.

What still appears in the recording

• On-screen content. Messages, balances, photos, filenames and anything visible in an open app are recorded as shown. A Focus does not redact them.
• Status bar details. Carrier, battery, time and Focus icons remain visible unless you crop or edit the video outside iOS.
• System alerts. Low-storage warnings, timers and some emergency alerts may still appear depending on settings and timing.
• Screenshots. A screenshot is a single still frame with the same visibility rules. See removing location from photos before sharing when metadata matters for still images.

Hiding photos in Apple’s Hidden collection or locking an app with Face ID changes who can open those surfaces on your phone; it does not automatically sanitize a screen recording you make while content is visible. See how the Hidden album works and how app locking differs from file privacy.

Ego is in development for iPhone with iOS 26 or later. Its public App Store release has not launched. A separate encrypted vault can keep selected files out of the main Photos library, but recording your screen while a vault is unlocked could still expose on-screen content in the video. Read the current product and availability details before assuming a vault replaces careful recording habits.