Recording a phone screen that has a notch or camera cutout
A notch, Dynamic Island, or punch-hole camera creates a small but genuinely visible irregularity in a phone screen recording — how you handle it is a real choice with different visual tradeoffs for different content types.
What actually appears in the recording depends on how you’re capturing
If you’re using the phone’s built-in screen recorder (via Control Center on iOS, Quick Settings on Android), the recording typically captures the screen content that exists under the notch — meaning most recordings show the notch cutout as part of the frame. Third-party iPhone screen recorders and Android recorders handle this differently depending on whether they capture at the display level or the app content level.
Leaving the notch visible: the honest, low-effort option
For tutorial content specifically, showing the notch as it actually appears is the most representative recording of what a real user’s experience looks like — it’s also zero additional work. If the goal is showing someone else how to use the device, the notch is simply part of the interface being demonstrated.
Masking the notch: cleaner for marketing and general-audience content
A black bar or rounded corner overlay that masks the notch produces a cleaner, device-agnostic look — useful when the recording isn’t specifically about demonstrating that device’s interface, or when you’re creating content that needs to look polished on various screens regardless of the viewer’s own device. This requires post-production work but is achievable with most video editors.
The Dynamic Island specifically: a framing decision, not just a cutout
Apple’s Dynamic Island is interactive and often displays real-time content — it can appear as a genuinely interesting part of a recording, not just a hole to hide. If a recording shows the Dynamic Island in active use (showing a timer, a music control), keeping it visible rather than masking it adds real context, similar to how the notch decision plays out differently for tutorial versus marketing content.
Aspect ratio and safe zones still matter
As covered in our vertical recording guide, the space around a notch or camera cutout is genuinely part of the composition decision — placing important content in the area where a notch exists, if you’re adding overlays or text, creates a layout that looks right on your recording device but wrong on others.
Frequently asked questions
Does the built-in iOS screen recorder show the Dynamic Island?
The built-in recorder captures the screen content including the Dynamic Island area — it appears as a notch cutout in the recording, showing whatever the Dynamic Island is currently displaying.
Is it better to show or hide a phone notch in a screen recording?
For tutorials, showing it is simpler and more representative. For polished marketing content, masking it produces a cleaner look — neither is universally right.
Related reading: Best screen recorder for iPhone · Best screen recorder for Android · Recording a phone tutorial vertically