How to Enable the Hidden Screen Recorder in Android 10

For some unknown reason, Google decided once again to skip a built-in screen recorder for Android 10. In fact, it was a feature in the beta version, but it disappeared for the final release – mostly. While it’s not obvious, you can enable the hidden screen record in Android 10 and avoid having to download a third-party app.

Why Enable the Hidden Screen Recorder in Android 10

With so many apps available, why go through all the trouble? The answer is simple – privacy. Most apps collect your data as you record. While there’s no guarantee that Google won’t store some information, at least you don’t have to share your data with another company, too.

Plus, why not just use what’s already built into your phone? If you have a Samsung or LG device, the feature may already exist without having to do anything. If you have Android 10, swipe down to expand the Quick Settings menu. Look for the Screen Recorder tile, which may be on any of the Quick Settings pages, so swipe to see additional pages. You can always move it to the first page if you use it often.

Tap the tile to enable screen recording. For other phones, it takes a little more work, but it’s fairly simple, and you don’t have to download yet another app.

Enable USB Debugging

The first step to enabling the hidden screen recorder in Android 10 is to enable USB debugging. This is necessary because you’ll later connect your Android device to your computer.

Start by opening Settings and tapping “About Phone.” Quickly tap the “Build Number” seven times. If you have a lock screen passcode, enter it when prompted. Otherwise, you’ll see a message saying you’re now a developer. All this does is open up the developer tools on your device.

Next, go back into Settings and tap System. Select Advanced and “Developer Options.”

Ensure Develop options is turned on. Then, turn on “USB debugging.”

Confirm you wish to enable USB debugging.

Install the Android SDK Platform

Android has a large set of developer tools, but for enabling the hidden screen recorder in Android 10, you only need the ADB portion. For smaller projects like this, all you need is the much smaller Android SDK Platform. You can download the latest version for your operating system directly from Google’s Android Developers Tools. Unzip or extract the files once downloaded.

Using ADB

Open the “platform_tools” folder. The steps may vary slightly from here, as I’m using Windows to execute the commands. Type cmd in the file path box and hit Enter.

This opens a command prompt within the platform_tools directory, saving you a few steps.

Attach your phone to your computer with a USB cable. Then, type adb devices and hit Enter. This lists your attached devices and verifies your connection.

Then, type or copy and paste the following and hit Enter:

adb shell settings put global settings_screenrecord_long_press true

This should add the hidden screen recorder in Android 10 to your Power menu.

Trying Out the Screen Recorder

Press your device’s Power button and long-press Screenshot.

Choose your settings.

Finally, agree to the warning.

Press “Start now” to start recording. Swipe down to open your notification panel to pause or stop recording.

There have been some bugs in this feature since it’s not official. Usually, you can overcome them by simply restarting your device.

If you are looking to take screenshots instead, learn how you can take screenshots in Android without an app.

Crystal Crowder

Crystal Crowder has spent over 15 years working in the tech industry, first as an IT technician and then as a writer. She works to help teach others how to get the most from their devices, systems, and apps. She stays on top of the latest trends and is always finding solutions to common tech problems.