Screen recording is built into your Samsung Galaxy A20 — you turn it on from the Quick Settings panel

Your Samsung Galaxy A20 has a screen recording tool already installed. You do not need to read anything. To start recording your screen, swipe down from the top of your phone twice to open the full Quick Settings panel, find the Screen Recorder icon, and tap it. A countdown will appear, then recording begins. Everything you do on your screen — apps, scrolling, typing — gets saved as a video file to your phone's storage.

The video saves to your Gallery app under a folder called Screen Recordings or Videos, depending on your Android version. You can share it, delete it, or trim it like any other video on your phone. Recording stops when you tap the notification that appears while recording is active, or when your phone storage runs low.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Quick Settings by swiping down twice from the top of your screen and tap Screen Recorder to begin recording when ready.
  • Your recorded video saves automatically to your Gallery app in a Videos or Screen Recordings folder.
  • You can record audio from your microphone, system sounds, or both — this option appears before recording starts.
  • Stop recording by tapping the notification that stays visible while you are recording, or by opening Quick Settings again and tapping Screen Recorder to turn it off.

Finding the Screen Recorder in Quick Settings

Swipe down once from the very top of your screen. You will see a row of quick icons like Bluetooth, WiFi, and Flashlight. This is the collapsed Quick Settings panel — it does not show all available tools. Swipe down a second time to expand the full panel and see more icons.

Look for an icon that looks like a circle with a dot or a camera-like symbol. The label underneath will say Screen Recorder. If you do not see it in the visible area, scroll left or right within the Quick Settings panel to find it. Once you locate it, tap it once to start the countdown.

Choosing Audio Settings Before You Record

When you tap Screen Recorder, a small menu appears with audio options. You will see choices like Microphone and system audio, Microphone only, or System audio only. Choose based on what you want to capture: if you are recording a tutorial and want to narrate it, pick Microphone and system audio. If you are recording gameplay or app sounds without talking, pick System audio only. If you want no sound at all, some versions let you turn audio off entirely.

After you choose your audio setting, a three-second countdown appears on your screen. When it reaches zero, recording starts. You will see a red notification bar at the top of your phone showing that recording is active.

Stopping Your Recording

While recording is active, a notification appears at the top of your screen or in your notification panel. Tap that notification to stop recording when ready. Alternatively, swipe down to open Quick Settings again and tap Screen Recorder a second time to turn it off.

Your video file saves right away to your phone's storage. You do not have to do anything else — the file is ready to view, edit, or share as soon as recording stops.

Finding Your Recorded Videos

Open your Gallery app (the icon that looks like a picture frame). Look for a folder labeled Screen Recordings or Videos — the exact name depends on your Android version and Samsung software version. Your most recent recording appears at the top of that folder.

Tap any recording to play it. From the playback screen, you can share it via text, email, or social media by tapping the share icon. You can also trim it, delete it, or move it to another folder. Long-press a recording to select multiple videos at once if you want to delete or move several together.

Troubleshooting When Screen Recorder Does Not Appear

If you cannot find Screen Recorder in your Quick Settings panel, it may be hidden. Tap the three-dot menu icon (or the pencil icon, depending on your version) at the bottom or top right of the Quick Settings panel. Look for an option called Edit or Customize. A list of all available tools appears. Find Screen Recorder in that list and tap the plus sign or toggle next to it to add it back to your Quick Settings.

If Screen Recorder still does not appear, restart your phone. Press and hold the power button, tap Restart, and wait for your phone to turn back on. Then try opening Quick Settings again. If the tool is still missing after a restart, your phone may have a software issue — check Settings > About phone > Software update to see if an update is available.

Storage and File Size Considerations

Screen recordings take up storage space quickly. A one-minute recording at standard quality uses roughly 50 to 100 megabytes, depending on what is on your screen and whether audio is included. If your phone storage is nearly full, you may not be able to record at all, or recording may stop partway through.

Check your available storage before recording long videos. Go to Settings > Storage to see how much free space you have. If you are running low, delete old photos, videos, or apps you no longer use. You can also move videos to a computer or cloud storage (like Google Drive or Samsung Cloud) to free up space on your phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I record just part of my screen instead of the whole screen?

The standard Screen Recorder tool on the Galaxy A20 records your entire screen. If you need to record only a portion, you would need to use a third-party app from the Google Play Store. However, after recording, you can crop or trim the video in your Gallery app to focus on a specific area.

Does screen recording drain my battery?

Yes, screen recording uses more battery than normal phone use because your processor is working harder to capture and save video. If you plan to record for a long time, plug your phone into a charger first. Recording for 10 to 15 minutes typically uses 5 to 10 percent of your battery.

What happens if I run out of storage while recording?

Recording stops automatically when your phone storage is full or nearly full. The video file saves up to the point where it stopped, so you will still have a partial recording. Delete some files or move videos to cloud storage, then try recording again.

Can I record a video call or app that has copy protection?

Some apps and services block screen recording for copyright or privacy reasons. If you try to record and the screen goes black or shows a message, that app has protection enabled. You cannot bypass this — it is built into the app itself by the company that made it.

Where is the Screen Recorder file saved if I cannot find it in Gallery?

Check your file manager app (called Files or My Files on Samsung phones). Navigate to Internal Storage > DCIM > Screen Recordings or Internal Storage > Movies. If you still cannot find it, search your Gallery app by swiping to the search tab and typing "screen" to locate all screen recording files.