Want to create demonstration videos on your Android device, perhaps to help a friend or relative, or to show how an app you have developed works? Perhaps you simply want to record your activity in a game or video chat? You need a screen recorder tool; you have come to the right place. Here are the best options to create a video recording of your screen, without rooting your device.
To make great app promo videos, you are going to need the best quality video of your app that you can get. These solutions will make that possible.
Video Recording an Android Screen
There are a lot of different video recording solutions out there for Android. But before we get into that, the solution you use is going to depend on the version of Android your device has.
So let's take a moment to look at some of the milestone Android releases that you need to know about, when it comes to screen video capture capabilities.
Pre KitKat 4.4
Before KitKat 4.4, there was no official built-in function to record your Android device. So people usually resorted to putting a camera in front of their phone.
Not the greatest solution, but it got the job done.
There are now apps out there that can record from Android versions as low as Froyo (2.2.3), but results will vary greatly by device manufacturer and app. We hope that you aren't still using a device that old, much less recording any evidence that you are.
But if you do need to record the screen of a device that is maxed out at Froyo, for an ancient history project or something, we have provided a suggestion in the section on recording apps, below.
Android KitKat 4.4
In the 4.4 release of Android KitKat, Google added a screen recording utility that allows developers to record a device that is connected to their computer, via the Android Developer SDK, using the Android Debug Bridge (ADB). But the recording solution is notoriously hard to use and is primarily meant for developers.
Android Lollipop 5.0 and Later
Android 5.0 finally introduced native screen recording. This made video recording a whole lot easier and opened up a wider range of screen recording options.
Now let's move on to the solutions that are out there…
Android Recording Apps
There is no shortage of screen recording apps for Android, that's for sure. So we went through all of the options and here are the top two solutions that we found.
The good part about these apps is that they are usually very affordable. The downside is that there may be some limitations to your recording capabilities, since recording happens on the device.
AZ Screen Recorder – No Root
We looked a bunch of screen recording apps and read a lot of blog posts. The video screen recorder that came up most often was AZ Screen Recorder – No Root.
As far as we can tell, there is only one downside to this app; it only works with devices that have Android 5.0 or newer.
The best part about this app is that it is free. Of course, if you want access to some of the more advanced features, you will have to pay a few bucks for in-app products, but it is probably worth it.
Mobizen
Another app that has a ton of reviews is the Mobizen app.
It has more reviews than the AZ Screen Recorder app, but its average rating is lower. In spite of that, it also looks like a solid app and it is totally free.
This app requires Android 4.2, so it might be a good option if you can't use AZ. Based on their website, it looks like it is easy to use and has some other great features that you might find useful.
NO-ROOT Record Screen to Video
Yes, we did say top two solutions, but this app is worth telling you about because like we mentioned in the beginning, recording the screen of a device that is running an older version of Android can be tough.
This app says that it can be used with Android version 2.3.3 and up, so it is certainly worth a shot if you need to record older devices.
You can download this app from Google Play here.
External Video Recording Solutions (Capture Cards)
Next, let's take a look at some of the external recording solutions out there. These are basically external video adapters that you use to bridge your Android device and your laptop/desktop.
They are primarily used for recording the game play of consoles like Xbox, but they can be used for recording mobile devices too. The upside is that they are very versatile and they can be used to record a wide range of devices.
The downside is that they can be expensive, in many cases, costing over $100. So it just depends on how much recording you will be doing.
Elgato
Elgato is probably the best external app video recording solution out there. We also featured it in our how to record iOS devices post.
Hauppauge
Another alterative that you might want to check out is Hauppauge. Their devices aren't quite as popular as those from Elgato, but they do have very good ratings on Amazon.
Built-In Recording Capabilities
As we mentioned before, Android 4.4 marked the addition of video recording capabilities in Android. What was supposed to be an "easy" solution was not simple at all.
So those are the different ways that you can capture a video recording of your Android device. They all have their pros and cons, so give a few of them a try and see what works best for you.
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