Record Android Screen Using ADB (No Root)
10 min read Step‑by‑step guide to capture Android screen video via ADB’s built‑in screenrecord command, with options, troubleshooting and tips. October 02, 2026 16:30
Before you start
Recording the screen with ADB works on Android 4.4 (KitKat) and newer, but the command is only available on devices that ship with the screenrecord binary (most stock Android builds do). You won’t need root, but you do need a computer with the Android SDK Platform‑Tools installed and a USB cable that can transfer data.
- Charge level: Keep the device above 30 % to avoid interruptions.
- Free storage: A 1080p 30 fps recording consumes roughly 150 MB per minute. Ensure enough space on the internal storage or an SD card.
- USB debugging: You’ll enable this in a later step.
- Computer OS: The instructions work on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Commands are shown for a generic terminal; adapt path separators as needed.
Step 1 – Install the Android SDK Platform‑Tools
The Platform‑Tools package contains adb. Download it from the official Android developer site (search for “SDK Platform‑Tools”). Extract the zip to a folder you can access from the command line.
Windows: Add the folder path to the PATH environment variable or open a Command Prompt inside the folder.
macOS / Linux: Open a terminal and navigate to the extracted folder, or symlink adb to /usr/local/bin for global access.
Step 2 – Enable Developer Options and USB Debugging on the phone
- Open Settings → About phone.
- Tap Build number seven times. You’ll see a toast saying “You are now a developer!”.
- Go back to the main Settings page; a new entry Developer options appears.
- Enter Developer options and toggle USB debugging ON.
- If a security prompt appears, confirm the computer’s RSA fingerprint.
On some manufacturers the wording may differ (e.g., “USB debugging (ADB)” or “Android debugging”). The essential part is enabling ADB communication.
Step 3 – Verify that ADB can see the device
- Connect the phone to the computer with a data‑capable USB cable.
- Open a terminal (or Command Prompt) and run:
adb devicesYou should see a line with the device’s serial number followed by device. If you see unauthorized, check the phone for a dialog asking to allow USB debugging and tap Allow.
If no device appears, try a different USB port, a different cable, or enable “USB for file transfer” (MTP) on the phone’s notification shade.
Step 4 – Decide on recording parameters
The screenrecord command supports a handful of options. Choose the ones that match your needs before you start.
--size WIDTHxHEIGHT– limits resolution (e.g.,1280x720). Omit to record at native resolution.--bit-rate BITRATE– sets video bitrate in bits per second (default 4 Mbps). Higher values improve quality but increase file size.--time-limit SECONDS– caps recording length (max 180 seconds on many devices). Use0for unlimited, but note that some OEMs enforce the 3‑minute ceiling.--rotate– rotates the output if the device is in landscape mode.
Example command that records full‑HD video at 8 Mbps for up to 5 minutes:
adb shell screenrecord --size 1920x1080 --bit-rate 8000000 --time-limit 300 /sdcard/record.mp4Replace the file path (/sdcard/record.mp4) with a location you have write access to. The /sdcard directory maps to the primary shared storage on most devices.
Step 5 – Start the recording
- In the terminal, run the chosen
screenrecordcommand. For a quick start, you can use the simplest form:
adb shell screenrecord /sdcard/record.mp4After you press
Tip: While recording, you can interact with the phone normally. The command does not block touch input.
Step 6 – Stop recording and retrieve the file
- When you’re done, return to the terminal and press
Ctrl + C. The device finalises the MP4 file and returns you to the prompt. - Pull the video to your computer:
adb pull /sdcard/record.mp4 ./record.mp4The file is now in the current folder on your computer. You can open it with any media player (VLC, MPV, etc.).
Do not delete the file on the phone before pulling it; otherwise the pull command will fail.
Step 7 – (Optional) Trim or compress the video with FFmpeg
If you need a shorter clip or want to reduce the file size further, FFmpeg is a lightweight command‑line tool that works on all major OSes.
# Trim to the first 30 seconds
ffmpeg -i record.mp4 -ss 00:00:00 -t 30 -c copy record_trimmed.mp4
# Re‑encode to 1080p at 4 Mbps
ffmpeg -i record.mp4 -vf "scale=1920:1080" -b:v 4M record_compressed.mp4These commands are optional; the raw ADB recording is already in MP4 format and playable on most devices.
Troubleshooting
Device says “screenrecord not found”
Some heavily customized OEM skins (e.g., older Samsung One UI builds) omit the binary. In that case you cannot use ADB screenrecord. Consider installing a trusted screen‑recording app from the Play Store or using a PC‑side screencasting tool like scrcpy.
Permission denied when writing to /sdcard
Make sure the device is unlocked and that you granted USB debugging permission. If the phone is encrypted with a lock screen, you may need to unlock it before starting the command.
Recording stops after 180 seconds even with --time-limit
Many devices enforce a hard 3‑minute limit regardless of the flag. The workaround is to start a new recording after the limit, or use a third‑party app that supports longer sessions.
File size grows too fast / storage fills up
Lower the bitrate (--bit-rate 2000000) or reduce the resolution. You can also record directly to an external SD card if the device exposes a path such as /storage/XXXX-XXXX/record.mp4.
Audio is missing
The built‑in screenrecord captures only the device’s internal audio from Android 10 onward, and only if the app playing the sound permits it. If you need guaranteed audio, record with a separate app that captures microphone input, or use a PC‑side capture solution.
Tips & Best Practices
- Test a short clip first – run a 5‑second recording to confirm the file is saved where you expect.
- Use a USB‑C hub with power delivery if you plan to record for a long time; this prevents the phone from throttling performance.
- Keep the device awake during recording: enable “Stay awake” in Developer options (Settings → Developer options → Stay awake) so the screen doesn’t dim and stop the capture.
- Name files with timestamps to avoid overwriting previous recordings, e.g.,
/sdcard/record_$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S).mp4(Linux/macOS). - Combine with UI Automator if you need to automate a repetitive UI flow and capture it automatically.
When to prefer ADB screenrecord over third‑party apps
ADB’s built‑in recorder is ideal when you want a quick, no‑install capture, especially on a device that is locked down (no Play Store access) or when you need a reproducible command for documentation or testing. Third‑party apps often provide features like internal audio capture on older Android versions, longer recordings, or on‑screen annotations, which ADB cannot supply.
With the steps above you now have a reliable, root‑free method to record anything that appears on your Android screen – from app demos to bug‑reproduction videos – using only ADB and a computer. Happy recording!
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