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Screen recording has no sound? The causes, in order of likelihood

A silent recording is almost never a broken app. It is one of five ordinary things, and the first two account for most cases. Check them in this order.

3 min read · Updated 2026-09-06

1. The silent switch

On iPhone, the ring/silent switch — or the Action button set to silent — stops many apps from playing sound at all, and a recorder cannot capture sound that was never played. Flip it, play the app, confirm you hear it, then record.

2. Microphone permission

If you declined the microphone prompt on first launch, your voice is not recorded and there is no error. Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone → Reel. Reel's Settings → General shows the current permission status so you can see it without leaving the app.

3. Levels at zero

Reel remembers the last mic and app levels. A previous session that muted the app leaves it muted. Check Settings → Audio before recording.

4. Protected audio

Some streaming and video apps mark their audio as protected, and iOS withholds it from every screen recorder. This is intentional and no app can bypass it. The screen records; the sound does not. Nothing to fix — it is the content, not the recorder.

5. Bluetooth routing

With AirPods or a car connected, the microphone the system uses may not be the one you expect, and a headset mic at arm's length records a faint voice. Disconnect, or accept the routing and speak closer.

The video has sound but my voice is missing.

Microphone permission, or the mic level at zero. Cases 2 and 3 above.

My voice is there but the app is silent.

Silent switch, app level at zero, or protected audio. Cases 1, 3 and 4.

Screen recording has no sound? The causes, in order of likelihood