Screen recording with an external microphone on iPhone
The built-in microphone is a foot from your mouth and next to your thumbs. Any external mic is better, and iOS will use it automatically — mostly. Here is what to expect from each kind.
AirPods and Bluetooth
Convenient, always paired, and iOS routes recording input to them when connected. The trade-off is that Bluetooth mic audio is compressed and narrow — clear, but thin. Good enough for a message; noticeable in a published tutorial.
Wired lavalier
A clip-on mic through a Lightning or USB-C adapter is the best value: close to your mouth, uncompressed, and it removes the tapping sound of your fingers on the glass. This is what most creators use.
USB-C microphones
Desktop-style USB mics work on USB-C iPhones and iPads. Best quality, least convenient — they need a stand and you cannot walk around. Right for a seated tutorial, wrong for a demo on the move.
Check the route before recording
iOS picks an input and does not announce it. Record five seconds, play it back, and confirm the voice is coming from the mic you intended. Reel uses whatever the system selects; there is no in-app input picker, because iOS does not offer one to apps.
Can I monitor my voice while recording?
Not through the recorder. Use the mic's own monitoring if it has it.
