The situation when you are preparing a detailed video tutorial or recording the passage of a difficult level in a game, and as a result you receive a silent video, is extremely annoying. The problem of no sound when recording screen on Android is common among users of different versions of the operating system. Most often, the reason lies not in the breakdown of the smartphone, but in specific privacy settings or features of the selected application.
Starting from Android 10Google has introduced strict restrictions on capturing internal audio to prevent piracy and hidden recording of conversations. This led to the fact that the standard mechanism screencasting stopped working out of the box the way users of older versions were used to. Understanding these limitations is the first step to solving the problem.
In this article we will look in detail at why the sound disappears, how to bypass system locks and which applications are guaranteed to work with audio capture. You will learn to distinguish between recording modes and configure them for specific tasks.
System restrictions Android 10 and later
The main reason for the lack of sound is a change in Google's security policy. In lower OS versions Android 10 applications could freely capture any audio stream, which created the risk of data leakage. Now the system strictly differentiates sound sources.
When starting a standard recorder, the system often selects the “Mute” or “Microphone Only” mode by default. This is done so that the application cannot record, for example, your conversation in the messenger or playback of protected content from a streaming service.
⚠️ Attention: In some shells (for example, old versions MIUI or OneUI) the option to record system sound may be completely hidden in the standard application, even if The phone's hardware supports this.
To understand what sound source is available to you, you need to look into the settings of the recording application itself. If there is a choice between Media sounds (media) and Mic (microphone), then your system supports stream separation. However, the first option is often blocked if you are trying to record a call or DRM-protected content.
Why did Google introduce these restrictions?
This was done to protect copyright and user privacy. Previously, malicious applications could secretly record a phone's audio stream by intercepting codes from SMS or conversations.
Differences between microphone and system audio recording
It is critical to understand the difference between the two types of audio capture. When you choose to record through the microphone, the phone records everything that happens around you: the noise of the keyboard, conversations in the room and the sound coming from the smartphone speakers. The quality of this sound depends on the location of the device and external acoustics.
Recording system audio (Internal Audio) captures a digital audio stream directly from the operating system. This provides crystal clear quality without extraneous noise, but has a serious limitation: while recording, you will not be able to talk on the phone or use voice chat in the game, since the audio channel will be occupied by the recording process.
- 🎤 Microphone: Records external sounds and sound from speakers, allows you to talk while recording, but the quality is lower.
- 🔊 System sound: Records only what is playing inside the phone (music, game sounds), ideal quality, but blocks voice communication.
- 🔇 No sound: Completely disabling the audio track, used for recording sensitive data or when sound is not needed.
If your goal is to record gameplay with commentary, you will have to use microphone mode. In this case, the game sound will be played through the speaker, and the microphone will pick it up along with your voice. For professional reviews, this is not the best option, but it is the only possible one for simultaneous recording of voice and application sound.
For better synchronization of voice and game sound when recording via a microphone, use headphones. This will prevent echo and delay, since the microphone will not pick up sound from the speakers late.
Setting up a standard screen recorder
Most modern smartphones from Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme to Google Pixel have a built-in screen recording function. However, the settings are often hidden deep in the menu or reset after updates.
To activate sound, call up the quick settings panel (curtain) and find the “Screen Recording” icon. Before starting recording or during the recording process (via the floating menu), you must select a sound source. The interface may vary depending on the firmware.
In some cases, you may need to grant the application special permissions. Go to Settings → Applications → Screen recording → Permissions. Make sure microphone access is allowed. Without this item, sound recording is impossible in any mode.
It is also worth checking the sound settings in the recording section itself. Sometimes there is a checkbox “Show touches” or “Record sound”, which is turned off by default to save resources or privacy.
☑️ Checking the recorder settings
Third-party applications for recording with audio
If the standard tool does not cope or does not have the necessary options, third-party solutions come to the rescue. The leader in this niche has long been the application XRecorder from InShot Inc., as well as AZ Screen Recorder. They know how to bypass some software restrictions and offer flexible bitrate settings.
When first launched, such applications request permission to “On top of other windows” and access to the storage. To record audio, it is critical to give permission to use the microphone. In the application settings, find the “Audio Source” section.
| Application | Record system sound (Android 10+) | Record microphone | Presence of advertising |
|---|---|---|---|
| XRecorder | Yes (Internal Audio) | Yes | Available in the free version |
| AZ Screen Recorder | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobizen | Partially (depending on the model) | Yes | Aggressive |
| Screen Recorder - X | Yes | Yes | Minimal |
It is worth noting that even powerful third-party applications cannot record system sound if you are in a telephone conversation or use protected applications DRM (for example, Netflix). In such cases, the video will have a black screen or no sound, and this limitation cannot be bypassed programmatically on a regular phone.
⚠️ Warning: Avoid applications that require root access to record audio unless you are an advanced user. Obtaining superuser rights can lead to loss of warranty and disruption of banking applications.
Problems with drivers and specific models
Sometimes the problem is hardware or specific software in nature. Owners of smartphones Huawei and Honor after sanctions and updating to new versions EMUI are often faced with the disappearance of the option to record internal sound. This is due to changes in audio drivers in new firmware.
On smartphones Samsung with shell One UI the option may be called “Media sounds and microphone”. If you simply select "Media", game audio will be recorded, but your voice will not. If you select Microphone, only your voice will be recorded, and the game audio may be quiet or absent if your hand is blocking the speakers.
In rare cases, resetting accessibility settings may help. Go to Settings → System → Reset Settings → Reset Accessibility Settings. This will not delete your personal data, but it will reset your screen capture settings to factory defaults, which may enable hidden audio features.
If no apps are recording system audio, check to see if Do Not Disturb or Silent mode is enabled on the device itself - some recorders are synchronized with the general sound profile.
Specific recording in games and calls
Recording sound during games is the most common use case. It is important to consider the CPU load here. Simultaneous graphics rendering, video capture, and audio encoding may cause stuttering, or desynchronization of audio and video.
When recording telephone conversations, the situation is even more complicated. Google's policy prohibits call recording for most apps on the Play Market. A standard voice recorder or screen recorder simply will not record the voice of the interlocutor due to blocking access to the call audio channel at the system kernel level.
- 🎮 Games: Use the “System Sound” mode for clear game sound. Voice chat in the game will not work.
- 📞 Calls: It is impossible to record a conversation using standard means. Specific applications with special access rights or recording through a headset are required.
- 📹 Video calls (Zoom, Skype): Recording is possible, but interlocutors may be notified that recording is in progress, depending on the service policy.
For streamers who want to broadcast gameplay with commentary, the optimal solution is to use an external recorder or connect the phone to a PC via a capture card, since mobile operating systems do not allow mixing system sound and microphone into one stream without loss of quality.
Diagnostics and common user errors
Before blaming the system, check banal things. Make sure the media volume is not turned down to zero. Some recording applications link the recording level to the current system volume. If the phone is in silent mode, the recording may start, but the track will be empty.
Also check if a Bluetooth headset is connected. Sometimes the audio stream goes to the headphones that are in the bag, and the phone’s microphone remains active, but does not pick up the desired sound. Turn off Bluetooth before starting an important recording.
Another common mistake is lack of disk space. If the memory is full, the audio encoding process may be interrupted or not start at all. Free up at least 1-2 GB of free space before starting a long recording session.
Why did the recording sound disappear after updating Android?
System updates often reset application permissions. Go to the settings of the recorder application and re-grant permission to access the microphone and storage. Also check if the default sound source has changed in the settings of the screen recording function itself.
Is it possible to record sound from WhatsApp or Telegram?
You can record system sound from instant messengers if you select the “Media” or “System Sound” source. However, if you try to record your voice at the same time as the other person's voice through the microphone, the quality will be poor due to echo. It is better to use the system sound mode.
Does the power saving mode affect audio recording?
Yes, the power saving mode can limit the operation of background processes and access to the microphone to save battery. Before recording a long video, it is recommended to turn off the power saving mode and increase the brightness of the screen so that the phone does not go dark.
Why can only me be heard in the recording, but not the game?
You have selected the sound source “Microphone”. In this mode, the phone records only what is captured by the microphone. Game sound coming from the speakers may not be picked up by the microphone if the volume is low or the phone is placed far away. Switch the source to “System Sound” or “Media”.
How to record the screen with sound on Android 9 and below?
On older versions of Android there is often no standard screen recording function. You will need to install a third-party application, for example DU Recorder. On these versions of the OS, the restrictions on capturing internal audio are less strict, so most applications will record audio without problems.