Scheduled to be available in the third quarter of 2017, iOS 11 is set to introduce many big changes, including an updated lock screen, customizable Control Center, and a powerful new screenshot tool. However the one feature that has caught many people by surprise is that it will also introduce screen recording on iOS devices for the very first time.

In the past when people wanted to record the screen of their iPhones or iPads they had to use third-party solutions and workarounds. Some would actually record a video of their iOS devices with cameras, while others would connect it to a computer or capture device to obtain footage from its screen.

Once iOS 11 is released all of that will be unnecessary. Instead, users will be able to enable screen recording within the Control Center and record videos from their screen directly within iOS itself.

To access the feature (currently available in the iOS 11 beta), you need to open Settings and select Control Center. In the list of items you should then be able to locate Screen Recording, and can add it to the Control Center. Once that is done, you will be able to swipe upwards from the bottom of the display at any time to reveal the Control Center and then tap the Screen Recording button to begin recording.

It should be noted that iOS 11’s screen recorder is still fairly basic, though considering the entire operating system is still in beta – that may change. For now the only additional feature that it includes is a setting that will allow you to record audio from the microphone as well – meaning that you can add a voiceover to your videos if you wish.

Aside from the fact that having a built-in screen recorder on iOS will make it easy to create quick guides and tutorials, it will also be useful on several other fronts. In particular it will mean that you can record FaceTime video calls, Snapchat sessions, and any other content from your iPhone or iPad.

All in all the introduction of screen recording to iOS is a timely addition, and one that undoubtedly will end up being widely-used. Although changes may be made over the next few months, it is likely that the screen recording feature will remain more or less in its current form.

As things stand, while iOS 11’s screen recorder is certainly convenient, professionals may still prefer using more feature-rich third party software – such as Movavi Screen Capture Studio. The control it provides over the recording parameters along with its ability to schedule recordings and its built-in editor are extremely useful when creating videos.

In short if you want to create high quality and professional-looking videos then using a powerful video recorder such as Movavi screen capture studio and screen recorder for Mac would prove invaluable. On the other hand for quick and casual videos, iOS 11’s new built-in screen recorder will undoubtedly get the job done without any hassle.