Play iOS Games Or Record Your iPhone From Your Mac (For Free)

One thing I love about OS X is that is has all sorts of hidden tricks and functionality that are not well-documented, so it is very fun to stumble upon them.  The most recent tip I found is the ability to record your iPhone or iPad’s screen and save it as a video file (or use it as a game controller while the game is displayed full screen on your Mac).  The trick is easy to do and you don’t even need any extra software.  All you need is:

• an iPhone or iPad that uses a lightning cable (the old 30-pin connector does not work)
• QuickTime (built into your Mac by default)

How To Record Your iOS Screen

1. Plug in the iOS device to your Mac using a lighting cable
2. Open QuickTime
3. Choose File > New Movie Recording…
4. Click the disclosure arrow next to the record button

Now you can click the record button and create a movie of whatever you want.  It even will show your taps by slightly dimming the icon you touch.

Playing iOS Games On A Full-screen Mac (For Free).

This trick is exactly the same as above, except you never click record.  Just make QuickTime full screen and you can use your iPhone as the controller, but watch your Mac’s screen (with no lag)!  Below is a shot of me playing Hearthstone on my iPhone, but using the Mac as my screen.