On most Android phones, screen recordings live in Internal storage > Movies > Screen recordings or DCIM > Screen recordings, and each minute of footage can be 30-200 MB. To delete them, open Files (or Gallery), find that folder, select the recordings you do not need, and move them to Trash.
TL;DR
- Screen recordings are large: roughly 30-200 MB per minute, far heavier than screenshots.
- They usually sit in Movies > Screen recordings, DCIM > Screen recordings, or a Screen recordings album in your gallery.
- Delete via your Files app or Gallery; Samsung, Pixel, and Xiaomi each name the folder slightly differently.
- You can trim a recording to keep only the part you need instead of deleting the whole clip.
- Deleted files land in Trash/Recently deleted for ~30 days before space is reclaimed.
Where does Android store screen recordings?
The folder name varies by manufacturer, but it is almost always under internal storage:
- Pixel / stock Android: Internal storage > Movies > Screen recordings
- Samsung (One UI): Internal storage > DCIM > Screen recordings
- Xiaomi / Redmi (MIUI): Internal storage > DCIM > ScreenRecorder
- Gallery view (any brand): an auto-created album named Screen recordings or Screenrecorder
The fastest way to find them regardless of brand: open the Files by Google app (or your phone's built-in Files app), tap Videos, and sort by size. The biggest videos are often screen recordings.
Why are screen recordings so large?
A screen recording captures every frame of motion plus audio, so file size scales with length, resolution, and frame rate. A 1080p recording at 60 fps can exceed 150 MB per minute; a five-minute capture easily clears 500 MB. A handful of long recordings can quietly eat several gigabytes, which is why they are usually the first thing worth clearing on a full phone.
How do I delete screen recordings step by step?
Using Files by Google:
- Open Files, tap Videos at the bottom.
- Tap the three-dot menu and choose Sort by > Size (largest first).
- Long-press a recording to select it, then tap any others you want to remove.
- Tap Move to Trash (or Delete) and confirm.
Using your Gallery app: open the Screen recordings album, long-press to enter selection mode, choose the clips, then tap the trash icon. On Samsung this is Gallery > Albums > Screen recordings.
Can I keep part of a recording instead of deleting it?
Yes, and this is often the better move for a long clip where you only need a few seconds. Open the recording in your Gallery, tap Edit (pencil icon), drag the trim handles at the start and end of the timeline to the section you want, then tap Save or Save as copy. Saving a 10-second trim instead of a 4-minute original can reclaim hundreds of MB while keeping the part that mattered.
What does Android do natively, and where does it stop?
Android (and your gallery app) will automatically group screen recordings into one folder or album, which makes them easy to find, and it offers a Trash that holds deletions for about 30 days. Where it stops: it will not tell you which recordings are accidental (a 2-hour capture you forgot to stop), it will not flag duplicates, and it will not warn you that recordings are your single largest storage category. You have to open the folder and judge each clip yourself.
What this cannot do, and recoverability
Deleting moves files to Trash in Files by Google or Recently deleted in your gallery, where they remain for roughly 30 days. During that window you can restore a clip. After it, the file is gone and space is freed. If you need the space back immediately, open Files > Trash (or Gallery > Trash) and choose Empty trash.
What this cannot do: recover a recording after the Trash window expires, or undo a deletion you have already emptied. If a recording matters, move it to cloud storage or your computer before deleting. Also note that if you back up to Google Photos, a recording you delete on the phone may still exist in your Google Photos library until you remove it there too.
FAQ
Why can't I find a Screen recordings folder on my phone?
The folder is only created after you make your first recording, and the name differs by brand (Screen recordings, ScreenRecorder, Screenrecorder). If you cannot find it by browsing, open Files by Google > Videos, sort by size, and your recordings will surface at the top.
Does deleting a screen recording free space immediately?
Not at first. The file moves to Trash or Recently deleted for about 30 days. To reclaim the space right away, empty the Trash in your Files or Gallery app.
Will deleting a recording on my phone remove it from Google Photos?
Not automatically. If the recording was backed up, it stays in your Google Photos library until you delete it there as well. Check both places if you want it fully gone.
Screen recordings are an Android storage problem, but the same large-media pile-up happens on iPhone. If you are on iOS, Cleanor for iPhone surfaces your biggest videos and screen recordings first so you clear the heavy items in minutes. See the full approach to free up iPhone space.