How to pause video recording on Android, and take photos while you record
Pausing keeps a whole outing in one video, and a photo while recording saves a still without stopping. Here's where both buttons usually are, what to expect from each, and what to do if your phone's camera can't.
The short answer
While you're recording, look for a pause button (two short bars) next to the stop button. Tap it to pause, tap again to carry on, and you end up with one video file. Many camera apps also show a small shutter button during recording: tap it to save a still photo while the video keeps going. If your camera app shows neither, another camera app can.
How to pause and resume a recording
- Start recording as usual.
- Find the pause button. It's usually beside the red stop button, and looks like two vertical bars.
- Tap it. The timer stops and nothing is recorded while you move to the next shot.
- Frame the next shot, then tap the same button again (it often turns into a red dot) to resume.
- Tap stop when you're done. Everything before and after each pause is saved as a single clip.
Pause is sometimes missing in special modes such as slow motion or timelapse, where the camera records at a different speed. If you don't see it, switch to the normal video mode.
Why pause instead of stopping
- One file to share. A birthday, a walk through a market or a short tutorial comes out as one video instead of a dozen clips.
- No editing to join clips. The cut happens in the camera: the video jumps straight from the moment you paused to the moment you resumed.
- The same settings throughout. Resolution, frame rate and the look you chose stay the same across the whole clip, so the parts match.
A pause makes a hard cut, so plan it: pause on a still moment, and resume on something that makes sense right after it.
| Pause and resume | Stop, then record again | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | One video file | A separate clip for each part |
| Joining the parts | Done in the camera, with a cut where you paused | In a video editor afterwards, which takes longer |
| Settings and look | The same throughout the clip | Can differ from clip to clip |
| Where it works | Most camera apps, in normal video mode; sometimes missing in slow motion or timelapse | Any camera app, in any mode |
How to take a photo while recording
Tap the shutter or camera icon that appears while you're recording; the video carries on. On Samsung Galaxy and Pixel phones, the built-in camera shows it on screen during recording, and many other camera apps do the same.
What to expect from those photos:
- Often a smaller image than a normal photo. On many phones the still comes from the video stream, so it's limited to the video's resolution. 4K video is about 8 megapixels, and 1080p is about 2.
- Less processing. Multi-frame tricks such as HDR and Night mode usually don't run while the camera is busy recording.
- Possible motion blur. Video uses slower shutter speeds than photos, so hold still for a moment when you tap, especially indoors.
For the photo that really matters, stop recording and take it in photo mode. For a quick record of the moment alongside the video, a photo while recording is perfect.
| Photo while recording | Photo mode | |
|---|---|---|
| The video | Carries on | Stop recording first |
| Image size | Often limited to the video's resolution: about 8 megapixels from 4K, about 2 from 1080p | A normal photo |
| Motion blur | Possible: video uses slower shutter speeds than photos | Photo shutter speeds are faster |
| Best for | A quick record of the moment alongside the video | The photo that really matters |
If your phone can't do either
- Use a camera app that can. Many third-party camera apps support pause and photo while recording, including on phones whose built-in app doesn't.
- Join clips afterwards. Record separate clips and join them in a video editor. It takes longer, but the result is the same.
- Save a frame from the video. Many gallery and editing apps can save a single frame of a video as a photo. Like a photo taken while recording, it's limited to the video's resolution.
Before a long shoot, check the best video settings for your phone, so you aren't changing them in the middle.
In One Camera
One Camera does both, free:
- Pause and resume a recording. One clip, with no gap where the pause was.
- Take a photo while recording. The video carries straight on.
It also has a free horizon level beside the grid in Settings, for keeping the horizon straight while you film. The look you pick is written into the video as you shoot, so a clip with pauses keeps one consistent look from start to finish.
Questions
Can you pause a video recording on Android?
Yes, in most camera apps. While recording, tap the pause button (two short bars) next to the stop button, then tap it again to resume. The whole recording is saved as one video. If your camera app has no pause button, another camera app can do it.
Does pausing a recording make separate video files?
No. In apps with a pause button, everything before and after each pause is saved as a single clip, with a cut where you paused.
How do I take a picture while recording a video on Android?
Tap the shutter or camera icon that appears on screen while you're recording. The video keeps going and the photo is saved separately. Samsung Galaxy and Pixel phones show it in the built-in camera, and many other camera apps do too.
Why are photos taken while recording lower quality?
On many phones the photo is taken from the video stream, so it's limited to the video's resolution, about 8 megapixels for 4K. Multi-frame processing such as HDR usually doesn't run while recording, and video's slower shutter speeds can add motion blur.