argent-screen-recording: a Claude skill that records iOS and Android screens to video

A Software Mansion skill that makes Claude record an iOS simulator or Android emulator or device screen to an mp4 video.

Installs: 19.3K; on skills.sh
Stars: 3.1K; on GitHub
Updated: Oct 2026; last repo commit

The skill makes Claude call two Argent tools, screen-recording-start and screen-recording-stop, around the interaction you want to capture. It asks for a time limit (default 180 seconds, max 600), draws taps and swipes into the video, trims stretches where nothing changes, and saves the mp4 into <project>/.argent/recordings/. It triggers when you ask for a screen recording, a video of a flow or an animation.

It needs Argent set up first, and ffmpeg on your computer for local devices. SKILL.md treats a forgotten recording as the main risk, so Claude must set a reminder to stop it. Argent stamps a faint watermark on videos by default.

Good for

Mobile developers who want a video of a flow, bug or animation
QA engineers documenting app behavior for a pull request
React Native teams already using Argent to drive simulators

Install argent-screen-recording

Claude Code

Copy this prompt.

Install the argent-screen-recording skill in Claude Code. Run this command:

npx @swmansion/argent@latest init

Then check that it loaded and tell me how to use it.

2
Paste it into Claude Code. It shows the change and asks before running it.

Requires Node.js 20.12 or newer.

Start with the wizard: the skill drives Argent's tools, so Argent has to be set up first. Argent's docs say the wizard also copies skills into your workspace. The skills command adds argent-screen-recording and the argent-device-interact skill it points to, in case the wizard did not copy them. ffmpeg is needed for local devices (brew install ffmpeg on macOS).

From the vendor's docs. Source.

What's in the skill

When it loads

Record a video of an iOS simulator or Android emulator/device screen using argent MCP tools. Use when the user asks to record the screen, capture a video of a flow, interaction, or animation, produce a screen recording, or document app behavior as a video clip.

Sections in SKILL.md

1. Tools
2. Critical: never leave a recording running
3. Workflow
4. Platform notes and limits

Key facts

Author: Software Mansion (the software-mansion/argent repository)
License: Apache 2.0 for source code. The README says the proprietary simulator-server and ax-service binaries and .dylib files are licensed solely for use within the project.
Needs: Argent set up in your assistant, and ffmpeg for local devices (SKILL.md: brew install ffmpeg on macOS)
Supported targets: iOS simulators, remote simulators, Android emulators and physical Android devices. Not supported: tvOS simulators, physical iPhones, Chromium apps, Vega and Fire TV.
Files: 1 file: SKILL.md. No scripts.
Installs on skills.sh: 19,320 as of 2026-11-02
GitHub stars: 3,138 for the whole software-mansion/argent repo, 2026-11-02
Last repo commit: 2026-10-31
skills.sh audits: Gen Agent Trust Hub: pass, Socket: pass, Snyk: pass

What it includes

Start capturing a booted device to an h264 mp4
Takes the device udid and a timeLimitSeconds cap. Records at 30 fps in the device's native resolution. showTouches and trimStatic options default to on.
Try: “Record a screen video of the onboarding flow on the iOS simulator.”
Runs code · screen-recording-start
Stop, finalize and return the video
Returns the video, durationMs and sometimes wallClockMs, trimmedMs and a warning. Call it even if the time limit already fired.
Runs code · screen-recording-stop
Claude must schedule a wake-up to stop the recording
A recording does not stop itself before its time cap. SKILL.md says this step is not optional, and tool results carry a NOTE while a recording runs.
Runs code · End-of-recording reminder
Boot device, start, drive interaction, stop, check warning
Uses list-devices, launch-app and argent-device-interact, prefers run-sequence for multi-step interactions, then checks that the file plays.
Runs code · Workflow
On by default; collapses still stretches
Keeps the first second of each still stretch. Pass trimStatic: false for a real-time recording.
Read · Static-frame trimming
On by default; draws taps, swipes and pinches
Pass showTouches: false for a clean raw-screen capture.
Read · Touch visualizer
<project>/.argent/recordings/ or ~/.argent/recordings/
Changeable with argent config set recordings.directory <dir>. The file is written on the client, even for a remote tool-server.
Write · Saved file location
Argent logo and By @swmansion, bottom-left
On by default. Turn it off with argent disable video-watermark.
Write · Watermark
One recording per device, black secure screens, remote orientation
Android secure screens come out black. A remote simulator keeps portrait orientation, so landscape plays sideways. The video keeps the size of the screen at the start.
Read · Platform notes and limits

From the official docs

Permissions

Medium risk

Claude starts a screen recording of a device and saves the video in your project, so anything visible on screen can end up in the file. Use test accounts, and make sure a recording is stopped and the folder is not committed by mistake.

What it can do

Read your data
Create and change things
Delete things
Read-only mode

Watch out for

The Argent setup wizard installs and registers things
Argent's installation docs say the wizard installs @swmansion/argent globally, registers an MCP server in your editor and copies skills, rules and agent definitions into your workspace. Read its prompts before you accept. github.com
A forgotten recording keeps running
A recording does not stop itself before its time limit, which defaults to 180 seconds and caps at 600. SKILL.md makes Claude set a reminder, so check that screen-recording-stop was called. github.com
Argent collects telemetry by default
The README says telemetry is opt-out and gives argent telemetry disable. The privacy notice describes what is collected. github.com
The video can show private screen content
The mp4 captures the device screen and is saved durably in your project. Review it and add .argent/recordings to your ignore file if you do not want it committed. github.com
Part of the license is proprietary
The README says source code is Apache 2.0, while the simulator-server binaries are licensed solely for use within the project. github.com

Technical details

Talks to	A remote simulator runner, when you record on a remote: device
Scopes	Calls Argent tools that capture a device screen Writes mp4 files to <project>/.argent/recordings/ or ~/.argent/recordings/ Needs ffmpeg for local devices Setup wizard: global npm install, editor MCP registration, files copied into your workspace

Questions

What does argent-screen-recording do?

It makes Claude record a video of an iOS simulator, Android emulator or Android device while it drives an interaction, using Argent's screen-recording-start and screen-recording-stop tools. The mp4 is saved in your project's .argent/recordings folder.

How do I install it?

Use the install box at the top of this page. Run the Argent setup wizard (npx @swmansion/argent@latest init) first: Argent's docs say it installs the package globally, registers the MCP server in your editor and copies skills, rules and agent definitions into your workspace. The skills command in step 2 adds this skill and argent-device-interact on their own. Install ffmpeg for local devices. A Claude app upload is not offered because the skill needs Argent's tools running on your machine.

Does it work on a real iPhone or Apple TV?

No. SKILL.md lists physical iPhones, tvOS simulators, Chromium apps and Vega or Fire TV as unsupported. iOS simulators, Android emulators and physical Android devices work.

Is it safe to use?

It saves a video of what is on the device screen to your project folder, so anything visible on screen can end up in the file. Argent also collects usage telemetry unless you turn it off. Use test accounts, check the folder before you commit it, and make sure a recording was stopped.

Why is my recording shorter than the time I recorded?

Static-frame trimming is on by default, so still stretches are collapsed. SKILL.md says a 40-second session with 5 seconds of real activity comes back as a 5 to 7 second video. Pass trimStatic: false for real time.

How is it different from argent-create-e2e?

argent-screen-recording produces a video of one run. argent-create-e2e, another skill in the Argent repo, records and replays a repeatable test path as YAML. SKILL.md here points to it when you want a replayable script instead of a video.

Information

updated Nov 2, 2026

Repository: software-mansion/argent
Folder: packages/skills/skills/argent-screen-recording

software-mansion/argent skills.sh

Sources

Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.

Show all 6

README.md · github.com
argent-screen-recording · skills.sh
SKILL.md · github.com
Argent installation docs · github.com
SKILL.md · github.com
Telemetry.md · github.com