# How Do I Change My Face Cam Shape on iPhone?

> Change your face cam shape while recording your iPhone screen in DemoScope: circle, square, vertical or horizontal rectangle, set before you hit record.

- Published: 2026-10-26
- Author: Adam Tal, developer of DemoScope (https://demoscope.app)
- Canonical: https://demoscope.app/blog/posts/change-face-cam-shape-iphone-recording.html

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You change the face cam shape on an iPhone recording inside DemoScope (HD Face Cam Screen Recorder on the App Store), which gives the camera bubble four shapes: circle, square, vertical rectangle, and horizontal rectangle. The iOS built-in screen recorder has no face cam overlay at all, so there is no shape to change there, which is why this question almost always ends with a dedicated app.

**Short answer:** Use DemoScope's Screen Recording with Face Cam feature on iPhone or iPad. Open the Camera tool before you start recording and pick circle, square, vertical rectangle, or horizontal rectangle for the picture-in-picture bubble, then drag it to any corner and pinch to resize. Free tier works with a watermark and a 10-minute cap.

*Last updated: October 2026.*

## The steps to change face cam shape in an iPhone recording

Here is the actual order of operations in DemoScope. Set the shape before you record, not after.

1. Open DemoScope and pick your recording source. Use the in-app recording mode if you want touch indicators and the teleprompter too, or **Other App** mode if you are going to record something outside DemoScope.
2. Open the **Camera** tool. This is where the face cam overlay settings live.
3. Choose your shape: circle, square, vertical rectangle, or horizontal rectangle.
4. Drag the bubble to the corner you want. Any of the four corners works.
5. Pinch to resize it. If you want more detail on sizing, see [how do i resize my face cam bubble on iphone?](/blog/posts/resize-face-cam-bubble-iphone.html)
6. Optionally adjust the **PiP Border** so the bubble reads clearly against a white app background.
7. Start recording.


## Which shape should you actually pick?

A circle is the safest default for app demos. It reads as "a person talking" instantly, it hides a messy background better than a rectangle because the corners are gone, and it takes up the least screen area for the amount of face it shows.

Pick a **vertical rectangle** when you are recording for TikTok, Reels, or Shorts and want your head and shoulders framed like a normal portrait video. Pick a **horizontal rectangle** when you are sitting far back from the phone or want the room in frame, like a desk-setup shot. Pick a **square** when the bubble needs to sit flush in a corner next to UI that is already rectangular, such as a demo of a dashboard or a settings screen.

The practical tip from recording on a phone daily: whichever shape you choose, check it against the part of your UI it will cover. A circle in the bottom-right corner will sit directly on top of a floating action button or a tab bar badge. Move the bubble to the opposite corner from whatever you are about to tap, or you will record the whole demo and then notice your chin is covering the button you were demonstrating.

## What DemoScope will not do with the face cam shape

Be clear on the limits before you plan a video around them:

- **No custom shapes.** Four options, no freeform masking or rounded-corner sliders.
- **No background removal.** DemoScope has no green screen or background replacement, so the shape is a crop of your real camera feed, not a cutout of you.
- **No filters or face effects.**
- **No rear camera.** The face cam is front camera only.
- **No changing the shape after the fact.** DemoScope has no video editing: no trimming, cropping, or re-masking. The shape is baked into the MP4 at record time. If you picked the wrong one, re-record. If you genuinely need to change an existing file, that is a job for a separate editing app.

That last one is the real trade-off and the honest reason to spend thirty seconds on setup before you tap record.

## The free way with iOS built-in tools, and why it falls short

The iOS built-in screen recorder (Control Center, the circle-in-circle button) records your screen and your mic, and that is all. It does not add a camera overlay, so there is no face cam shape to change, and there are no touch indicators showing where you tapped. The usual workaround people try is recording the screen while a video call app shows their face in a corner, which gives you a shape you do not control, a call UI in frame, and audio routing that frequently ends up on the wrong device.

If you want the full breakdown of where the native recorder stops being enough, read the [ios screen recorder guide: built-in tool vs dedicated apps](/blog/posts/ios-screen-recorder-guide-mobile-recording.html).

## Comparison: where face cam shape control exists

| | DemoScope | iOS built-in recorder | Loom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Face cam overlay on iPhone | Yes | No | Desktop/web focused |
| Face cam shape options | Circle, square, vertical rect, horizontal rect | None | Not an iPhone shape picker |
| Touch indicators | Yes (in-app mode) | No | No |
| Record other apps with face cam | Yes (Other App mode) | Screen only | No |
| Price | $19.99 one-time (free tier available) | Free | Subscription |

Free DemoScope recordings and streams carry a watermark and stop at 10 minutes per take, including Other App mode. Pro removes both for $19.99 once, not monthly. More options compared side by side in [ios screen recorder: built-in tool vs third-party apps](/blog/posts/best-ios-screen-recorder-options-built-in-vs-third-party.html).

## Shape control in Other App mode

If you are recording a different app with a floating face cam, the tools available are Camera, PiP Border, and text on screen. Touch indicators and the teleprompter are in-app recording only, which is an iOS limitation, not a missing feature list. For why phone-native overlays tend to beat the desktop approach here, see [face cam overlay recording: why mobile works better than desktop](/blog/posts/face-cam-overlay-recording-mobile-vs-desktop.html).

My recommendation: record in-app when the demo is of a website, photo, or video you can show inside DemoScope, because you get touch indicators and the teleprompter. Use Other App mode when you have no choice. The trade-off is real and worth planning around.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I change the face cam shape after I finish recording?

No. DemoScope has no video editing, so the shape, size, and corner position are fixed in the exported MP4. Decide before you tap record, or re-record the take.

### Can I move the face cam bubble while recording?

The camera bubble is draggable to any corner and resizable by pinching. Set it where you want it before you start so your hand is not in frame mid-demo.

### Does the free version let me change the face cam shape?

Yes. Shape, corner, and size are part of the face cam overlay feature, and free recordings include them. Free takes carry a watermark and cap at 10 minutes; Pro is a $19.99 one-time purchase that removes both.

### Can I make the face cam a custom shape or remove my background?

No. DemoScope offers four shapes and no green screen or background removal, so the bubble shows your real background cropped to the shape you chose.

### What iOS version do I need?

iOS 14 or later, on iPhone or iPad. There is no Mac or Android version.

If you mostly record app demos on a phone and you want the camera bubble to look deliberate instead of accidental, DemoScope is worth a look. Set the shape once, match it to the corner your UI leaves free, and the rest of the recording gets a lot less fiddly.