# How to import a screen recording from Photos

## Quick answer

In TextPort:

1. Tap **Add Chat**, then **Import with Scroll Capture**.
2. Press and hold **Start Screen Recording**. Your videos open.
3. Tap the screen recording.
4. Tap **Start Processing**.

The chat then shows in **Saved Chats**.

## What you need

- TextPort on your iPhone, with iOS 17.5 or newer
- A screen recording of the chat, saved in Photos

## Steps

1. Tap **Add Chat**

   Open TextPort. It is at the bottom of **Saved Chats**.

2. Tap **Import with Scroll Capture**

   For apps other than Messages, the card says **On Your iPhone**. **Scroll Capture** opens.

3. Press and hold **Start Screen Recording**

   Hold it until your videos open. A quick tap starts a new recording instead.

   Tip: Before iOS 26, the button says **Start Recording**.

4. Tap the screen recording

   TextPort shows **Preparing Recording...**. Then **Trim Recording** opens.

5. Tap **Start Processing**

   It is the blue button at the bottom. TextPort shows **Processing screen recording...**.

   Tip: To cut off the start or end first, see [Trim a recording](https://textport.com/guides/trim-a-recording-before-processing.md).

6. Keep TextPort open

   Wait until **Creating new chat...** is done. Then the chat opens.

7. Wait for the text

   The chat shows **Processing your Chat**. You can leave TextPort now.

8. Read the chat

   The messages show as text. The chat is in **Saved Chats**.

## Done

The chat is saved in TextPort as real text, made from the recording you already had.

## Problems

| What you see | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| **Recording Error** shows on the **Scroll Capture** screen. | Tap the arrow next to it to read why. Then tap **Start Screen Recording** to record again. |
| An iOS sheet for screen recording opens instead of your videos. | You tapped the button. Close the sheet. Press and hold the button until your videos open. |
| Your recording is not in the list. | The list shows only videos in Photos. If the video is in Files, open it. Tap the share button, then **Save Video**. |
| **Recording Error**: the selected video couldn't be loaded. | TextPort could not play the video. Pick it again. If that fails, [record the chat in TextPort](https://textport.com/guides/record-your-screen-with-the-textport-recorder.md). |
| You picked WhatsApp, and there is no Scroll Capture card. | Tap the app name at the top. Pick **Other**. Then do steps 2 to 4. |
| **Couldn't import this chat** | Check your internet. Tap **Retry**. If you tap **Dismiss**, the recording waits in **Saved Chats** as **Unfinished recording**. |
| **Processing failed.** | Tap **Retry**. If it fails again, record the chat again. Scroll more slowly. |
| None of these match. | Email [support@textportapp.com](mailto:support@textportapp.com). Say which step you were on. Say what you saw. We usually reply within a day. |

## Questions

### Which videos work?

Any screen recording of a chat. It can come from the iPhone's own screen recorder, or from someone who sent it to you. Save it to Photos first.

### Why press and hold?

A quick tap starts a new recording. Press and hold opens your videos instead.

## Next guides

- [How to record your screen with the TextPort recorder](https://textport.com/guides/record-your-screen-with-the-textport-recorder.md): You will have a screen recording of a chat, open in TextPort and ready to process.
- [How to trim a recording before processing](https://textport.com/guides/trim-a-recording-before-processing.md): You will cut your recording so it starts and ends on the chat, then send it to be read.
- [How to import a chat with Scroll Capture](https://textport.com/guides/import-a-chat-with-scroll-capture.md): You will get a chat from any app saved in TextPort, made from a screen recording of you scrolling.

TextPort guide for iPhone. Updated 2026-11-04. Web page: https://textport.com/guides/import-a-screen-recording-from-photos