Formats · Length 30-90s · 9:16 · intermediate
App walkthrough video: how to shoot, edit, and prompt it
An app walkthrough is a screen recording of a real task in an app, with your face in a corner or split frame talking through each step.
By Sulan Zhang, co-founder of Vyra · Updated 2026-09-24 · Example: @sulansart
- Platforms
- TikTok, Reels, Shorts, YouTube, X
- Length
- 30-90s
- Aspect
- 9:16
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Gear
- screen recorder, phone or webcam for face, script
My Claude connector video is one. The trick is making the screen readable on a phone.
At a glance
| Best for | SaaS tutorials, launch videos, "how I use X", vibe-coding builds |
| Hook style | Face to camera, "here's how I do X in 30 seconds" |
| Pacing | 3-5 seconds per step, zoom on each click |
| Caption style | Phrase captions on the face, step labels on the screen |
| Music | Light or none |
| Shot list | Screen recording of the task. Face recording, synced. The result. |
| Common mistakes | Face too big or too small. Screen unreadable. Narration behind the click. |
Structure
- 0-3s: face, what you'll show
- 3-8s: the starting screen
- 8-60s: steps, screen zoomed on each action, face in corner
- 60-75s: the result
- 75-85s: face, one tip or where to find it
How to shoot it
- Record screen and face at the same time so they stay in sync.
- Face at eye level, small light, plain background.
- Bump the UI zoom to 125-150% before recording so text reads on a phone.
- Pause half a second after each click.
- Say the step name as you do it.
How to edit it
- Screen top 65%, face bottom 35%. Or face in a corner circle.
- Zoom the screen into each action.
- Cut every pause between steps.
- Step label on the screen half, captions on the face half.
- Speed up typing and loading.
- Hold the result 3 seconds full frame.
Prompt it in Vyra
Combine my screen recording and my face recording into a vertical walkthrough, screen on top and my face on the bottom third. Cut it to 60 seconds, remove pauses, and zoom into the part of the screen I'm clicking on for each step. Add a step label at the top when I say "step one", "step two" and so on.
Reframe the screen recording so the cursor is always in view and the text is readable on a phone.
Show the final dashboard full frame for the last 3 seconds and put my face back on for the last line.
Variations
- No face, screen only with voiceover and labels.
- Build in public walkthrough, what you shipped this week.
- Speed run, the whole task in 15 seconds, no narration.
FAQ
Face in a corner or split? Split when your face adds trust. Corner when the screen needs the space.
How do I keep the screen readable vertically? Zoom the UI before recording and let the edit crop around the cursor. Never shrink a whole desktop into a vertical frame.
Can Vyra combine screen and face recordings? Yes. Describe the layout and it syncs both on the timeline.