The 2195 aluminum alloy has been widely utilized in the aerospace field, of which dynamic recrystallization microstructures have a substantial effect on the mechanical properties of aerospace parts. In this study, 2195 aluminum alloy was compressed at 300–520 °C using a Gleeble 3500-GTC thermo-mechanical testing system. The discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX) and continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) behavior of 2195 aluminum alloy at medium/high temperature was studied. The results demonstrated that during medium temperatures (300–360 °C) deformation the main softening mechanism was DDRX, and at high temperatures (420–520 °C), it was CDRX. CDRX of 2195 aluminum alloy involved three types of subgrain-forming mechanisms: dislocation tangling to form subgrains, microscopic shear bands to form subgrains, and the coalescence of two small subgrains to form larger subgrains. In addition, several recrystallized grains underwent geometric dynamic recrystallization (GDRX) at high temperature and extensive deformation (480 °C-80% or 520 °C-60%). •DDRX occurred in 2195 aluminum alloy at medium temperature.•CDRX occurred in the alloy at high temperature.•Continuous dynamic recrystallization is based on 3 subgrain forming mechanisms.•GDRX occurs during large deformation at high temperatures for 2195 aluminum alloy.