Forgetting essential details during a phone call is something that happens to the best of us. But it can seem unprofessional to ask clients to repeat themselves, and wastes time and energy in the long run.
Thankfully, with the introduction of iOS 18.1, it’s now easier than ever to record calls and transcribe them, straight from your iPhone.
In this guide, we’ll go over everything you need to get started with call recording and transcription—including the benefits, the legal requirements of call recording, and workarounds for older devices.
iPhone requirements for call recording
With the introduction of Live Voicemail by Apple in 2024, iPhones running iOS 18.1 and later can now record phone calls and have transcriptions saved in the Notes app.
This means that all iPhones eligible for the update are capable of call recording, including the iPhone 16 all the way through to the iPhone XR.
However, these features are currently limited by region and language. Currently, call recording and transcription is available in the United States and in English, Korean, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Spanish.
Automatically generated call summaries using Apple Intelligence can also be created by users with the iPhone 15 and later, including pro and max models.
Understanding the legality of recording phone calls
While call recording might be available on your device, it’s important to consult individual state laws concerning consent before you begin recording phone calls.
Currently, 38 US states operate under ‘one-party consent’. This means that a phone call can be legally recorded provided one person involved has consented to the recording. So, if you are party to the call yourself, only your permission is needed regardless of the other party or parties wishes.
Where two-party consent is law, such as in California and Illinois, all parties privy to a phone call must give their express permission for it to be recorded.
Regardless of the law, it is widely considered best practice to seek permission from all participants on a recorded call. This avoids any complications that may arise, as well as showing customers and clients that you’re taking care of their data.
5 ways to record and transcribe phone calls on your iPhone
Now let’s go over exactly how you can record and/or transcribe calls from your iPhone and the options available to you if you’re running an operating system earlier than iOS 18.1.
Record a call with iOS18 or later
Since Apple introduced Live Voicemail features to its iOS call kit, it’s become easier than ever for iPhone users with a compatible device to record and transcribe their phone calls.
Provided you’re running iOS 18.1 or later in an approved region, you can follow the steps below to record phone calls or Facetime audio and review the transcript.
- Start an audio call, Facetime, or answer a phone call.
- Locate the waveform record button at the top left-hand corner of your screen and tap to record.
- An automated voice note will play, informing all participants that the phone call is being recorded—which is why we recommend asking first.
- Tap to end the recording. Alternatively, end the call and the recording will stop automatically.
- Navigate to the Call Recordings folder in your Notes App to review your transcript. From here, you can play the audio file from a specific point, search or copy the transcript, and save or delete the audio files and transcripts.
Download a third-party merge recording app
If you’re running an earlier operating system or don’t live in an approved region, there are still options available when it comes to call recording.
While Apple has strict privacy rules in regard to third-party apps accessing your device microphone and call center, there is a workaround involving three-way call merger apps. You can find these by searching ‘three-way conference call’ apps in the App Store.
Three-way call merge apps work for both incoming and outgoing calls, employing a third caller (provided by the app developer) as a call line. To use these, make sure your carrier supports three-way calling and be sure to make yourself aware of all the terms and conditions before downloading.
Google Voice
Google Voice is another great resource available to iPhone users. Provided you have a Google Voice account, you can download the app and use it to record incoming calls.
To set up incoming call recording through the app, navigate to Settings > Calls > Incoming Call Options in the Google Voice app. From here, you can either choose to answer calls directly from the app or have them forwarded to your cell phone number.
Now, you’ll just need to tap 4 on your keypad to begin and end your call recording sessions. Recordings will be saved under Voicemail in the Google Voice app and can be forwarded to your email.
Record a speakerphone conversation
For a more old-school solution, you can always answer your phone calls on loudspeaker and use a separate voice recorder or Dictaphone to record audio in real time. Alternatively, you can record a voice memo with a separate mobile device.
While this means you’ll be transcribing your phone conversations manually (and are likely to struggle with poor sound quality), it’s a foolproof and accessible way to make recordings.
Use a VoIP service
Finally, if you’re looking for more professional and reliable call recording solutions, you should consider subscribing to a VoIP phone service like RingCentral. If you choose this option, then you’ll be running a virtual phone system—with advanced features like transcription, business app integrations, video meetings, and more—straight from your iPhone.
With robust security protocols like end-to-end encryption, VoIP services are the most professional of the solutions available for iPhone call recording. Plus, if some of your team are on Android devices, they can still use the same method, making shared access to recordings much easier.
Practical reasons for recording calls
There are numerous reasons why you might find it useful to record and transcribe a phone call from your iPhone. Here are just a few of the most popular:
Training and development
Recording and transcribing calls can be useful if you’re actively training new contact center agents or sales reps. Call recordings can serve as examples to show your new hires what kind of questions they might expect and how to answer them most effectively.
Transcriptions can also be a useful tool for coaching, allowing you to review the work of your agents, assess the quality of their interactions, and provide feedback for improvement.
All this serves to improve training procedures and ensures your customer service meets or exceeds customer expectations.
Recruitment
If you’re already optimizing your hiring process with things like data driven recruiting and enterprise applicant tracking systems, you can streamline the process further and achieve greater consistency by creating recordings and transcripts of telephone interviews.
With a record of interviews, you’ll be able to assess successful and unsuccessful interviews more accurately as well as conduct a fairer hiring process, ensuring interviews are consistent among candidates.
It also lets you involve additional people in the process, without requiring them to attend the interview, as they can look at the responses in the transcript and provide feedback.
Content creation
Call recording can also be a valuable asset for social media teams. From recording interviews for a company podcast to producing screen recordings, edits, and snippets for social posts, call recording can boost your engagement, promote your brand, and lead to increased sales.
This can be particularly useful if you want to highlight some customer review examples—simply ask for permission during the call, record a snippet, and you have a genuine customer talking about just how great you are.
Legal documentation and record keeping
Call recording and transcription can also help protect your business when unexpected legal problems arise. Maintaining records of all your incoming and outgoing calls can make it easier to prove compliance. Plus, provided you have taken steps to obtain proper consent when needed, transcription can act as a paper trail for businesses, creating an immediate body of evidence with which to handle any miscommunications.
Start recording calls today and boost your business efficiency
Since the iOS 18 update, it’s easier than ever to get started with call recording and transcription for iPhone. But, even if you’re outside an approved region or using an older device, there are still ways you can benefit, such as with a recording app or VoIP service.
You’ll improve your employee training, create a clear paper trail with searchable transcripts, and optimize your recruitment process. Plus, you’ll never find yourself wondering exactly what a client said when you can simply go back and read it yourself.
Just remember to consult individual state laws before recording conversations, and review third-party app terms and conditions carefully before downloading.
Frequently asked questions
Does screen recording on an iPhone record my call?
Standard screen recording from your iPhone does not record the audio from a conversation, it will only capture the visuals on screen. To record a phone call directly from your iPhone, you’ll need iOS18.1 or later and must tap the record or waveform icon during an active phone call.
Can I record a FaceTime call?
Yes, you can record a Facetime call in just the same way as an audio-only call directly from the FaceTime app.
Can call transcription help my business?
Call transcription can help businesses in a number of ways from record keeping and legal compliance through to improving the accuracy of notetaking, improving training, and engaging with customer feedback.
Is it legal to record calls without consent?
While some US states only require the consent of one party when making call recordings, others require all-party consent. It’s crucial you consult independent state laws before you initiate recordings. This is even more important if you operate outside the US, with regulations like GDPR coming into play. It is widely considered best practice to inform all parties of a call recording before you activate it.
Updated Jun 09, 2025
