iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini. Jason Cipriani / ZDNet
There are many reasons to record a call on your iPhone and there are several ways to do it. However, this process is not simple-intentionally, as Apple prioritizes customer privacy. Also, keep in mind that different states have different laws regarding when conversations can be recorded legally.
However, recording calls on iPhone requires two devices as the most common way to record calls. This is because the iPhone does not allow recording through the built-in microphone while a particular iPhone is making a call.
There are apps that can help you get around this, but for those who want to record iPhone conversations, the following methods are considered to be the most accessible.
Also: How to record a call on your Android phone
Record a call on your iPhone
Materials and tools:
- iPhone
- Another iOS device with microphone and app features
Time required:
- Minutes of setup and length of conversation. These steps take longer when editing or posting a call recording.
Image of the Voice Memos app page on the Apple App Store. Joshua Cox-Steib
1. Test the voice memo app
First, make sure you have both an iPhone and another iOS device, including a microphone. The second device can also be an iPhone. The important thing is that you can load the Voice Memos app and work with the built-in or connected microphone (either is fine). The Apple Voice Memos app is available free of charge from the app store and comes pre-installed on some devices.
Make sure your app is installed and working before you continue. Open the Voice Memos app, tap the record button and start talking into the microphone. You only need to do this for enough time to generate the audio file. Then play the file to see if the audio is identifiable. If the sound quality is too low, you may need to make your voice louder, increase the sensitivity of the microphone, or bring the speakers closer to your mouth. After running good tests, proceed to step 2.
2. Start recording
In the Voice Memos app on your second device, tap the record button again. When recording starts on the second device, start the call on your iPhone and set it to speakerphone mode. If you start recording before you start the call, you may add a few seconds of silence to the file, but you won’t miss the conversation. iPhone audio should be detectable from the microphone of the second iOS device. In addition to turning on the speakerphone, you may need to turn up the volume and place the microphone of the second device near the iPhone speaker.
An image of the Voice Memos app showing both the record button and the audio waveform display. Joshua Cox-Steib
The red line above the record button gives you some idea of how well the VoiceMemos app is picking up the audio. These are known as audio waveform displays. The larger the red bar, the louder the volume is detected. If the red bar line remains flat, the app or microphone has not detected enough audio for a viable recording. If the app appears to be receiving audio correctly, you can continue the conversation.
3. Notify the person who is recording
In many states, this is legal and requires bilateral consent, so let the other person know that you are recording the call before you enter the conversation.
Suppose you know state law and live in one of the states that only requires the consent of one party (and so do the other people in the conversation). In that case, it can be considered rude or unethical, but technically you can keep quiet about this.
Now you may have a conversation as usual. However, make sure your phone is in speaker mode, the second device is actively recording, and is far enough to pick up audio from the phone’s speakers. When moving during a conversation, it is important to make sure these devices are close to each other.
4. Transfer the file
When the conversation is over, you can end the call on your iPhone and end the recording on the second device.
From within the Voice Memos app, select the recording file and tap the ellipsis button to see the sharing options and send it directly to your iPhone via text. Alternatively, you can share it with yourself via email or other media.
Is it illegal to record a call?
Federal law requires the consent of at least one party. That is, you must either participate in the conversation you are recording or obtain the consent of at least one person in the conversation. Otherwise, it may be interpreted as wiretapping or illegal wiretapping. In some states, there are even stricter laws that require the consent of everyone involved in the conversation.
Before recording a conversation, it is always best to check your state law and the laws of others participating in the conversation. Call recording is probably not as extreme a privacy breach as other iPhone Spy instances, but it can still be very upsetting.
Is there an app to record calls on my iPhone?
There are several ways to do this function. However, Apple has restrictions on allowing third-party apps to use the microphone during a call. Therefore, most apps that help you record a call on your phone need to use a clever mechanism to avoid this barrier. In addition to the methods outlined above using the Voice Memos app, people also use Google Voice, TapeACall, and Otter.
Alternatively, you can use most computers and microphones to record phone conversations as long as the phone is connected to the speaker or the microphone is close to the speaker. Numerous audio recording software options are available on both iOS and Windows computers.
Also: How to stop spam messages on iPhone
Watch the video here: How to record a call on your iPhone
