How to Record a Phone Call on Your iPhone

While Apple is still pretty strict on what apps are allowed to do on its platform, iOS 18 introduced native call recording, something that used to require a less-than-optimal setup to accomplish on your iPhone. Here’s how to leverage iOS 18 to record your phone calls.

First, Know the Local Laws

Before we go into how to do this, it’s important to understand whether recording a phone call is legal. The super-short version is if you’re an active participant in the call, there’s a good chance that it’s legal. If you’re not, it’s almost definitely illegal. The slightly longer version is that various state and federal laws cover the topic.

To further muddy the waters, these laws also vary by country. There’s a fairly comprehensive list on Wikipedia, but as with everything on Wikipedia, find a second source for your local laws. Rev, an app designed to record calls pre-iOS 18, also has an excellent blog post on the subject.

It boils down to the two types of consent: one-party and two-party (which is a bit of a misnomer). One-party consent means you can record a call as long as you are on that call. Most U.S. states, the federal statute, and many other countries require one-party consent.

Two-party consent means everyone on a call must approve of the recording, whether it’s two people, three people, or more. There are several U.S. states and some countries that require two-party consent. Again, it’s best to research your local laws.

The penalty for not complying with the law varies, ranging from civil to criminal litigation. Apple does help you out a bit here with an automatic announcement that the call will be recorded once you hit the button.

So, now that we’ve given a birds-eye view of the legal aspect of call recording, let’s get to it. There are two methods you can use to record a phone call on an iPhone: hardware or software. We’ll outline the options for each below from the simplest to the most complex.

Using iOS 18’s Native Call Recording Function

In the past, to record a call on an iPhone, you’d either need to use an external audio recording device and speakerphone, or go through a cumbersome setup with a secondary call recording app that was less-than-optimal.

With the release of iOS 18, Apple introduced an on-device call recording function. The process for recording a call is now as simple as a single tap on the call screen.

Enable Call Recording

To start with, you’ll want to make sure that call recording is enabled. Simply head to Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Recording and toggle it on, if it isn’t already enabled.

Recording The Call

Once enabled, there will now be a little icon in the upper left of the active call screen. On any call that you’d like to record, simply tap the icon and your iPhone will handle the rest. Siri will play a brief “This call will be recorded…” sound bite before starting the actual recording. Now, just continue with the call as normal with it recording both sides of the conversation.

In my testing, the audio quality is honestly pretty great. Both phones that I used during the testing between my wife and I were on Wi-Fi calling and 5G UC on T-Mobile, leading to a higher-quality audio experience. Essentially, however, your iPhone is recording the native microphone of your talking and the native caller’s remote audio to give you a high-quality recording.

Ending The Recording (or Call)

If you want to end the recording without ending the call, then simply tap the red “stop” square. This will finalize the audio and transcriptions (more on that in a moment) and allow you to continue talking to whoever is on the other end of the call. Of course, another way to end the recording is simply by ending the call.

Accessing The Recording and Transcription

The recording is stored within the Apple Notes app as both audio and a text transcription. The really cool thing here is that Apple has labels put on the transcription. You’ll see a “You” label anywhere that you spoke, and the caller’s contact name or phone number anywhere they spoke.

This allows you to see a visual representation of the call alongside listening to it. You’ll also be able to save the audio to files or share the audio through the native share sheet on iOS.

Alternatively, Use a Recorder with an Input

I personally feel that this method is outdated with the iOS 18 update, but there are still times when using a dedicated recording device with an input is the best option. The only time that I really see this being something to consider is if you really need the highest-quality audio possible for a podcast or something. It’s possible that if you have a decent connection, the built-in recording function outlined above is good enough.

The first item you need is a recorder with an input. There are many options at varying price points, but the Zoom H5 recorder (which, at $224, is a bit pricey) is one of the best. It has all the I/O you need: inputs for recording and outputs for headphones. Plus, it has MicroSD expansion and is quite versatile for all your recording needs.

Next, you need a cable to connect your iPhone to your recorder like the Cable Matters 3.5mm male to XLR male audio cable for $10. If your phone has a headphone jack, you’re all set. If you’re using a modern iPhone, however, you’ll need a USB-C or Lightning to headphone jack dongle. If your iPhone came with a dongle, that one would work.

From there, grab your iPhone (and dongle, if necessary), and plug the 3.5mm cable into the phone/dongle. Plug the other end into the Zoom recorder.

If you want to record your side of the call, you’ll also need a mic and an XLR cable. We recommend the tried-and-true Shure SM58 Microphone along with this $9 AmazonBasics XLR cable. Plug that into the second input on the Zoom recorder.

Finally, you need a set of headphones that plug into the Zoom recorder, so you can hear the person on the other end. After you’ve plugged your headphones into the Zoom recorder, make your call. Let the other party know the conversation is being recorded, and then press the record button.

Of course, this is just one method of recording calls with hardware. There’s a slew of options out there, although they might work differently than what we’ve outlined here. If you’re looking for the highest-quality recording possible, however, the Zoom/SM58 combo is hard to beat.

When someone leaves you a voicemail you want to keep, did you know you can save voicemails to your iPhone too?