How to Record Phone Calls on iPhone, Android, and Landlines

TL;DR

• iPhone: On iOS 26 and above, tap More during a call, then Call Recording. On iOS 18, tap the record button at the top left of the call screen. If you’re in the EU or another region where Apple doesn’t offer it, use the Elephone merge-call bridge.
  

• Android: Tap Record in your Phone app. Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, and many other brands' dialers include one in supported regions. No button? Use the Elephone merge-call bridge.
  

• Computer: Take the call on your Mac (iPhone) or Windows PC (Phone Link) and record it with the Transkriptor desktop app.
  

• Landline: Put the call on speaker next to a recorder, or plug in a telephone recording adapter.
  

• Business phone system: Connect your VoIP platform to Transkriptor, and every call gets transcribed automatically.

Some calls are worth keeping. A client agrees to a price, or a recruiter walks you through an offer, and you want proof later.

Phone calls are still where a lot of business gets done. In McKinsey’s customer care research, 81% of millennials and 86% of Gen X customers said they’re likely to call a company when self-service doesn’t solve their problem. Even among Gen Z, 71% would pick up the phone.

Recording a call is much easier than it was a few years ago. What works for you comes down to your phone and your country, and local consent rules shape what you’re allowed to do with the recording.

Below, you’ll find different call recording options for iPhone, Android, landlines, and business phones. We’ll finish with how to turn the audio into a transcript you can search and share.

Which call recording method fits you best?

Keep an eye on the notice column. Some methods tell the other person they’re being recorded, and with others, that’s on you.

How do you record a phone call on iPhone?

If Apple’s recorder is available where you live, use it. It’s built in, it’s free, and it handles the consent notice for you.

Outside those regions, the merge-call bridge does the job through your carrier. And if you prefer taking calls from your computer, your Mac can handle the call while Transkriptor records it.

Use the built-in recorder (iOS 18.1 and later)

Apple brought call recording to the Phone app with iOS 18.1. It covers calls between you and one other person.

1. Start the call: Make or answer a call in the Phone app.
   

2. Start recording: On iOS 26+, tap More, then Call Recording. On iOS 18.1 to 18.x, the record button sits at the top left of the call screen.
   

3. Wait for the notice: A short countdown plays, then you both hear that the call is being recorded.
   

4. Stop recording: Tap Stop, or just hang up.

You’ll find the recording in a Call Recordings folder in the Notes app. In supported languages and regions, a transcript shows up in the same note.

There’s no way to record every call automatically. You’ll need to start each one yourself.

Where Apple doesn’t offer call recording

Apple’s call-recording feature isn’t available in the European Union. It’s also missing in Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

Live somewhere else and still can’t find it? Update to the latest iOS version, then open Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Recording, and make sure Audio Call Recording is switched on.

Use a merge-call bridge

Use a merge-call bridge through Elephone, an app built to record and transcribe phone calls. You pull an assistant number into your call, and it records the conversation over your normal carrier network.

1. Install the app: Download Elephone from the App Store and sign in.
   

2. Connect the assistant line: Start a recording in the app to connect to Elephone’s assistant number.
   

3. Add your contact: Tap Add Call and dial the person you want to talk to.
   

4. Merge the calls: Once they pick up, tap Merge Calls, and the recording begins.
   

5. Review the transcript: After you hang up, open the recording in the app. You can search the transcript or export it as PDF, DOCX, TXT, or SRT.

Elephone’s assistant numbers are based in the US and the UK. If you’re calling from elsewhere, check what your carrier charges to add an international number to a call.

Your plan also needs to support conference calling. On the other end, your contact won’t see Elephone assistant's number.

Record iPhone calls on a Mac

Your Mac can make and take calls through your iPhone. When the call runs on your Mac, the Transkriptor desktop app captures the whole conversation, since it records your microphone and your computer’s audio together.

Set up iPhone calling on your Mac

1. Sign in to the same Apple Account on both devices and put them on the same Wi-Fi network.
   

2. On your iPhone, open Settings > Apps > Phone > Calls on Other Devices, and turn on Allow Calls on Other Devices.
   

3. On your Mac, open the Phone app (macOS Tahoe) or FaceTime (earlier versions). Go to Settings and select Calls from iPhone.
   

Record the call

1. Install the Transkriptor desktop app (macOS 10.15 or later) and allow microphone and system audio access.
   

2. Start a recording in the app.
   

3. Place or answer the call on your Mac.
   

4. Stop recording when you hang up. The transcript lands in your Transkriptor account.
   

On macOS Tahoe, the Phone app on your Mac also has Apple’s own recorder in supported regions. 

Got a Windows 11 PC? The Phone Link steps in the Android section below work with iPhones too.

How do you record a phone call on Android?

On Android, it all depends on the dialer your phone shipped with. If your brand supports recording in your country, there’s a button waiting for you in the Phone app.

If there isn’t, don’t bother hunting the Play Store for an app. The merge-call bridge or a Windows PC will get you there.

Built-in recorders by brand

Google Phone app (Pixel and many other Android phones)

On non-Pixel phones, Google’s recorder needs Android 9 or later. Pixel owners need a Pixel 6 or newer on Android 14 or later.

1. Open the Phone app, go to Settings > Call Recording, and finish the setup.
   

2. During a call, tap Record. On a Pixel, tap Call Assist, then Call Recording.
   

3. Tap Stop recording when you’re finished.
   

Both of you hear a message when the recording starts and again when it stops. Your recordings sit in your call history, and you can share them to other apps from there.

One thing to watch: deleting a call from your call log deletes its recording too.

Samsung Galaxy

Samsung’s Phone app records your voice and the other person’s, and you can record calls manually or automatically.

1. Manual: During a call, tap the three-dot menu, then Record call, if available.
   

2. Automatic: Open Phone and tap the three-dot menu, then Settings > Record calls > Auto record calls. Pick all calls, unsaved numbers, or specific numbers.
   

3. Find recordings: Open Phone > Settings > Record calls > Recorded calls. They also show up in My Files.
   

Samsung doesn’t offer the feature in some countries, and menu names can shift a little between One UI versions.

Also read: 7 Best Transcription Apps for Android: Free + Paid

Other brands

Xiaomi, OnePlus, Oppo and other makers use their own dialers. Look for a record button during a call, or a Call Recording option in the Phone app’s settings.

Can’t find either? Your phone’s maker most likely hasn’t switched the feature on in your country.

Why did third-party call recorder apps stop working?

Google has been tightening the rules for years. Android 6 removed the official way for apps to record calls, and Android 10 stopped them from capturing call audio through the microphone.

Developers worked around that with the Accessibility API. Then, on May 11, 2022, a Google Play policy update shut that door too.

Built-in dialers were never affected because they come preinstalled. That’s why your phone’s own app can still record calls when Play Store apps can’t.

Use a merge-call bridge on Android

The bridge works on Android just like it does on iPhone. Install Elephone from Google Play to record and transcribe phone calls, then connect the assistant number, add your contact, and merge.

The same US and UK assistant numbers apply, so check your carrier’s rates if you’re calling from elsewhere. Later, you can search your recordings by contact, number, or anything said in the transcript.

Record Android calls on Windows with Phone Link

Microsoft’s Phone Link app lets you make and answer Android calls on a Windows PC. Once the call runs through your computer, the Transkriptor desktop app can record it.

What you need

• A Windows 10 (October 2022 update or later) or Windows 11 PC with Bluetooth
  

• An Android phone running Android 10 or later
  

• iPhone users: a supported Windows PC, a recent version of iOS, and the Link to Windows app
  

Set up Phone Link

1. Open Phone Link on your PC and select Android.
   

2. Scan the QR code with the Link to Windows app on your phone.
   

3. Allow the permissions it asks for and confirm the Bluetooth pairing PIN.
   

4. Select Calls in Phone Link and follow the prompts to finish pairing.
   

Record the call

1. Install the Transkriptor desktop app (Windows 10 or later) and allow microphone and system audio access.
   

2. Start a recording in the app.
   

3. Dial from the Calls tab in Phone Link, or pick up an incoming call on your PC.
   

4. Stop recording when the call ends.
   

Wear a headset if you can. It keeps the audio clear and stops the other person’s voice from echoing back through your mic.

Before you record, let the other person know and get their consent, since call recording laws vary by location.

How do you record a call on a landline?

Old-school landlines don’t come with a record button. Luckily, two simple workarounds cover almost any home or office phone.

Speakerphone and a recorder

Put the call on speaker and record it with the Transkriptor mobile app (available on iOS and Android) or desktop app. Set your phone or laptop close to the speaker, and pick a room without much background noise.

It costs nothing and needs no extra gear. The tradeoff is sound quality, which depends on your speaker and your room.

Telephone recording adapter

An inline adapter plugs in between the handset and the base. It feeds the full conversation into a recorder or computer, so the audio comes out clean.

Once the call ends, upload the file to Transkriptor for a transcript.

Check with your provider

Plenty of home phone services run on VoIP these days, and some include call recording in your account settings. Another option is to forward your landline to your mobile and use one of the phone methods above.

How do you record calls on a business phone system?

If your team already calls through a VoIP platform, you can skip manual recording altogether. Your phone system records the calls, and Transkriptor pulls them in and transcribes them.

Transkriptor connects with VoIP platforms like Aircall, RingCentral, Dialpad, CloudTalk, and JustCall, to mention a few. 

Setting one up takes a few minutes. For Aircall, open the Integrations tab in Transkriptor, click Connect, authorize your account, and choose which numbers to include.

Each transcript comes labeled with the phone number, date, time, and call length. You can also sync summaries to HubSpot and Salesforce, so call notes show up in your CRM without anyone copying them over.

How do you transcribe a recorded phone call?

Whichever method you used, you now have an audio file. Listening back through a 40-minute call to find one sentence is nobody’s idea of fun, which is where a transcript earns its keep.

Get the recording into Transkriptor

1. Export the audio: On iPhone, open the call in Notes, tap More and choose Save Audio Files. On Android, share the recording from your Phone app or grab it from your file manager.
   

2. Upload it: Open Transkriptor on the web, your phone or your desktop, and upload the file.
   

3. Pick the language: Choose from more than 100 languages.
   

4. Open your transcript: It’s ready in a few minutes, with each speaker labeled.

Calls recorded with the desktop app or a connected VoIP platform skip the upload step. They go directly to your Transkriptor account.

What you can do with the transcript on Transkriptor

• Edit and label speakers: Fix names and jargon, and rename speakers so it’s clear who said what.
  

• Read the AI summary: Get the main points and action items without replaying the call.
  

• Ask questions: Use Ask Transkriptor to find what the client said about pricing, or which deadlines you agreed on.
  

• Translate it: Turn the transcript into another language, which helps when you’re sharing calls with international clients or colleagues.
  

• Export and share: Download it as TXT, DOCX, PDF, or SRT, or send it to Google Drive, Notion, or Slack.
  
  

  

On clear audio, Transkriptor reaches up to 99% accuracy. For recurring calls, Transkriptor’s call transcription saves you from uploading files one by one.

Is it legal to record a phone call?

It depends on where you are and where the other person is. In some places, you can record any call you’re on without saying a word. In others, everyone on the line has to agree first.

Treat what follows as general guidance, not legal advice.

One-party and all-party consent

One-party consent means your own agreement, as someone on the call, is enough. All-party consent means everyone on the call has to say yes.

If you and the other person are in different places, play it safe and follow the stricter rule.

Consent rules by region

• United States: Federal law allows one-party consent, but several states require everyone’s agreement. California is one of them, under Penal Code 632.

• Canada: Criminal law allows one-party consent. Businesses still have to tell callers at the start, according to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

• European Union: Businesses need a lawful basis under GDPR and have to inform callers. Some countries are stricter still: Germany makes secretly recording a private conversation a crime under Section 201 of its Criminal Code.

• Australia: Laws differ by state, and recording someone without telling them is generally off-limits.
  

A safe habit for recording calls in any country

Open the call by saying you’re recording, and wait for a clear yes. That way, their agreement is on the recording too.

Apple’s and Google’s built-in recorders make the announcement for you. The merge-call bridge and the desktop app don’t, so you’ll need to say it yourself.

Record your calls and put them to work

If your phone has a built-in recorder and your country allows it, start there. It’s free, and it takes care of the consent notice.

Everywhere else, the merge-call bridge or the desktop app covers you, and business teams can hand recording over to their phone system entirely.

Getting the recording is only the first step, though. Try Transkriptor for free and turn your calls into transcripts and summaries you’ll actually use.