How to Record Phone Calls & In-Person Conversations

Recording calls and in-person conversations has never been easier. Whether you rely on smartphone technology or prefer a handheld recording device, you’ll have plenty of options for recording your conversation. Just ensure you follow the laws regarding who and what you’re recording. This wikiHow article teaches you various ways to record a conversation.

Best Ways to Record a Conversation

Use a voice recorder app to record in-person conversations. Use a microphone attachment for better audio quality.
Most newer phones allow you to record calls using the built-in phone app. Enable this option in Settings. Tap the Record icon while on a call.
You can also use third-party apps to record phone calls. However, recent policy updates make it harder for these apps to function.

Section 1 of 8:

Is it legal to record conversations?

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1
It depends on your location and the circumstances. The laws regarding recording a conversation, whether in-person or over the phone, vary from country to country and state to state. Some states and countries require one-party consent, meaning only one person must consent to the recorded conversation. Other states and countries require the consent of both parties for it to be legal to record a conversation. You can generally find the laws regarding conversation recording in your state or country’s criminal statute. ^{[1]
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- If you are making an international call or calling across state lines, the applicable law is generally in the state or country where the conversation is being recorded.
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Play it safe if you are not sure about the law. If you don’t know the laws where you are from, it’s generally best to assume the consent of both parties is required. Inform the people you are talking to that they are being recorded. If they do not consent to being recorded, you can either not record the conversation or end the conversation.

Section 2 of 8:

Recording In-Person Conversations

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1
Record a conversation using a voice recording app on your smartphone. Download a free third-party app like Voice Recorder, Audio Recorder, or Smart Recorder. Or, use pre-installed apps like Voice Memos (iPhone/iPad) or Recorder (Android). Place your phone between your conversation partner and yourself. Open your app and hit the "record " button to start recording. Press the "stop " button to finish. Your audio files will typically be stored within the app, but you can download or share them from there.
- If you’re trying to capture a formal conversation, run a test first to ensure your phone is positioned in the right spot to pick up both sides.
- If you use other note-taking features offered by the OneNote or Evernote apps, try their voice recording tools.
2
Use a handheld digital voice recorder for more flexibility. Obtain a handheld digital recording device with a built-in microphone and a USB port or memory card slot. Click the "record" button to begin the recording, and hit "stop " when you’re finished.
- To access your recording, plug the device into your computer or insert the memory card into an external card reader and transfer the files to your computer.
- Look online, in an electronics store, or in an office supply store. You should be able to find an affordable device for under $20 US.
Choose a device with a microphone jack if you want to use handheld or clip-on microphones to record your conversation. Connect a mic splitter cord into the microphone jack to plug two or more microphones into the device. Give each speaker a mic if you want to capture the natural flow of a conversation, or pass one mic between the speakers during a more formal conversation. Run a test before starting your recording.

Section 3 of 8:

Recording a Call on iPhone

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Tap the Call Recording icon while on a call. Starting with iOS 18.1 and higher, you can now record and transcribe a call using the Phone app. The Call Recording icon resembles a waveform with a recording circle over it. It’s in the upper-left corner of the screen. Tapping the icon will alert both parties that the call is being recorded.
- To stop the recording before the call is finished, tap the red Stop button on the screen to end the recording.
- Call recording is on by default in the latest versions of iOS, but you can turn it on or off. Open your iPhone’s Settings app, then go to Apps > Phone > Call Recording . Toggle Call Recording on or off using the switch.
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Review your call recordings and transcripts. To do so, open the Notes app. You will find transcripts of your recorded calls in a folder called "Call Recordings." Tap the call you want to review. You can review the text transcript of the call and play the audio recording. ^{[2]
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Section 4 of 8:

Recording a Call on Samsung Galaxy

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Enable Transcript Assist in the Phone app. You can use the Phone app to record conversations and make a transcript of your calls using the default Phone app on your Samsung Galaxy. Transcript Assist uses AI to transcribe your phone calls. These options may not be available on all phone models. Use the following steps to enable Transcript Assist:
- Tap the icon with three dots (⋮) in the upper-right corner.
- Tap Settings .
- Tap Record Calls .
- Tap Transcript assist .
- Enable Auto-transcribe recorded calls .
2
Tap the Record icon during a call. The icon resembles a voicemail tape symbol with a "T" over it. It’s above the call options window on the right side. Tapping the icon starts recording the call.
- You can tap the Record icon again to stop recording the call.
3
Access your recordings. You can access the call transcript and audio recording in the Phone app. Use the following steps to do so:
- Tap Recents at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap the call you recorded.
- Tap the menu icon with three dots and three lines (⋮☰) below the call.
- Tap View recording and transcript below the call.
- Tap the Play icon at the bottom of the screen to hear a recording of the call.

Section 5 of 8:

Recording a Call on Android

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1
Open the Call Recording menu in the Phone app. You can use the Google Phone app to record a call if you have a standard Android phone (such as a Google Pixel). It comes pre-installed on your phone. Make sure your Phone app and Android OS are up to date. ^{[3]
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Research source} Use the following steps to enable call recording:
- Tap the icon with three dots (⋮) in the upper-right corner.
- Tap Settings .
- Tap Call Recording .
- If these steps aren’t available, your phone model can’t record calls through the Phone app.
2
Select which calls you want to record. You can choose to record calls from numbers not in your contacts or only from specific contacts. Here’s how to set these preferences in the Call Recording menu:
- Record calls not in your contacts: Tap the toggle switch next to "Numbers not in your contacts." It’s below "Always record." Then, tap Always record .
- Record specific contacts: Tap Selected numbers below "Always record." Then tap the toggle switch next to "Always record selected numbers." Select the contact you want to record by tapping the plus ( + ) icon. Then, tap Always record .
3
Tap the Record icon during a phone call. It’s the icon that resembles a circle. Tapping the icon will begin recording the call.
- You may need to tap the More icon with three dots ( ⋮ ) to access the record icon.
- You may need to tap Call notes instead of the record icon on some devices. This will take an audio recording and transcribe the call.
- You can tap the Stop icon, which resembles a square, to stop recording the call anytime.
4
Access your recordings. When you are done recording a conversation, you can use the following steps to access your recordings: ^{[4]
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- Open the Google Phone app.
- Tap Recent at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap History (if you recorded the latest call, tap that instead.).
- Tap a call recording from the list.
- Tap the Play triangle icon to play the call.

Section 6 of 8:

Using Third-Party Call Recording Apps

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Download and install a call recording app. Many call recording apps are available on the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store. Most of these apps require a monthly subscription fee. Here are a few options:
- Automatic Call Recorder Pro (Android)
- Cube Call Recorder (Android & iPhone)
- TapACall (Android & iPhone)
- Rev Call Recorder (Android & iPhone)
  - Note: In 2022, Google updated its policy to prohibit apps from using accessibility features to record calls. This limits a third-party app’s ability to record calls. Some apps in the Google Play Store allow you to record calls, but many require workarounds, such as sideloading an app. If you are running Android 10 or higher, you may run into issues recording calls using a third-party app.
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Follow the instructions to install the app. If you are installing the app on Android, you may receive a set of instructions for installing the app. This may require you to download an APK file from a third-party website or change specific settings on your phone. Follow the instructions to install the app.
3

Record a call. The way you record a call differs from one app to another. Some apps can be set to record calls automatically in the background. Other apps require you to go into the app and tap the Record button. Sometimes, you may need to dial an outgoing call using the app.
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Retrieve your call recordings. Once you are done recording a call, you should be able to retrieve your call recordings from within the app. Some apps offer cloud storage options that store your call recordings online. ^{[5]
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Section 7 of 8:

Using Google Voice

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Activate "Incoming call recording" in your Google Voice account. You’ll need to set up a free Google Voice account and a direct line if you don’t already have one. From the hamburger menu within the Google Voice app or voice.google.com , navigate to Settings and then Calls . Find “Incoming call recording” (Android) or “Incoming call options” (iOS or computer) within the call settings. Toggle the slider to turn this setting on. ^{[6]
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- Setting up a Google Voice account and recording incoming calls is free.
- Google Voice doesn’t support the recording of outgoing calls.
- You may not be able to turn on incoming call recording if you have a managed school or Google Workspace account. However, if you have permission to record on your managed/Workspace account, you should see a Record button when you are on a call.
- To use a smartphone or landline phone, set your Google Voice account to forward the call to whichever phone number you plan to use.
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Press 4 to record an incoming call on any phone or computer. Once you answer the call, dial 4 to start recording. An announcement will inform all parties that the call is being recorded. If you hang up, the recording will stop. But if you’d like to stop the recording before the end of your call, press 4 again.
- Since you’ll hear an announcement on the call, it’s a good idea to confirm with the caller beforehand that recording your conversation is okay.
- For this to work, the caller must dial your Google Voice number, not your regular phone number.
- If you’re using your computer, keep the Google Voice window open when you’re expecting a call.
- If you have a managed school or Google Workspace account, click or tap the Record button instead. Some managed accounts have recording automatically enabled, in which case you don’t have to do anything. Either way, everyone on the call will hear an announcement that the call is being recorded. ^{[7]
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Access the recording in the Calls tab. To access your recorded calls, open the Calls tab. Use the ☰ menu at the end of the call record to find an option to download your recorded calls to your computer or phone.

Section 8 of 8:

Using a Landline

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Use a 3-way call recording service to record calls from a landline or smartphone. Set up a paid account online with a service like RecordiaPro or Recordator. ^{[8]
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Research source} Once you get connected, press the "Add Call" button on your phone, then dial your call recipient’s direct line. Press "Merge Calls" to begin the 3-way call when they pick up.
- These types of services work with incoming calls as well. You must dial the recording line and merge it with your incoming call.
- To access your call recordings, log in to your account online. You’ll see them listed under "My Recordings."
- If you don’t have 3-way calling capabilities, enter your recipient’s number into your account. The service will provide you with a number to call to connect you with the recording line. They’ll then automatically dial in your recipient for you. ^{[10]
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- Recordator rates start at $10 for 67 minutes of recording. RecordiaPro begins at $30 for 120 minutes of recording.

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I am talking to someone in person. How do I record it?

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To record a conversation with someone's consent, use your Smartphone's voice recorder app or a third-party app. Tap record, place your phone close to the conversation, and stop recording when it's over. Be sure to get consent and be aware of any legal restrictions on recording conversations.

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How do I tape an in-person conversation on my Samsung cell phone?

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To record an in-person conversation on a Samsung phone, you can use the built-in voice recorder app or download a third-party app. To use the built-in app, open it and tap the record button. Place your phone close to the conversation participants and tap stop when the conversation is over. The recording will be saved in the app. To use a third-party app, search for "voice recorder" in the Google Play Store and choose an app that meets your needs. Always obtain consent before recording someone, and be aware of any legal restrictions on recording conversations in your area.

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How to Record Phone Calls & In-Person Conversations

Best Ways to Record a Conversation

Steps

Is it legal to record conversations?

Recording In-Person Conversations

Recording a Call on iPhone

Recording a Call on Samsung Galaxy

Recording a Call on Android

Using Third-Party Call Recording Apps

Using Google Voice

Using a Landline

Community Q&A

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