How to record a phone call on iPhone and Android (2023)

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There are a number of reasons why you might want to record a professional call. Maybe you’ll use it for training purposes. Maybe you want to pull exact quotes from your conversation for an article or case study. Or maybe you just don’t trust yourself to take great notes.

As a company that specializes in making business communications seamless, we know that recording a phone call is a common business practice—but that doesn’t always mean it’s intuitive to actually do it.

It can be a bit of a headache to figure out how to record a call on iPhone or Android since it’s not a built-in function on either operating system. In fact, you’ll need a call recording app for your cell phone in order to get the job done.

So, today, we’re sharing exactly how to record a phone call on your cell phone with 3 easy-to-use options, whether you have an Android or iPhone device. Want to jump ahead to your operating system? Here’s what we’ll cover today:

• How to record phone calls on iPhone
• How to record phone calls on Android
• Things to consider before you record a professional call

After reading this, you’ll be fully equipped to record any of your calls—while remaining composed and professional.

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How to record phone calls on iPhone

Wondering how to record a call on your iPhone? It might seem like a challenge, but with the right third-party app, it can be simple—and even automatic—to record your professional calls.

With these three options, it’s easy to record your calls so you can always refer back to them later.

1. RingCentral

One of the easiest ways to record a professional call on an iPhone is by using the RingCentral app. Since RingCentral is a cloud phone system and communications platform, you can record easily right from your calling screen—something that isn’t available to you if you’re just dialing from your iPhone:

For example, Axial is a New-York-based company whose sales team spends a whopping 80% of their time on the phone, which means the ability to track and record their phone calls—in order to see where they can improve on their sales call strategies—is crucial. (And yep, you guessed it, they use RingCentral to do it.)

That’s also why we recommend using RingCentral for your business phone service if the need for call recording is something that consistently comes up at your company. Here’s a quick look at how the app works:

Using RingCentral, there are a couple of easy ways to record your business phone calls.

First, you have the option of automatic recordings. You can truly tailor these automated recordings based on what your business needs: decide to enable automated recordings for one user or multiple users, for inbound or outbound calls, or even for calls to certain departments.

For these automated recordings, the app even plays an announcement to ensure all parties know about the recording, so employees don’t have to remember to ask for consent to record.

There’s also the option to record on-demand in RingCentral, instead of automatically recording all calls. Users can simply press *9 to begin recording, and press *9 again to stop recording—it’s that easy.

Once you’ve recorded your call, you’ll find the recording in your call logs. You can also download and forward recorded conversations as email attachments, making them simple to share with your team or just refer back to later.

If you’re on a call on your computer, you can record the call from the desktop app as well:

🕹️ Get a hands-on look at how RingCentral is designed to be the perfect all-in-one communication platform for teams by booking a product tour:

💰 You can also use this calculator to see roughly how much your business could save by using RingCentral to support your team’s communication with each other—and clients.

2. TapeACall Pro

TapeACall is one option if you’re looking to record the phone calls you make on your iPhone without having to create a new phone number. The app is only $11, making it a very reasonable investment for your business.

In order to record a call on your iPhone with TapeACall, you basically create a conference call where one party is TapeACall.

When you go into the TapeACall app, you’ll hit the record button to dial in. This will start a new call from your phone.

You can do this step before or after connecting with the person you’re calling, but to give the most professional impression, we recommend setting up the TapeACall line first, and then dialing for your actual conversation.

Once you have both calls connected, just merge them together to create a conference call, and you’re all set to record.

It can be a slightly tedious process, but once you get the hang of it, it’s not too bad. Just be sure to communicate what’s happening with the other party on your call as you merge the calls to keep it feeling professional.

TapeACall works around the world and saves your conversations as downloadable MP3s, making it easy to share and label your recordings.

3. Rev Call Recorder

Looking for a free way to record phone calls on your iPhone and also have the option of transcription afterward? Rev Call Recorder might be the app for you.

Just keep in mind that you will need to have a US phone number in order to use this option, though.

Once you’ve downloaded the app and confirmed your phone number, the recording process is simple—just click on the record button. For an outgoing call, you’ll be able to dial right from the app, or access your contacts to make your call.

For incoming calls, just click record after accepting the call, and the app will detect the call in progress.

Again, either way, you’ll end up with two calls—one with Rev and one with the person you’re calling to speak with. Merge these calls to begin recording.

At the end of the call, your recording will automatically be available for you in the app, to download, listen back to, and share.

Plus, Rev also offers the option of transcribing your recording for an additional fee, which is a great option if you don’t have the time to listen back through your entire call, but still want to access verbatim quotes for case studies, articles, or market research. It’s a very reasonably priced upgrade, so go ahead and record those long calls.

How to record phone calls on Android

If you’re wondering how to record calls on your Android device, you’re not alone. In fact, there are some added limitations with the latest Android update that seem to block many apps from recording your phone conversations.

But, because there isn’t yet a built-in call recording feature, you’ll still have to depend on third-party apps to record your calls.

Our advice? To be sure your recording app works with whatever version of Android you’re running, and do a test run with a coworker or friend to be sure the recording comes out okay.

1. RingCentral

As a cloud communications platform and phone system that works across every device, RingCentral uses WiFi calling on both Android and iOS, making it a great option for recording a professional call:

If you use RingCentral for your business phone service, you can record a call easily right from your call platform, unlike your regular Android phone interface.

There are two ways to record a phone call on Android using RingCentral: automatically and on demand.

With automatic call recording, RingCentral will play a disclaimer message to be sure all parties are aware of the recording, and then store your recording in your call log—making it the easiest way to record calls on Android.

You can even create specific recording rules for automated call recording using RingCentral. You can automatically record calls to select users or entire departments, specify if inbound or outbound calls should be recorded, or just have every business call automatically recorded.

If that’s a bit more recording than you need for your business, though, you can also use RingCentral to record calls on demand. Just dial *9 from the RingCentral app to begin recording, and press the same *9 again to stop recording—it’s that easy.

Your on-demand call recordings will also be stored in your call log and are easy to download, attach to emails, and forward so that everyone who needs the recording can have access.

2. Google Voice

Another option for recording calls on Android is to use Google Voice. With Google Voice, you can access smart calling across your devices, as well as access voicemail and, yes, even record calls.

You’ll start by creating a Google Voice number and routing that number to your Android phone.

Once you’ve got your account all set up, you can enable call recording in settings. On your Android device, open the Voice app and tap the menu, then settings. Under calls, turn on incoming call options.

When you want to record a call using Google Voice, simply answer the call to your Google Voice number and tap 4 to start recording. There will be an automatic announcement that a recording has begun, so be sure you’ve already gotten permission before you start your recording.

Once you’re done, you can tap 4 again or just hang up. Your call recording will be stored like a voicemail for you to listen back to through Google Voice.

Keep in mind that this option only works for incoming calls, so if recording is a regular business function for you, it might not be the most convenient option.

3. Cube Call Recorder

Cube Call Recorder is a great option for recording calls on your Android device if you want to record more than just phone calls. With capability to record on Skype, WeChat, Viber, Telegram, and more, it’s a great option if you need that added flexibility.

Plus, they’re serious about call quality, so listening back to your calls doesn’t have to be a headache.

You can choose to automatically record every call or create a list of contacts that you always want to record. Alternatively, you can create an exclusion list of contacts who won’t automatically be recorded.

You also have the option of manually recording calls by just tapping the button in the app mid-call to record only select conversations or even just parts of them.

Call recordings are available after the call in the app, and if you upgrade to the premium features of the app, you can also backup your recordings to Google Drive.

Things to consider before you record a professional call

The first thing most people want to know before recording a phone call is whether it’s even legal to do so.

The answer? It depends.

Different states and countries have different laws, and in some of them only one party needs to consent to the call being recorded (which, yep, can be you).

But, in other states, you need to ask permission from the other party (or every party in the case of a conference call) before you can record a phone call.

Because the nature of a phone call means that the person you’re calling could be speaking with you from anywhere, it’s best to assume you need to ask permission to record.

How do you do so professionally? A simple “Do you mind if I record this call?” is usually sufficient. Depending on the context, your contact may ask why you’re recording, but generally people are fine with professional calls being recorded.

Another thing to consider before recording a professional call is the actual process of recording. Some call recording apps require merging calls, while others can record automatically.

Whatever process you’re using, keep it professional by explaining the process to your contact before you just drop off. Simply saying “Okay, I’m going to start recording, so you might lose me for a second” and then confirming your recording has begun is the most professional way to deal with a clunky process. Most people are understanding as long as they know what’s going on.

Even if your recording process is simple or automatic, it’s a good idea to practice a time or two to be sure you know how your recording app works, how the recording will save, and that your recordings come out okay. A few practice calls can be the key to keeping your composure and exuding professionalism.

Ready to dive into recording your calls? Here are the best apps doing just that on iPhone or Android.

Recording professional phone calls

No matter if you use an Android or iPhone, recording phone calls doesn’t have to be a headache. With the right third-party app, you can customize your recordings, choosing to automate or manually record the calls you need to refer back to later.

Whether you’re using a call for training, pulling quotes for an article, or just don’t want to forget what you talked about, call recording is an essential business task, and now it’s easier than ever.

Originally published Feb 07, 2022, updated Oct 19, 2022