Is it legal to record a phone call?

In the US, federal law and most states allow one-party consent — you can record a call you're on. About a dozen states require all-party consent, so everyone must agree. For interstate calls, follow the stricter rule. The safe habit is to announce that the call is being recorded. This isn't legal advice — check your state's law.

How do I record a call on iPhone?

On iOS 18.1 and later, the Phone app records calls: tap the record button at the top-left during a call. Your iPhone announces the recording to both parties and saves it, with a transcript, to the Notes app. Older iOS versions have no native option, so you'd need a third-party service.

How do I record a call on Android?

Google's Phone app includes call recording in many regions — during a call, tap Record. Availability depends on your country, carrier, and device. Where it isn't available, a third-party app is the usual workaround; some manufacturers like Samsung build recording into their own dialer.

Can I record a call without the other person knowing?

Legally that depends on your state's consent law — in all-party-consent states, recording without everyone's agreement is illegal. By design, iPhone's built-in recorder always announces the recording to both parties. The safe and simple approach is to disclose it.

How do businesses record all of their calls?

Business phone systems and answering services record server-side automatically, so there's no per-call button to remember. RingOwl records and transcribes every call its AI receptionist handles, texts you a summary when the call ends, and keeps the transcript in your dashboard.

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How to record a phone call

The built-in options on iPhone and Android, the apps that fill the gaps, and the one legal step to take before you hit record.

Recording a phone call is useful for keeping accurate records, capturing details you'd otherwise forget, and training. How you do it depends on your phone — and, before anything else, on the consent laws where you and the other party are. This guide covers the legal basics, the built-in features on iPhone and Android, third-party apps, and how businesses record and transcribe every call automatically.

First: the legal part (one-party vs all-party consent)

Before you record, know the rule. In the US, federal law and most states allow one-party consent — if you're part of the call, you can record it. About a dozen states (including California and Florida) require all-party consent, meaning everyone on the call must agree.

For a call that crosses state lines, the safe move is to follow the stricter state's rule. The simplest way to stay clear either way is to say "this call may be recorded" at the start. This isn't legal advice — check your own state's law if you're unsure.

How to record a call on iPhone

On iOS 18.1 and later, call recording is built into the Phone app. During a call, tap the record button at the top-left; your iPhone plays an announcement to both parties, then saves the recording — with a transcript — into the Notes app.

On older iOS versions there's no native call recording, and Apple blocks apps from tapping the call audio directly. There you'll need a third-party service or a workaround (below).

How to record a call on Android

Google's Phone app includes call recording in many regions: during a call, tap Record. Whether you see it depends on your country, carrier, and device — Google has enabled and disabled it in different markets over time.

Where it's missing, a third-party app is the usual route. Samsung and some other manufacturers also build recording into their own dialer in supported regions.

Third-party apps and services

When your phone can't record natively, apps like Cube ACR, Rev Call Recorder, and TapeACall fill the gap. Quality and reliability vary, some rely on conference-call workarounds, and their legality still depends on your state's consent law.

For anything business-critical, per-call apps are fragile — a forgotten tap means a lost record. A phone or answering platform that records server-side is far more dependable.

How businesses record and transcribe every call

Instead of remembering to tap record on each call, business phone systems and answering services record and transcribe automatically. That's how you get a searchable record of every conversation without thinking about it.

RingOwl does this for the calls its AI receptionist handles: every call is recorded and transcribed, you get a text summary the moment it ends, and the full transcript sits in your dashboard. No button to remember, and nothing lost.

FAQ

Is it legal to record a phone call?: In the US, federal law and most states allow one-party consent — you can record a call you're on. About a dozen states require all-party consent, so everyone must agree. For interstate calls, follow the stricter rule. The safe habit is to announce that the call is being recorded. This isn't legal advice — check your state's law.
How do I record a call on iPhone?: On iOS 18.1 and later, the Phone app records calls: tap the record button at the top-left during a call. Your iPhone announces the recording to both parties and saves it, with a transcript, to the Notes app. Older iOS versions have no native option, so you'd need a third-party service.
How do I record a call on Android?: Google's Phone app includes call recording in many regions — during a call, tap Record. Availability depends on your country, carrier, and device. Where it isn't available, a third-party app is the usual workaround; some manufacturers like Samsung build recording into their own dialer.
Can I record a call without the other person knowing?: Legally that depends on your state's consent law — in all-party-consent states, recording without everyone's agreement is illegal. By design, iPhone's built-in recorder always announces the recording to both parties. The safe and simple approach is to disclose it.
How do businesses record all of their calls?: Business phone systems and answering services record server-side automatically, so there's no per-call button to remember. RingOwl records and transcribes every call its AI receptionist handles, texts you a summary when the call ends, and keeps the transcript in your dashboard.

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