The idea of recording phone calls may sound like something out of a spy movie or the height of paranoia, but there are many more innocent reasons to do so. Journalists record phone calls and conversations all the time so they can get accurate quotes and avoid clashes with fact checkers. Many professionals also need to keep records of business-related discussions.
It can also serve as a backup or evidence when it comes to customer service, verbal agreements, and other occasions. While the technology behind cell phone call recording is simple, there are legal issues everyone should be aware of, and best practices to implement to get quality recordings that you or a professional can quickly transcribe. This guide explains how to record phone calls, whatever your needs.
The best apps for iPhone and Android to record calls
If you’re using an Android phone, all of the Android apps below should be equally available regardless of the company that makes your Android phone, including Samsung, Google, Huawei, Xiaomi, etc.
Google Voice gives you a free phone number and voicemail service, but it also records incoming phone calls at no additional cost. To do this, go to voice.google.com from your desktop or launch the mobile app, which is available for both Android and iOS. Next, visit the settings. On the desktop, you will see an option that you can enable for incoming call options.
On Android, that’s in settings, advanced call settings, and incoming call options, while on iOS, it’s in the settings, calls, and incoming call options section. Once this option is enabled, you can record incoming calls by pressing 4, which will trigger an alert notifying everyone on the line that recording of the phone call has started. Press 4 again to stop the recording and you will hear an announcement that the recording has finished, or you can hang up. You can also record phone calls using a VoIP service, such as Skype.
Digital Trends recommends using the GetHuman website, which helps you get a live person when you call customer service and also has the option to request that a particular company contact you directly, allowing you to record the call through Google Voice.
TelTech Systems Inc’s TapeACall Pro is a paid application available on both platforms, but $10 per year gets you unlimited recording of both incoming and outgoing calls. For outgoing calls, launch the app, tap record and check to start the call recorder. To record an incoming call, you have to put the caller on hold, open the app, and tap record. The app creates a three-way call; when you press record, it dials a local TapeACall access number. Make sure your cell phone plan includes three-way conference calling.
This app doesn’t reveal what it’s recording, so it’s a good idea to ask permission, depending on where you live. Please note that although TapeACall has a free version, it limits you to listening to only one minute of your call recordings; the company says this is so users can check if the service works with their provider. It is also useful for checking sound quality.
Alternative registration methods
If you need to transcribe your recorded calls, Rev.com (for Rev.com Inc, no wonder) has a voice recording app, but it doesn’t work for phone calls. However, if you load the app on a tablet and make your phone call on speakerphone, you can capture a recording and then send it to the service for transcription at $1 per minute; the first 10 minutes are free. Rev has free apps for both Android and iOS, and you can upload your recordings directly to Dropbox, Box.net, or Evernote.
The idea of recording phone calls may sound like something out of a spy movie or the height of paranoia, but there are many more innocent reasons to do so. Journalists record phone calls and conversations all the time so they can get accurate quotes and avoid clashes with fact checkers. Many professionals also need to keep records of business-related discussions.
It can also serve as a backup or evidence when it comes to customer service, verbal agreements, and other occasions. While the technology behind cell phone call recording is simple, there are legal issues everyone should be aware of, and best practices to implement to get quality recordings that you or a professional can quickly transcribe. This guide explains how to record calls phones, whatever your needs.
The best apps for iPhone and Android to record calls
If you’re using an Android phone, all of the Android apps below should be equally available regardless of the company that makes your Android phone, including Samsung, Google, Huawei, Xiaomi, etc.
Google Voice gives you a free phone number and voicemail service, but it also records incoming phone calls at no additional cost. To do this, go to voice.google.com from your desktop or launch the mobile app, which is available for both Android and iOS. Next, visit the settings. On the desktop, you will see an option that you can enable for incoming call options.
On Android, that’s in settings, advanced call settings, and incoming call options, while on iOS, it’s in the settings, calls, and incoming call options section. Once this option is enabled, you can record incoming calls by pressing 4, which will trigger an alert notifying everyone on the line that the phone call recording has started. Press 4 again to stop recording and you will hear a announcement that the recording has ended, or you can hang up. You can also record phone calls using a VoIP service, such as Skype.
Digital Trends recommends using the GetHuman website, which helps you get a live person when you call customer service and also has the option to request that a particular company contact you directly, allowing you to record the call through Google Voice.