How to record a phone call on iPhone (iOS 26)

iOS 26 expands Apple’s native call recording with automatic transcripts, Live Translation, AI-generated summaries and tighter Notes integration. It’s a useful upgrade for interviews, meetings and other important conversations — if the feature is available in your region.

Quick facts

• Native call recording first arrived in iOS 18.1 (October 2024).
• Recordings are saved in the Notes app in a “Call Recordings” folder, with optional transcripts and summaries.
• Feature availability is region- and language-dependent; some countries (including EU members, Saudi Arabia and South Africa) may not have it.

How to check availability

See Apple’s support page to confirm whether call recording is supported in your country: Apple Support — Record and transcribe a call on iPhone.

How to record a call

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Start or answer a call.
3. During the call, tap the More button.
4. Select Call Recording.

The iPhone saves the audio once you hang up or tap Stop. Recordings appear in Notes > Call Recordings.

Playback, manage and delete

Open the file in Notes. Use the More menu to:

• Search the transcript (Find in Transcript)
• Copy or add the transcript to a note
• Save or share audio files
• Delete recordings and transcripts

Transcripts & summaries

If your region and language are supported, iOS 26 transcribes calls. Open a recording in Notes and tap Show Transcript and Summary. Transcripts are broken down by speaker and searchable. Apple Intelligence can generate a concise summary showing key points or action items.

Note: Transcripts aren’t perfect — always double-check critical details.

Privacy & legal

Before recording, get consent from the other party. When recording starts, both parties hear an announcement that the call is being recorded. Laws vary by country and U.S. state — check local regulations (in the U.S., many states permit one-party consent, but others require two-party consent).

Turn off call recording

Go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Recording and toggle it off if you don’t want the option available.

Alternatives if native recording isn’t available

If your country or iOS version doesn’t support the built-in feature, consider:

• Rev Call Recorder (US only) — free app for iPhone
• Google Voice (US only) — records incoming calls by pressing “4” during the call
• External digital voice recorders — connect via USB-C/Lightning or use a separate recorder on speakerphone
• Use another device’s Voice Memos on speakerphone

For offline/third-party hardware options, search for digital voice recorders: Digital voice recorders on Amazon (affiliate link).

Sources

• Apple Support — Record and transcribe a call on iPhone

Have you tried iPhone call recording yet? Share your experience or questions in the comments below.