The shortlist
4 things that do it.
Call recording built into the iPhone Phone app, saving each recording to a Call Recordings folder in Notes.
- Free
- Built into the Phone app; Apple's guide names no price.
- Paid
- price not checked
- Best at
- Recording a call on an iPhone with nothing to install, with a transcript in Notes in select regions and languages.
- The catch
- Apple's guide says it records a call with one other person, and both people hear an audio notice. Apple lists places where it is not available, including the European Union.
- ios
Call recording in Google's Phone app for Android, for single calls or always for unknown numbers or chosen contacts.
- Free
- Part of the Phone app; Google's help page names no price.
- Paid
- price not checked
- Best at
- Automatic recording of calls from unknown numbers or selected contacts, kept on the device.
- The catch
- Only certain devices, operators and countries: Pixel 6 or later on Android 14 or later, or other phones on Android 9 or later. Everyone on the call is told.
- android
An Android call recorder for phone calls and VoIP apps such as WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram and Viber.
- Free
- Free to install with ads; the listing says the basic version records calls and Premium is an in-app subscription.
- Paid
- price not checked
- Best at
- Recording VoIP calls as well as phone calls, with automatic recording and an exclusion list.
- The catch
- It uses Accessibility services, and not all devices support VoIP recording.
- android
An iPhone app that records incoming and outgoing calls and transcribes them.
- Free
- Free to download with in-app purchases; the listing mentions a 7-day free trial on the yearly subscription.
- Paid
- price not checked
- Best at
- Recording and transcribing calls on an iPhone.
- The catch
- Its listing says it needs your carrier to support 3-way calling. The 99% transcription accuracy is the developer's own claim.
- ios
How they compare
Which one suits you, and why.
If you have an iPhone and want nothing extra
Call recording is built into the iPhone Phone app. Apple's support article says you can record a phone or FaceTime audio call starting in iOS 18. You start it from the call screen, and the recording is saved to a Call Recordings folder in Notes. In select regions and languages you also get a transcript there. Apple's guide names no price.
Recording is only half the phone headache, though, because the other half is who's ringing you in the first place. If unwanted callers are what's wearing you down, we've got a separate page on blocking spam calls. It covers Google's Phone app, iPhone settings, Truecaller, Hiya and some UK networks, plus Google's own warning that not every spam call gets caught.
The trade is that nobody is recorded quietly. Apple's guide says it records a call with one other person, and both people hear an audio notice. Apple also lists places where the feature is not available at all, including the European Union, so you may find the option is not there.
If you have an Android phone and want automatic recording
Google's Phone app for Android can record a single call, or always record calls from unknown numbers or chosen contacts, which saves remembering to start it. Recordings are kept on the device. Google's help page names no price.
What you give up is choice of hardware. Google says it needs a Pixel 6 or later on Android 14 or later, or another phone on Android 9 or later, plus the latest Phone app, a supported operator and a supported country. Automatic recording is not available in all markets. As with Apple's version, everyone is told: Google says both parties are notified when recording starts and again when it stops.
If you need WhatsApp or other VoIP calls recorded
Cube ACR is an Android call recorder whose listing names phone calls plus Signal, WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, Slack and others. It can record every call automatically or only chosen contacts, and it has an exclusion list for numbers you want left out. It is free to install with ads, and the listing says the basic version records calls, with Premium as an in-app subscription.
It works through Accessibility services, and not all devices support VoIP recording, so a call that records on one phone might not on another. The listing says to check the basic version works on your device before buying Premium, which adds features but does not improve recording. The Google Play listing shows in-app purchases but no prices, so we could not verify what Premium costs.
If you want transcripts from an app on iPhone
TapeACall is an iPhone app that records incoming and outgoing calls and transcribes them, sharing to email, Dropbox or Google Drive. That suits you if you want the words as well as the audio and the built-in transcript is not offered where you are.
The catch is that your carrier has to support 3-way calling, according to its App Store listing, so it can fail for reasons outside the app. The 99% transcription accuracy is the developer's own claim, and we have not checked it.
When paying is worth it
The iPhone and Google Phone app recorders are part of the phone app, and Cube ACR's basic version records calls, with ads. TapeACall is the paid option here. It is free to download, and the UK App Store lists in-app purchases from £7.99 to £98.99 with periods not stated, plus a 7-day free trial on the yearly subscription. Cube ACR's Premium adds features but, per its listing, does not improve the recording itself. Paying for TapeACall makes sense if you are on an iPhone and want transcripts the built-in recorder does not give you.
What to watch for
The catches worth knowing first.
The legal side is easy to skip. We do not give legal advice, and we found no ICO or gov.uk page on people recording their own calls, so the points here are the vendors' own wording. Google's help page says some laws require all people on the call to consent to being recorded, and that it is up to you to follow all laws on recording phone conversations. Apple's guide says to make sure the other participant is willing to be recorded.
Apple also says call recording is not currently available in places including the European Union, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. Cube ACR's listing says legislation on call recording varies between countries and states, and to always notify the other person and ask for their permission.
The same shortlist, as a table
| Thing | Free tier | Paid from | Platforms | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone Phone app (Call Recording) | Built into the Phone app; Apple's guide names no price. | not checked | ios | Apple's guide says it records a call with one other person, and both people hear an audio notice. Apple lists places where it is not available, including the European Union. |
| Google Phone app (call recording) | Part of the Phone app; Google's help page names no price. | not checked | android | Only certain devices, operators and countries: Pixel 6 or later on Android 14 or later, or other phones on Android 9 or later. Everyone on the call is told. |
| Cube ACR | Free to install with ads; the listing says the basic version records calls and Premium is an in-app subscription. | not checked | android | It uses Accessibility services, and not all devices support VoIP recording. |
| TapeACall | Free to download with in-app purchases; the listing mentions a 7-day free trial on the yearly subscription. | not checked | ios | Its listing says it needs your carrier to support 3-way calling. The 99% transcription accuracy is the developer's own claim. |
How we checked
What we read, and what we haven't tested yet.
On 2026-10-02 we read Apple's iPhone User Guide page and US support article on call recording, Google's Phone app help page on recording calls, and the UK store listings for Cube ACR and TapeACall. Apple's support articles showed only a summary from the location of our server, so the iPhone details come from Apple's iPhone User Guide. Rev Call Recorder did not load on the UK or US App Store, so we left it out. We found no ICO or gov.uk page on people recording their own calls, so consent points are the vendors' own wording. Nothing was tested hands-on.
If none of these fit
The manual way.
If you cannot use a built-in recorder or an app, check whether your phone supports it at all: Google says only certain devices and operators support recording, and Apple lists countries and regions where it is not available. Whatever you use, Apple says to make sure the other person is willing to be recorded, and Google says it is up to you to follow all laws on recording phone conversations.