iPhone
iOS does not allow recording calls natively. Workarounds, their tradeoffs, and what Apple intentionally prevents.
The reference for recording a phone call — legally, ethically, and well.
Call recording is governed by a tangled patchwork of state, federal, and international law. We maintain a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction reference, platform-specific how-to guides, and consent script templates. Every page is dated and sourced.
01 / Laws by Jurisdiction
Where you are determines what’s legal.
The United States divides into one-party and all-party consent jurisdictions. For cross-border calls, the strictest applicable law usually governs.
New here? Start with the US federal framework (Wiretap Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2511) and the overview of one-party vs. all-party consent. For international callers, see cross-border recording rules.
United States — States & Territories
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Puerto Rico
International
02 / How-To, Per Platform
The mechanics, current as of the latest OS.
Each guide covers native options, third-party workarounds, audio quality, and whether the other party is notified — plus what the law in your jurisdiction requires you to disclose.
Android
Google’s API restrictions since Android 10, OEM exceptions, and the apps still legitimately working.
Landline
In-line recorders, handset adapters, and PBX / VoIP options for home and office lines.
Zoom
Host-side cloud and local recording, participant requests, and the audible-notification rule.
Google Meet
Workspace edition requirements, where files land in Drive, and notification behavior.
Microsoft Teams
Recording policies, transcription, and the interaction with compliance retention.
What end-to-end encryption permits and prevents; phone-side capture options.
FaceTime
Screen-recording approach and the legal implications of capturing video as well as audio.
Signal
Signal’s explicit anti-recording stance and what that means for one party with a separate device.
Skype
Built-in recording, file retention windows, and how notification is handled.
Google Voice
The free, federally compliant option — with its real limits (incoming calls only, beep tone).
Conference calls
Recording when many parties are on the line and several jurisdictions apply at once.
03 / By Who You Are
Different roles, different rules.
A journalist, a clinician, and a sales rep all face different overlays on top of basic consent law — HIPAA, TCPA, press shields, evidence rules, bar ethics.
Journalists
Source protection, press shields, the SPJ guidance, and the all-party-consent traps.
Therapists & clinicians
HIPAA implications, informed consent, supervision recordings, and PHI retention.
Lawyers
State bar ethics rules — many forbid recording opposing counsel even where statute would allow it.
Sales teams & call centers
TCPA, state consent overlays, conversation-intelligence platforms, and disclosure timing.
Podcasters & remote interviewers
Double-enders, cloud platforms with built-in consent flows, and release-form workflow.
Caregivers & medical appointments
Recording your own doctor’s visits, recording for an aging parent, hospital policies.
Documenting harassment or abuse
Evidentiary use, the narrow exceptions in some all-party-consent states, and safety planning.
Job interviews
What you can record for your own notes, what to disclose, and when to ask permission instead.
Calling customer service
Recording the company that’s recording you, and why “quality-assurance” notices matter.
Personal & family calls
Memorializing a conversation with a relative, voicemails, and informal consent.
04 / Apps & Hardware
Honest reviews, real tradeoffs.
We test for audio quality, legality of the method, whether the other party is notified, retention, and price. Affiliate links, where used, are disclosed inline.
05 / Beyond the Law
What you can do isn’t always what you should.
Recording someone changes the conversation, even when they don’t know it’s happening. Five short essays on the ethics of the medium.
When to record
A short framework: necessity, consent, alternatives, and the asymmetry test.
Storage & security
Encrypted at rest, who has access, and the metadata you forget about.
Disclosure beyond the law
When telling someone is right even where the statute doesn’t require it.
Retention & deletion
How long is long enough; how to actually delete; the cloud-backup trap.
Sharing recordings
Forwarding, publishing, and the second consent you may need.
06 / Templates & Downloads
Vetted, dated, free.
Copy-paste consent scripts in plain English; a printable wallet card with your state’s rule; checklists for high-stakes situations.
07 / About
How this site is made.
RecordPhoneCall.com is an editorial reference, not a software product and not a law firm. Every legal page cites the controlling statute or case, carries a last reviewed date, and is checked on a fixed cadence — annually for slow-moving jurisdictions, and immediately after any reported statutory amendment. Read our methodology →