Top Tips for Recording and Transcribing Phone Calls

More and more, people are opting to record their meetings and phone calls as a useful way to store important information on the go. For example, lectures and classes at universities are often recorded so that students can play them back in their own time. Meetings are saved so that no agenda items get forgotten about.

If you are someone who would value keeping a record of your important calls, keep reading for useful tips on how to do so. Not only can you record phone calls, video calls, and conference calls, but you can also use our handy transcription software to convert the recorded speech to text. 

Note: Before recording or transcribing calls, ensure you are aware of any legal restrictions around audio recording in your state. 

How to Record Audio Phone Calls

Recording audio phone calls using today’s smartphones is easy. There are plenty of free apps available that will allow you to record your conversations, with paid versions adding extra features like auto-transcription, sharing capability, and better audio fidelity. 

Here's how you can easily record audio phone calls on both Android and iOS devices for free.

Steps for Recording Phone Calls on Android for Free

1. To record a call on your android phone, you can simply use the free recording tool on your Google phone app. You can access the phone app on the Google Play store and record all incoming and outgoing calls (with the exception of conference calls).
2. To begin recording, open the phone app, make or receive a call, and touch the record icon once the conversation starts. 
3. You can then tap the stop icon to end your recording when the conversation is over. To use the phone app recording feature, your phone must be Android 9 Pie or newer.

You can also download a free automatic call recorder app for android to record your incoming and outgoing calls. The app automatically saves your call recordings in your inbox but deletes them with time to create space for new recordings. You can choose the ‘save’ option on the automatically saved speech to move to the saved tab. The free version stores up to 300 conversations, while the pro version (paid) stores up to 1000.

Steps for Recording Phone Calls on iPhone for Free

1. If you’re using iOS, you can download the free TapeACall app. You’ll need to unlock some of its features through in-app purchases. The app offers unlimited recording, cloud backup, and instant sharing options. You can also purchase a pro version.
2. To begin recording, open the app and touch the red record icon. You’ll then enter into a conference call with a TapeACall line; at this point, you will need to add someone to the call. The conversation between you and the added person will then be recorded.

You can also use Google Voice for free call recording on your iPhone. However, you can only record incoming calls, and the caller must call on your Google Voice number. For recording incoming and outgoing calls, use third-party iPhone apps such as TapeACall, Call Recorder, and Rev Call Recorder.

How to Record Video Phone Calls

Android and iOS mobile devices feature built-in software that will let you easily record video phone calls. Here’s how you can record video phone calls on your smartphone without spending a dime.

Steps for Recording Video Phone Calls on Android for Free

If you have an Android 11 phone version, you can use Google’s Android 11’s screen record feature. Do note that unlike the phone app, the android screen record feature doesn’t alert the other person, so you should seek the person’s consent before you begin recording. The call will go through a speakerphone, so you’ll also need to be in a quiet place to avoid affecting audio quality.

1. To easily access Android 11’s screen recorder, you’ll need to create a shortcut first. 
2. Once in place, you can tap ‘Screen Record’ either before or during the call. Enable the ‘Record Audio’ icon and tap ‘Start’ to begin recording. 
3. Shift the call to speakerphone to capture the other person’s audio. Switch off the ‘Screen Record’ when you’re done. 
4. You can access the screen capture videos on the Google Photos app or your phone’s video or photos folder.

Steps for Recording Video Phone Calls on iOS and Mac for Free

For iOS and Mac users, FaceTime is a free and simple to install tool for recording your audio and video calls. You can use the built-in screen recording component on your iPhone for recording a FaceTime call.

1. Start the FaceTime call on your iPhone and touch the Screen Recorder shortcut to begin recording. 
2. During the recording process, the status bar at the top screen remains red. Touch the red status bar and tap the ‘stop’ icon to stop recording. 
3. You can access the recordings in the Photos app.

How to Export Your Video or Audio Call Recording

You can export your call recording in various forms, such as a WebM file for video, MP4 video, MP3 audio, etc. On your iPhone, you can export your video and save it in an MP4 or MOV format. You can either save the files to your iCloud Drive / Google Drive / Dropbox or OneDrive or just email the file to yourself if it's small enough. 

Now that you have the audio / video recording, let's see how we can transcribe it.

How to Transcribe a Call Recording

After recording the call, you can use our AI transcription software Transcribe to convert your audio or video phone recordings to text quickly and securely. 

Our handy Transcribe software efficiently converts your meetings, interviews, phone calls, lectures, speeches, podcasts, audio notes, or any other recorded speech to text. It transcribes in over eighty languages with an average turnaround time of less than an hour.

Automatic Transcription

At Transcribe, we give you a magical automatic transcription where our machines reduce background noise to produce clear audio. Transcribing has never been simpler or smoother.

Sometimes you may want to take your own voice notes, whether it be a spoken to-do list or something you need to remember for your next meeting. Using our dictation software, you can quickly convert your speech to text with zero hassle. 

Self-Transcription

For self-transcription, you can use our workflow tools to save time. The process is faster than using a conventional media player and a word processor by slowing down your audio, auto-looping it, using the built-in text expander, or a foot pedal.

Here's a detailed step-by-step walk-through on how to transcribe your audio.

Recording and Transcribing Phone Calls Has Never Been This Easy

Transcribe is your one-stop software for all your transcription needs. You’ll love our transcription features such as Foot Pedal Integration, Auto-Loop, Auto-Save, Text Expander, Security & Privacy, and Working Offline; you can also create subtitles for your Facebook, Vimeo, and YouTube videos. Collecting important information is a breeze with Transcribe - give it a try at your next meeting!

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