Step-by-Step Guide to Recording Calls on iPhone and Transcribing with iOS 18.1
For a long time, recording calls on an iPhone was a challenging task that typically required the use of costly third-party applications or external hardware, which could be both cumbersome and expensive. Fortunately, with the introduction of iOS 18.1, Apple has now integrated a native call recording feature. This update also includes the ability to transcribe recorded calls, allowing for convenient review of the conversation. Here’s a quick guide on how you can record calls on your iPhone with ease.
Which iPhones Are Compatible with Call Recording?
To successfully record a call, your iPhone must be updated to iOS 18.1 or later. This feature can be particularly useful for documenting spam calls or for preserving important conversations with family or friends. Below is a list of compatible iPhone models:
- iPhone 16/16 Plus/16 Pro/16 Pro Max
- iPhone 15/15 Plus/15 Pro/15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14/14 Plus/14 Pro/14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13/13 mini/13 Pro/13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12/12 mini/12 Pro/12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11/11 Pro/11 Pro Max
- iPhone Xs/Xs Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone SE 2nd/3rd Generation
If you own any of these models, ensure you have enough storage space available. Then, navigate to Settings -> General -> Software Update to get your iPhone updated to iOS 18.1 or newer. After updating, you’re ready to move on to the next steps.
How to Record Calls on Your iPhone
To begin, initiate a call to your desired contact or answer an incoming call. Simply tap the Call Recording button located in the top-left corner of the call screen. The first time you record a call, you will see a welcome screen—just tap Continue.
Your call will now begin recording. If you wish to stop the recording before the call ends, simply press the Stop button situated above the control panel.
Accessing Your Saved Call Recordings
After ending the call, you will receive a notification prompting you to View saved call. Tapping on this will direct you to the Notes app, where you can listen to your recording by selecting the Play button.
Transcribing Calls on Your iPhone
With the help of Apple Intelligence, users can also transcribe their call recordings and read a text version of the conversation. This transcription feature is available exclusively on the iPhone 15 Pro and newer models. Here’s how to retrieve the transcripts of your recorded calls.
If your call recording is short, the transcript will appear directly beneath the audio playback section in the Notes app.
For longer recordings, you may need to instruct your iPhone to generate a transcript manually. Simply tap on the recorded audio clip and then select the Transcript button located at the bottom-left corner of the screen.
You will then be able to view the call transcript. You can also press the Summary button, which utilizes Apple Intelligence to create a concise summary of the entire call. This feature is incredibly useful for quickly reviewing salient points after a discussion with—and keeping track of tasks assigned by—your supervisor. It serves as a convenient alternative to traditional meeting minutes.
After years of users calling for this feature, iOS 18.1 has finally simplified the call recording process for iPhone users. Additionally, Apple offers the option to save these recordings to the Files app, making it easy for users to retrieve and share them with others.
Image credit: Close-up Of A Young Woman Talking On Mobile Phone by DepositPhotos
Leave a Reply