How to record phone calls on Android: All you need to know

There are times when you have to record a phone call. Whether you are interviewing someone or it’s an important call where you need to remember specific details, recorded calls can be very useful. After years of not offering any official way to record calls, Google now provides call recording support in its official Phone app. Some Android phone manufacturers also bundle their own solutions for call recording, and there are several apps in the Google Play store that offer support for the same. In this guide, we’ll talk about all the ways to record calls on Android.

Before we continue, it’s important to know that there are laws on recording phone calls. Make sure you follow your local laws and get the permission of other people on the line before recording any calls. In regions where call recording is illegal, the methods below may be disabled. Please double-check your local laws on call recording before proceeding, and always take informed consent of the other party.

Navigate this guide:

Record calls on Phone by Google app

The Phone by Google app offers call recording support in select regions. The recording support is also limited to certain devices that come with the Phone app pre-installed. So you can’t install the app from Google Play and get the feature. The app also notifies both the caller and the receiver that their call is being recorded.

There are two ways to record phone calls on the app — on-demand and automatic.

If you decide to record a conversation while you’re having it, look at the screen in the Phone app and you’ll see a Record button. Tap it and your recording will start. Once you’re finished, just tap on Stop recording or hang up the call.

To turn on the Always record feature on the Phone app:

Call recording on Google Voice

If you use Google Voice, you can enable recording for incoming calls, but there’s no support for recording outgoing calls in Google Voice. To enable call recording in Google Voice, you first need to enable it for your account.

OnePlus phones

OnePlus’ Phone app comes with built-in call recording support. Like the Phone by Google app, the OnePlus app also notifies both the caller and the receiver that their call is being recorded. You can however disable this notification by going into the settings.

You’ll find the call recordings in the call log or by going to individual contacts and seeing the call history.

Oppo phones

Oppo’s ColorOS offers a number of options for call recording, including the ability to record all calls. However, the support for recording all calls may not be available in all locations.

To enable call recording on your Oppo phone, navigate to the call recording settings using the following paths.

Once you’re in the Call Recording options, you can choose to auto-record conversations from select contacts, record all unknown numbers, or record all calls. You’ll also be able to define the recordings storage limit. Moreover, you’ll find all call recordings under the Check Call Recordings option.

Samsung phones

Samsung Galaxy smartphones also offer built-in call recording support. It is however not available in all regions.

Vivo phones

Vivo’s Funtouch OS also comes with built-in call recording support.

Xiaomi phones

Xiaomi used to offer a built-in call recording feature in MIUI, but for a lot of new launches, the company has switched to the ‘Phone by Google’ app that may or may not provide call recording support, depending on your region. If you don’t have call recording support on your Xiaomi phone, you can try the third-party apps that we’ll mention later in the article.

Call Recorder apps

If your phone doesn’t come with a built-in call recording feature, you can download one of the following apps to record calls.

Automatic Call Recorder

Automatic Call Recorder is one of the most popular call recorders on the Google Play store. It allows users to record all calls, calls from select contacts, and all calls except select contacts. There’s Google Drive and Dropbox integration as well for storing the recorded calls in the cloud. It’s free to download and use with ads.

Cube ACR

Cube ACR not only allows you to record regular phone calls but also VoIP calls. It supports apps like Signal, WhatsApp, Viber, WeChat, and Slack. However, the VoIP call recordings may not work on all devices.

With Cube ACR, you can automatically record all calls, calls from select contacts, and all calls except select contacts. Moreover, you can start recording a call in the middle of the conversation. Cloud storage, PIN support, and shake to mark features are also available. Cube ACR is free to download with ads.

Typically the built-in solutions work the best, but the third-party apps can also save you in a pinch. If you think we missed a great call recorder app, let us know in the comments section. Meanwhile, if you’re in the market for a new Android phone, check out our guide on the best Android phones you can buy right now.