How to record an incoming call on iPhone without an app

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iPhone calling contacts

There are many reasons why you would want to record a conversation on your iPhone. No matter your reason, you may find that there is no readily available feature on iOS to record incoming calls.

Apple has a strict privacy policy that restricts any call recorder app to retrieve iPhone data or allows any third-party apps to access iPhone resources such as the microphone.

Even though this restriction may seem to stop you, there are ways to maneuver around it. This article will guide you on how to record an incoming call on iPhone without an app.

All you need is a voicemail and a little trick from under your sleeves to record a conversation without using any additional software or app.

Guidelines on how to record a call without an app

So, can you record a phone call on iPhone? Well yes, indeed you can. We shall give you different ways in which you can do so without an app or special software.

If you would like to record a call, you need to ensure the following restrictions are met before doing so:

  • Your iPhone should have at least iOS 9.0 or later versions since earlier versions are not able to export recorded audio files from voicemail.
  • Make sure that your voicemail inbox is not full.
  • Check if your regional laws and service provider allow phone calls to be recorded since some of them consider it illegal to record a phone call.

Using a voicemail

To record a phone call using voicemail, start by turning off the ‘Call Waiting’ feature. You should then:

  • Tap on the Settings icon.
  • Select the Phone option on the Settings menu.
  • Tap on Call Waiting and disable it.

Now that you are set to record a live conversation on your iPhone, you can follow the guideline below:

  • Dial the number that you wish to contact.
  • Once the call has been set up, select Add Call that is displayed on your phone’s screen. Your contact list will appear on your screen.
  • You can either select your own cell phone number from the list or dial it from the number pad.
  • Tap on the green button to add your number to the call. This will add your voice mail to the conference call.
  • When the voice mail call has been set up and the beep alert has gone off, tap on the Merge Calls button.
  • Merging will connect both calls and your voicemail will record the whole phone call.
  • When you are done with the phone call, you can access the recording in the Voicemail option on your iPhone menu.
  • To save the recording, tap on the Phone app and select the Voicemail feature at the bottom. Tap on the Share button and from there you can send the recording to yourself via email or save it on your device.

Read Also: How to transfer calls between Apple devices

Using a Web-based service

Another alternative to recording a phone call without using an app is by using a Web-based service.

You can use Recordator, a common Web-based service that allows you to record a phone call on an iPhone without the help of any apps. Since this is a third-party service, note that you are using it at your own risk.

To do so, you need to:

  • Sign up for a free account on Recordator.
  • When you are done signing up, you can place a call to the toll-free number, +1-888-829-2045 only if you are residing in the United States. If not, you can try these other alternatives.
  • Once the call has been established, press the Add Call button on the screen. You can then add the phone number that you wish to record.
  • When your call to the recipient has been established, you can merge the calls using the Merge Calls button. The call will then be recorded and saved in your Recordator account.
  • Once you are done with the call, you can listen, download the recording in MP3 format, or even share it via email.

Using Google Voice

Google Voice to record incoming call

Another easier way of recording a conversation on iPhone is by using Google Voice. It is known to be a free VoIP calling service that is accessible in the US and Canada. It has a special feature that allows you to record and save incoming calls for free.

Here’s how you can record the conversation on iPhone via Google Voice:

  • Set up a Google Voice account using your current Google account. You should go to voice.google.com and log in using your Google account and follow the instructions given in order to choose a Google Voice Number.
  • Install and open the Google Voice app and complete the setup process with your new Google Voice Number and from there you will be directed to the app’s main page.
  • Tap on the Menu icon that is on the upper left corner of the app and select Settings from the sidebar menu.
  • Turn on the switch next to the Incoming Calls option in the Calls section.
  • When you are connected to a call, tap on the Keyboard button and press 4 to start recording the conversation. A verbal alert will notify the phone call participants that the recording has started.
  • To stop recording the phone call, press 4 again or hang up the phone.
  • Once the recording has stopped, it will be automatically saved in your Google Voice inbox and you can access it there.
  • If you want to listen to the recording, go to the Google Voice app and tap on the Menu button at the top left corner of the app. Select the Recorded option and from there you can choose the recording that you want to listen to.

Conclusion

There are many ways in which you can record an incoming phone call on iPhone without an app, and they are all easy and fast. You can record it via voicemail, a Web-based service, or even the Google Voice app.

Always check if your region or phone provider allows you to record phone calls. Afterward, you can choose which one suits you best and have a go at it.