How to record a phone conversation with an Android phone

There are a number of legitimate reasons you might want to record a phone call. For example, when talking to a medical professional about test results, for example, you may want to make sure you get all the information right. Or, if you’re interviewing someone for an article or job, you might want to make sure you remember the conversation clearly. Or if an elderly member of your family suddenly tells a story about your grandparents, it would be nice to make a note of it.

Unfortunately, recording the phone call has become almost impossible. as I explained in the previous articleIn the US, federal law says you can legally record a phone conversation but only if you participate in this conversation🇧🇷 State laws vary. While most states generally follow the federal rules, some require all parties to consent to the record, not just one. You know, when you call a business, you get a message saying your call may be recorded? Therefore.

As a result, if you’re on a call and try to use a recording app to record that call, it probably won’t work. (Despite Google’s preemptive technology, most of which are no longer available, there may still be some Android apps that claim to be able to record your calls. Some use workarounds, such as creating a third “caller” that’s actually a cloud recorder. I’m tempted to try one , go ahead, but make sure you’re on the free trial.)

But don’t despair—if you really want to record a call, there are some strategies you can use. They’re awkward and not always comfortable, but at least they give you some options.

A quick note: no matter which method you use, the ethical (and often legally required) thing to do is to let the caller know that you are recording the conversation. I’m just saying.

Google Voice has been around for a long time; this is a free service that gives you a virtual phone number that you can use instead of the number provided by your SIM. I am quite familiar with it; I’ve used Google Voice for years because it’s made it easy to review phones – if I want to use a new device for a week or so, I can just activate my Google Voice number and not worry about switching SIMs. (This was before eSIMs were a thing.)

A feature where Google Voice still has the ability to record an incoming call. This is of course not a complete solution as it will not record outgoing calls. But if you’re waiting for a call that you want to record, it can do it for you. (By the way, this too Available for iPhone users🇧🇷

Here’s how you set it up:

• If you don’t have a Google Voice number, then build one first🇧🇷
• download Google Voice app to your phone.
• Open the app, tap the menu icon (three parallel lines) in the upper left corner and Parameters🇧🇷
• Scroll down and enable it Incoming call options🇧🇷

Now, when you’re on a call, if you tap 4 on the dialpad, the recording will start (and everyone on the call will hear an announcement). If you tap 4 again during a call, it will stop (and still have an announcement). After the call ends, you can find your recording in the Voicemail tab of the app.

If you’re in a place where you’re comfortable using the speakerphone, and you have another device with recording software, you can use it to record the call. (And no, your phone’s built-in voice recorder won’t work, even if you call on speaker.) This is something I often use an old phone to be a recorder for. You can use Android Recorder or third party software Like Otter or Temi; all three will provide automatically generated transcriptions. (Of course, you can use any other recording software you like.)

Since the start of the pandemic, conferencing apps like Zoom have become more familiar as methods of communication, and many of them allow you to record the session.