5 Stealthy Ways To Record Your Phone Calls

The NSA can get away with recording phone calls, but what about you and me? Sometimes we want to get something on the record, too. Maybe it’s a bad customer service situation or a memorable conversation you want to have record of. Either way, there are options when it comes to recording a phone call.

The most obvious method: Enable speakerphone mode on whatever phone you’re using, then using a second device to record the call. This could be anything from an old-school tape recorder to your PC’s Webcam to an iPhone running the stock Voice Memos app.The downside to this approach is that the speakerphone picks up all other ambient noise as well. If you’re typing while talking (like during an interview), the clack of your keys might be an unwelcome addition to the recording.

A better option: Google Voice. The service makes call recording insanely easy: Just press 4 during a call to start recording, then press 4 again to stop. When you’re done, you’ll have an MP3-formatted file you can listen to online or download.Unfortunately, this works only with incoming calls. If you’re making an outbound call, like to a customer-service line, the feature won’t work. (Tip: Use GetHuman to set up a customer-service callback using your Google Voice number. Now you can record away.)

You can also try some app-powered recording options. RMC: Android Call Recorder, for example, can easily preserve both incoming and outgoing calls, but like many similar apps for Android, it captures only ambient sound — meaning you have to enable the speakerphone, otherwise you’ll get only your voice.

iPhone users can try something like Call Recorder Free, which relies on three-way calling to merge your call with a recording line. But take note that the free version is fairly limited; to unlock most features, you’ll need to unlock an in-app upgrade ($9.99).

For the best results, consider a voice-over-IP app that supports call recording. WePhone, for example, offers competitive rates for both long-distance and international calls, and starts/stops recording with just the tap of a button.

There are state and federal laws that regulate the recording of phone conversations so make sure that you are within the law.

Have you ever recorded your calls? How did you do it?

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