Apple’s iPhone User Guide for iOS 27 explains how to record a phone call when you are talking to one other person, with the recording saved to the Notes app. Apple also lists where call recording is not available: Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, the European Union, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
Where it does work, both people on the call hear an audio notice, and in select regions and languages you also get a transcript.
Where call recording is unavailable
Apple’s note reads: “Call recording isn’t currently available in Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, the European Union, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.”
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Apple also tells you to check before you begin: look at the iOS and iPadOS Feature Availability website to see if call recording is available in your language and region, and make sure the other call participant is willing to be recorded.
How to record a call
These are Apple’s steps:
1. Go to the Phone app on your iPhone.
2. Make a call.
3. During the call, tap the More button, then tap Call Recording.
Apple says: “Both call participants hear an audio notice that the call is being recorded.”
To stop recording, tap the Stop button or just hang up. iPhone automatically saves call recordings to a Call Recordings folder in the Notes app. To see the call in the Notes app, tap View Saved Call.
How to play a recorded call
1. Go to the Notes app on your iPhone.
2. Tap a note in the Call Recordings folder, then tap the Play button.
How to view a call transcript
In select regions and languages, you can view the transcript of a recorded call in the Notes app. Apple says the transcript may not be available immediately, and you may see a message that the transcription is in progress.
1. Go to the Notes app on your iPhone.
2. In the Call Recordings folder, tap a note, then tap the recording.
Apple says spoken words in supported languages are automatically transcribed. If you do not see a transcript, Apple says your iPhone does not meet the minimum requirements or detect a supported language. In the transcript, the speaker of each statement is identified.
Apple also adds a caution: “Verify the accuracy of a transcription before relying on it. It might not be a perfect representation of the conversation.”
What you can do with a transcript
While viewing the transcript, Apple lists these options:
- Play the audio from a specific point: select the text you want to hear.
- Search the transcript: tap the More button, then tap Find in Transcript.
- Copy the transcript: tap the More button, then choose Add Transcript to Note or Copy Transcript.
- Save the audio recording: tap the More button, tap Save Audio Files, then select where you want to save the recording.
- Share the audio recording: tap the More button, tap Share Audio, then select how you want to share the recording.
- Delete the audio recording: tap the More button, then tap Delete.
Apple notes that deleting the audio recording also deletes the transcript.
Summaries with Apple Intelligence
With Apple Intelligence, Apple says you can read a summary of the phone call in the Notes app. If your iPhone supports Apple Intelligence, tap Summary while viewing the transcript.
Apple’s requirement: “Apple Intelligence on iOS 27 or later is available on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or iPhone 16 model or later.” Apple adds that Apple Intelligence is not available in all languages or regions, and usage limits may apply.
How to delete a recorded call
1. Go to the Notes app on your iPhone.
2. Tap a note in the Call Recordings folder, tap the More button, then tap Delete.
As with the transcript view, deleting the audio recording also deletes the transcript.
How to turn off call recording
Apple says Call Recording is on by default, but you can turn it off:
1. Go to the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Apps, then tap Phone.
3. Tap Audio Call Recording, then turn it off.
If you are looking at other call features in iOS 27, our guide to how iOS 27 Call Screening works covers the screening side.
You can read Apple’s full instructions on the iPhone User Guide page on recording and transcribing a call.
The bottom line
Call recording in iOS 27 takes a tap on the More button during a one-on-one call, and both callers hear that the call is being recorded. Recordings go to a Call Recordings folder in Notes, transcripts arrive in select regions and languages, and summaries need Apple Intelligence. The feature is still unavailable in the European Union and the other countries on Apple’s list.
