Automatically record a phone call on your iPhone

Can I record calls on iPhone in the EU or the Netherlands?

Not with the iPhone itself. Apple does not offer call recording in the European Union, so an iPhone in the Netherlands has no record button in the Phone app, whichever model or iOS version you have. Ajora gets around this by joining the call as an extra participant and writing it out.

Apple added call recording to the Phone app in iOS 18.1, with the transcript saved in Notes. In most countries a record button appears during a call, but Apple lists the European Union among the regions where it does not, and there is no setting that switches it on.

A voice recorder app is not a way around it either. Those record through your handset microphone, and iOS gives apps no access to the audio of a call in progress. You end up hearing yourself, and the other person barely or not at all.

Why is call recording not available on iPhone in Europe?

Because Apple does not offer it there. Its own user guide lists the European Union among the regions where call recording is not available, and that note is there for iOS 18, iOS 26 and iOS 27.

Apple gives no reason on that page. What it means in practice: an iPhone used in the Netherlands, Germany or France has no record button in the Phone app, whichever model you own. So far, updating to a newer iOS version has not changed that.

Apps do not fill the gap, because iOS gives no app access to the audio of a call in progress. What does work is adding a participant to the call who listens in. That works on every call, including the ones you receive.

So how do you record a call on an iPhone?

By adding a third participant to the call who listens in. That is what Ajora does: to your iPhone it is an ordinary conference call, so you need no special permissions and no modified phone.

The route that does work on iOS is adding a third participant to the call. That is exactly what Ajora does: it joins your call as an extra participant, listens in, and writes the conversation out afterwards. To your phone it is simply a conference call, so you need no special permissions and no modified iPhone.

Looking for an AI note taker that covers the calls on your iPhone, not only video meetings? The options are compared in AI note taker for phone calls.

How do you set up automatic recording on an iPhone?

In three steps: create an account, install the Ajora app and switch on call forwarding in your iPhone settings, with the number the app gives you. After that Ajora joins every call you make and there is nothing left to do during the call.

1. 1

   Create your account and install the app

   Create your account at debrief.ajora.io/register, download Ajora from the App Store and sign in with the same details. The first seven days are free, with 60 call minutes and no payment details needed.

2. 2

   Switch on call forwarding

   In the app you land on the Set up call forwarding screen. Copy your Ajora number there with Copy and switch forwarding on through Settings → Apps → Phone → Call Forwarding. The video in the app shows how. Then tap I’ve enabled forwarding in the app. The guide on call forwarding walks through it step by step.

3. 3

   Call the way you always do

   From now on Ajora joins automatically. You hang up as usual and a few minutes later the debrief is waiting in the app, with an email that takes you straight to it.

Rather decide per call?

Then leave call forwarding off, save Ajora as a contact and add it only to the calls you want captured. That costs you a few taps during the call.

Call forwarding applies to all your calls. If you do not want that, save Ajora once as a contact and add it only to the calls you want captured: during the call tap the three dots, then Add call, call Ajora and tap Merge calls. The full walkthrough with screenshots is in Adding Ajora to your call by hand.

Are you allowed to record a phone call?

In the Netherlands you may capture a call as long as you take part in it yourself; that follows from Article 139c of the Dutch Criminal Code. Use the write-up for business and the GDPR applies on top, which means telling the other party the call is being captured.

In the Netherlands you may record a call as long as you take part in it yourself. That follows from article 139c of the Dutch Criminal Code: what is punishable is recording telecommunications not intended for you, and a conversation you are having yourself is intended for you. If you use the write-ups commercially, the GDPR comes into play, with extra rules on transparency and retention.

There is no beep or notice when Ajora joins the call, so it is up to you to tell the other person that you are capturing it. The full explanation is in Is it legal to record a phone call?.

Where does the conversation end up?

Your transcripts are stored encrypted on servers in Germany, with a key tied to your account, and they are never used to train AI models. The recording is deleted automatically after transcription, within 24 hours at the latest.

Your calls are stored encrypted on servers in Germany and are never used to train AI models. What exactly is processed and how long it is kept is set out in the privacy statement and the security overview.

Jort van Meenen

One of the three co-founders of Ajora. Jort focuses on user experience and growth.

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