The fastest way to transcribe a phone call is automatically: let a service like Ajora listen along during the call. You hang up and get the transcript plus a summary in your inbox. Typing it out by hand or uploading a recording afterwards works too, but takes more time.
What does it mean to transcribe a phone call?
Transcribing a phone call means turning what was said into written text, so a transcribed call can be read back word for word.
That text is called a transcript. Speech recognition listens to the call and writes out who says what. The result is a record you can read back, search and share.
This used to be a manual job, with the recording open and a finger on the pause button. Today a phone call can be transcribed automatically, often together with a short summary and the action items from the call.
Why transcribe a phone call?
A transcript of your phone call is valuable in many situations:
- You do not have to take notes while calling and can focus on the conversation.
- You read back exactly what was agreed, without noise or relying on memory.
- Sales and customer contact: faster follow-up and nothing slips through the cracks.
- Capturing legal intakes, recruitment interviews and advisory calls.
- Sharing a call with a colleague who was not there.
How to transcribe a phone call: three ways
1. Type it out by hand
You replay the recording and type everything yourself. Accurate, but slow: typing it out easily takes four to six times the length of the call.
2. Record and upload to a transcription tool afterwards
You record the call, upload the audio to a transcription service and get the transcript back. Faster than typing, but you have to record, export and upload yourself.
3. Automatically, live during the call
A service joins during the call and transcribes it right away. No exporting a recording, no upload, no manual work. You hang up and the transcript is ready. This is how Ajora works.
How do you record and transcribe a phone call in one go?
Use a service that sits in the call itself. Then there is no separate recording to convert afterwards: recording and transcribing happen in the same step.
With a separate recorder app it takes two steps. You record first, move the file to a transcription tool and wait for the text. On an iPhone in Europe you get stuck at the first step, because the phone itself cannot record a call there. The details are in recording a phone call on iPhone; for Android, see recording a phone call on Android.
With Ajora nothing of that recording stays behind. The audio is deleted once the call has been written out; what you keep is the text.
Is there an app to transcribe phone calls?
Yes, as long as the app joins the call instead of listening through the microphone. iOS gives apps no access to the audio of a call in progress, and Google Play no longer allows apps to capture it either.
That is why an app that only records through your handset mostly hears you and not the other person. An app that joins the call as a participant hears both sides. Ajora works that way: outgoing calls go through the app, and incoming calls reach it through call forwarding.
How do you transcribe a phone call on your mobile?
To transcribe a phone call on your mobile, you can use the call recorder built into your iPhone or Android, a recording app such as TapeACall, or a service such as Ajora that joins the call as an extra participant. The built-in recorders are free, but they depend on your country and handset and announce the recording to the other person.
| Built into iPhone | Built into Android | Recording app (TapeACall) | Ajora | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How it works | A record button in the Phone app, since iOS 18.1. The transcript appears in Notes. | A record button in the Google Phone app. On a Pixel 9 or later, Call Notes also writes a transcript and a summary. | The app adds its own recording line to your call as a 3-way call. It can do this automatically for outgoing calls; incoming calls you merge in yourself. | Ajora joins the call: outgoing you dial from the app, incoming calls reach it through call forwarding. |
| What you get | A recording with a transcript. | A recording. With Call Notes also a transcript and an English summary. | A recording with a transcript. | A summary with action items and the full transcript. The audio is deleted. |
| Every call by itself? | No. You tap record on every call. | Yes, for numbers you pick: “Always record” works for selected contacts and for unknown numbers. Call Notes can also start by itself for chosen numbers. | Outgoing calls can be recorded automatically, according to TapeACall. Incoming calls you merge in yourself. | Yes. Incoming through call forwarding, outgoing when you dial from the app. |
| Does the other person hear it? | Yes. Both sides hear an audio notice. | Yes. Everyone on the call is notified. | The App Store listing does not say. Telling the other person is up to you. | No. Telling the other person is up to you. |
| Where it works | Not in the European Union and a number of other countries, according to Apple. | Only in supported countries, on supported phones and carriers. Call Notes needs a Pixel 9 or later (not the A series) in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland or Japan, or a Pixel 10 in India. | Only if your carrier supports 3-way calling. | Only with a Dutch mobile number. Call forwarding to Ajora does not work from a non-Dutch number. |
If you are in the United States and only need to record a call now and then, start with the recorder on your phone. It is free and needs no extra app. The trade-off is that the other person always hears an announcement, and on an iPhone you tap record on every call.
A recording app works where the built-in recorder does not, because it adds its own line to the call. Outgoing calls can be recorded automatically; incoming calls still take a few taps, and nothing works when your carrier does not do 3-way calling. The details, and what users run into, are in Ajora vs TapeACall.
Ajora is a Dutch app that joins your phone calls and turns them into a written debrief. You add it during the call, or you switch on call forwarding in the Ajora app so it happens automatically. How to add Ajora to a call is in the step-by-step guide. Ajora is built for Dutch mobile numbers: call forwarding to your Ajora number does not work from a non-Dutch number. Outside the Netherlands, the built-in recorder or a recording app is the better route today.
Transcribe phone calls automatically with Ajora
Ajora listens along to your phone call and turns it into text automatically. Afterwards you get a transcript plus a summary with action items and decisions in your inbox. You set it up in the Ajora app, which is on the App Store and on Google Play.
- Transcript, summary and action items for every call.
- The app is available for iPhone and Android.
- EU-hosted and GDPR compliant: your transcripts sit on servers in the EU.
- Everything searchable and easy to find in your account.
Want it fully hands-free? Switch on call forwarding in the Ajora app and every call is transcribed automatically.
Are you allowed to transcribe a phone call?
In the Netherlands you may record and transcribe a phone call as long as you take part in it yourself. It is good practice and legally safest to inform the other person beforehand that you are capturing the call. Rules differ per country, so check your local law.
For business use and sharing transcripts, extra data-protection rules apply: handle data carefully and keep no more than you need. Ajora is built with privacy as a starting point, EU-hosted and GDPR compliant. Read more on the security page.
What to look for in a transcription service
- Accuracy and speaker recognition: who says what.
- Supported languages, such as Dutch and English.
- Privacy: where is your data stored, and is it EU-hosted and GDPR compliant?
- Does it work live during the call, or only afterwards via an upload?
- Do you only get a transcript, or also a summary with action items?
- Price, and what happens if it turns out not to suit you.
Frequently asked questions about transcribing phone calls
How do I transcribe a phone call?
There are three ways: type it out by hand from a recording, upload a recording to a transcription tool afterwards, or have it transcribed automatically while you call. The fastest way is automatic: a service like Ajora joins the call and turns it into text right away.
Can I transcribe a phone call automatically?
Yes. With a service that listens along during the call, like Ajora, your phone call is transcribed automatically. You hang up and get the transcript plus a summary in your inbox, without uploading anything.
Does transcribing a phone call work on iPhone and Android?
The service joins the call itself, so transcribing does not depend on your handset. The Ajora app you set it up with is available for iPhone and Android.
What does it cost to transcribe a phone call?
Ajora costs 19 euros per month, or 15 euros per month if you pay for a year up front. That includes 600 call minutes per month. If it does not suit you, there is a money-back guarantee for fourteen days after your first payment. Typing it out by hand is free but takes a lot of time.
How do I get a transcript of a phone call?
By having the call written out while you are on it, or by converting a recording afterwards. With Ajora the transcript is in your account after you hang up, together with the summary and the action items.
Can you transcribe a phone call live?
Not with Ajora. Ajora listens in during the call and writes it out afterwards; the text is ready within a few minutes of hanging up. Text that scrolls along while you talk does exist, for example as captions for people who are hard of hearing, but that is a different kind of tool.
Which languages can I transcribe a phone call in?
Ajora works with languages including Dutch and English. Not sure about a specific language? Get in touch with support.
Am I allowed to transcribe a phone call?
In the Netherlands you may, as long as you take part in the call yourself. Inform the other person beforehand that you are capturing the call; that is good practice and legally safest. Check your local law.
Want your phone calls transcribed and summarised automatically? Create an account, or read the frequently asked questions first. Questions? Email support@ajora.io.
Sources
- Article 139c of the Dutch Criminal Code: intercepting or recording telecommunicationswetten.overheid.nl (Dutch)
- Article 13 GDPR: information to be provided when collecting dataFull GDPR text, privacy-regulation.eu
- Rules for recording a phone callACM ConsuWijzer (Dutch consumer authority)
- Record and transcribe a call on iPhone, with the audio notice and the countries where it is unavailableApple Support, accessed 17-10-2026
- About iOS 18 Updates, with call recording and transcription in iOS 18.1Apple Support, accessed 17-10-2026
- Record calls with the Phone app, with the requirements per country, device and carrierGoogle, Phone app Help, accessed 17-10-2026
- Use Call Notes in Phone app, with the supported Pixel models and countriesGoogle, Phone app Help, accessed 17-10-2026
- TapeACall: Call Recorder in the App Store, with the note on 3-way callingApple App Store, accessed 17-10-2026