The next time you take a call on your iPhone, the other person could be recording every word you say and you might not even realize it. Since iOS 18.1, Apple offers a call recording feature on its smartphones. The feature has legitimate uses, and because of its built-in audio notifications, Apple would likely argue that it meets both “single-party” and “all-party” consent requirements in various states.
But the problem with Apple’s implementation is that the company has done a worse job than it could have done of letting users know precisely when their calls are being recorded, and has given them even less control to stop it.
Apple makes it easy for other people to record your phone calls
In iOS 18.1, which debuted a year and a half ago, Apple added a new call recording feature to the iPhone. As the description suggests, the feature allows someone to record a phone call directly from the Phone app, rather than using a third-party solution or relying on other methods, such as putting the call on speaker and then recording it with a recording app on another device.
When Apple first announced the feature in beta, in the summer of 2024, I thought it was an odd move for a company that prides itself on privacy. But I also expected Apple to have strong privacy and notification protections built in, and allow either party to stop recording a call whenever they want. I also assumed that Apple would allow all iPhone users to opt out of having their calls recorded.
But when iOS 18.1 was released in fall 2024 with the Phone app’s call recording feature enabled, it didn’t offer the person being recorded any control over the recording, nor did it provide reasonable notification that the recording was in progress. This has not changed to this day, even with the recent release of iOS 26.4.
When an individual starts a recording, both participants receive an audible alert (as they do when the recording ends). However, only the initiator receives a persistent on-screen notification that a recording is in progress and only he or she can stop it.
And the person being recorded? They see nothing on the screen to alert them that a recording is in progress. If they miss the initial audio announcement (which is easy to do while trying to put on the AirPods), they will have no idea that their call is being recorded, especially if they hang up first, before the initiator finishes recording.
A false sense of security
Perhaps even worse than the fact that someone being recorded doesn’t have a persistent on-screen indication that their call is being captured is that Apple provides a somewhat misleading “Audio Call Recording” control in the Phone app settings, which many probably assume disables the feature.
To access it, open the Settings app, then tap Apps > Phone > Audio Call Recording. On the final screen, there is a switch called “Audio Call Recording.”
This change, Apple explains, “allows you to use the Phone app to record a conversation during the call, then transcribe and summarize it in the Notes app. An audio notification will automatically play before recording begins.”
A reasonable person might assume that because of the way this message is worded, turning the switch off will prevent others from recording your calls. But that is not the case. However, if you deactivate this switch, you You will no longer be able to record phone calls, but anyone else will still be able to record yours.
In fact, there is absolutely nothing an iPhone user can do to prevent others from using Apple’s built-in call recording feature, other than hanging up the phone if they catch the initial brief audio call recording notification.
Apple should take action
Part of me understands why Apple introduced call recording: it can be a legitimately useful tool. But in its current form, Apple’s iPhone call recording feature is completely antithetical to the company’s ethos of putting users in control of their privacy.
Apple should drastically revamp the iPhone’s call recording feature by adding a persistent on-screen notification on each user’s device when a recording is in progress. Both participants should also be able to stop recording by simply tapping a button located within the persistent notification.
Additionally, Apple should add an initial haptic alert when recording begins to give callers a physical indication that something is happening, prompting them to look at their screen, where the visual notification could be displayed.
Finally, Apple should expand the “Audio Call Recording” setting to allow a user to prevent callers from recording their calls in the Phone app entirely or, better yet, enable the feature to begin with.
Until then, maybe think twice before answering a call on your iPhone.