Company memory
How to record a phone call on iPhone, no extra hardware needed
Since iOS 18.1, the iPhone can record calls on its own. Here is how to turn it on, what the law expects from you, and how to make the recording useful after you hang up.
For years, recording a call on an iPhone meant a workaround. You put a second phone on speaker next to it, paid for an app that routed your call through a three-way line, or bought a small gadget. None of that is needed anymore.
The built-in way
iOS 18.1 added call recording to the Phone app. During a call, a record button shows up in the top left corner of the screen. Tap it, a three-second countdown starts, and a voice message tells the other person the call is being recorded. You can't turn that message off, on purpose.
When the call ends, the audio and a transcript are saved in the Notes app. To get the file out, open the note, tap the three dots on the recording, and share it or save it to Files.
If you don't see the button, check three things: your iOS version (Settings, General, About), the Call Recording setting under Settings, Apps, Phone, and the kind of call. FaceTime calls and calls made through many messaging apps are not covered.
What the law expects
Rules depend on where you and the other person are.
In Canada and in most US states, one-party consent applies: if you are part of the conversation, you can record it. Several US states, including California, Florida, Illinois and Washington, require everyone on the call to agree. In the European Union, recording someone without telling them is illegal in many countries, and GDPR adds a duty to explain why you record and how long you keep it.
Businesses usually have privacy obligations on top of that, whatever the consent rule. The safe habit is the same everywhere: say it at the start of the call. "Mind if I record this so I don't miss anything?" Almost nobody says no, and the iPhone's announcement then just confirms what you already said.
This is not legal advice. If your team records calls all day for sales, support or hiring, check your process with whoever handles privacy in your company.
The real problem starts after the call
Recording is the easy part. The file ends up in Notes, between a grocery list and a Wi-Fi password. A week later you need the delivery date the client mentioned, and you scrub through forty minutes of audio to find thirty seconds.
A raw transcript doesn't help much. It's long, the voices blur together, and no one reads it twice.
Where KISMO fits
KISMO doesn't need hardware either. Your organization gets a dedicated KISMO number. Call it from your phone to dictate a quick recap after a meeting, or put it on speaker on the table during an in-person meeting. Calls you already recorded on your iPhone can be imported as audio files.
Either way, you get back a memory of the conversation: who spoke, a summary, decisions, action items, and the full transcript if you need it. You review it, fix what needs fixing, then distill it into the Brain, which keeps what your company knows and has decided.
The day you need that delivery date, you just ask. The answer quotes the call it came from.