Apple Advances Call Recording with iOS 26

Apple has further enhanced its call recording feature in the latest iOS 26, introducing transcript support, live translation, auto-generated summaries, and direct integration with the Notes app. These upgrades make the tool significantly more effective for interviews, meetings, and urgent conversations.

The feature was first launched in October last year with iOS 18.1 but remains region-specific. Where it is available, calls can be recorded directly from the iPhone’s Phone app. In other regions, users will need to rely on alternative methods.

To help users determine availability, Apple has published a list of countries where call recording is not supported, including the European Union, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa. If a user’s country appears on this list, the option will not be visible in the Phone app.

Apple has stressed that the consent of both parties is mandatory before recording. Once a call begins, an automated announcement will notify participants that the conversation is being recorded.

When the feature is active, calls can be initiated or received from the Phone app, and during the conversation users can tap “More” and select “Call Recording.” Once the call ends—or if “Stop” is tapped—the recording will automatically be saved in the Notes app under the “Call Recordings” folder.

Recordings can then be played back, searched, copied, saved, shared, or deleted from the Notes app. Transcripts and summaries are also available in supported regions and languages by selecting “Show Transcript and Summary.” Conversations are separated by speaker, though Apple has noted that transcripts “may not always be 100% accurate.”

If Apple Intelligence is enabled, users will additionally receive a concise summary of the conversation, a feature particularly useful for capturing key decisions from meetings or the main points of an interview.

The feature can be disabled at any time through: Settings → Apps → Phone → Call Recording → Off.

For countries where the official feature is unavailable, users may resort to alternatives such as the Rev Call Recorder or Google Voice in the United States, external recorders connected via USB-C or Lightning, or simple speakerphone setups with another device running Voice Memos.

With iOS 26, Apple has signaled its intent to make communication tools more seamless and productivity-oriented while emphasizing user privacy and consent.