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Conversation recorder on iPhone possible?

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OK first off, there is a third-party app available with jailbroken phones called SpoofApp that allows recording calls (they are awaiting approval from Apple to be made canon). Unfortunately, it does so through their phone service, which requires buying minutes through them.

Secondly, there has been some talk about not being able to run an app in the background. However, running in the background would not be necessary if the SDK gave access to the cell phone's radio and the app basically were to commandeer the functionality of the calls.
 
Shiggity said:
OK first off, there is a third-party app available with jailbroken phones called SpoofApp that allows recording calls (they are awaiting approval from Apple to be made canon). Unfortunately, it does so through their phone service, which requires buying minutes through them.

Secondly, there has been some talk about not being able to run an app in the background. However, running in the background would not be necessary if the SDK gave access to the cell phone's radio and the app basically were to commandeer the functionality of the calls.
Click to expand...

Although SpoofCard does make an application for G1 and iPhone (not available through App Store), SpoofCard is a service. It does not require any application to be installed on the phone, and works with all phones--- not just iPhones. SpoofCard allows you to spoof caller ID, record calls and change the call initiator's voice to a quasi-realistic woman or man on the fly. The voices are very unique so if a woman uses either the woman or man voice, her natural voice won't be detectable to the other party. Likewise for a man.

If application is not installed, calls are simply initiated through the website or a 1-800 number provided. To listen to recorded calls simply call into the 1-800 number and listen to them through the phone (like standard voicemail), or download the sound files from the website. The parent company of SpoofCard also makes TrapCall, which extracts and reveals caller ID information from incoming blocked calls amongst other features, LiarCard, which detects truthfulness, and LoveDetect, which detects strong emotions.

All of the services except TrapCall are pay per minute via a prepaid card/code.

As mentioned earlier, many states legally require you to inform the party that they are being recorded. Certain spoofing uses may also be illegal depending on jurisdiction.

Link: http://www.teltechcorp.com/products.php

It would be nice if Apple would add an additional row (expanding the 6 in-call options to 9) of advanced call management features:

Transfer: Contacts list would appear and simply tapping a number would transfer the call. Voicemail would be the first contact in the contacts list.

Record: A pop-up would appear warning users about the legal implications of recording. The user could choose to record or not record. Calls would be recorded to the phone. Playback would be initiated through a Calls category (like playlists, genres, etc.) in iPod. When synced back to iTunes, the calls would be appear under the iPhone in a Calls category (like music, videos, ringtones, etc.) The green bar would turn into a red bar while recording and the record option would change into "stop recording" while a call is being recorded. In recent calls, calls that were recorded would be identified with a red circle.

Change Voice: The user would choose from a list of voices to change to. The option would change to "stop changing" when in use.

Another thing that would be cool is if the iMovie globe animation with a pin on the location of a caller would appear when a new caller was calling.
 
Record Conversations on your iPhone

Yes you can. If you want to do this, it's quite easy and simple to do, and you can transfer them to your mac later with a 3.5mm headphone cable. First, you may want to give it a whirl by calling a friend, or a 1800 number to see if you can do it without forgetting how to use your iphone, because you'll need to know what to do in an instant if something goes awry.

Get your headphones or bluetooth headset ready, it makes it way easier, speaker phone on the iPhone just sucks, IMO.

Become familiar with the 3way calling feature and all of it's features during a call (practice once or twice, it's easy)

Then start recording your calls.

I'm lazy, so I didn't want to see how long you can record a conversation on this system, but I imagine it's not very long, but with some simple social engineering, you can just rinse and repeat as much as you need to during your recorded call.

So, what you do is make your call. As soon as you are able to make another call (maybe add your phone number to the top of your contact list for ease of dialing, or just dial it like i do, cuz' I'm fast like that), you make the call (no pun intended) when to do this since the person may pick up immediately and then hang up if you are slow, or if it's a 1800 number you'll have plenty of time to prep the other line. CALL YOURSELF, you'll hear your lovely voice come on the line stating you are away or whatever, HIT THE "#" key, you'll hear a tone, now your are recording! MERGE THE CALL! If you are calling a company start going through the process of hitting "1" for english etc. If you are calling a friend or victim, just wait for them to pick up the line and viola, you're recording! I'm not sure how long this will last, but I don't care. If I did, I'd test it out and see how long I could record a message, take not of the time and simply keep a timer running while i was talking to the person (built in stopwatch on the iPhone maybe?! just give yourself a buffer! You don't want the nice lady from AT&T to come on the line while you are recording to spoil the whole recording etc. "If you are satisfied with your message, press 1 now...." you get the idea...) If you need more time then voicemail will give you, simply ask the person you are calling if they could hold on for just a second, no need to even give them a reason, they'll usually just say, sure. Go to private mode with your voicemail, hit the "#" key, then the "1" key 2x to send it to your voice mail, then restart the whole process over again and wait for the tone, and record part 2 of the conversation! You can hang up on voicemail while keeping them on hold, etc. so there is no need to panic, just start another call, and repeat the steps above and keep recording. You might even be able to stop and start a new recording if you are calling a company and they put you on hold. I find that these are perfect times to put THEM on hold and start a new recording. Easy! Takes some practice, but I have no problem doing it. Be aware that if you don't tell them you are recording them, it maybe illegal to record them. That decision is up to you.

Then all you have to do is transfer them to the computer (unfortunately in realtime, but maybe someone will know how to get them over maybe from a backup of the iphone files when the phone backs itself up. I seems like they backup the voicemail too because when I got my new 3G the voicemail came along with it, not sure if it was coming from iPhone backup files on the computer or from AT&T).

Good luck!
 
You know, it may even be possible to record it onto your Mac, assuming you're near the computer when the call comes in. In the past, I have used WireTap Pro for recording landline calls (with a modem); I wonder you could just plug a cord into your Mac's audio jack and record from there. Hmm.
 
culturerover said:
Its Trish said:
For those seeking a solution that will work now, here's a suggestion.
You should be able to (in theory) record a phone conversation
by wiring a tape recorder to your iPhone's mic/aux jack.

  1. The Apple Store (here in San Diego) sells a mic/earbuds set
    that splits out an extra audio jack.

  2. Attach an audio cable with 3.5mm stereo plugs (like this or this)
    from that split-out jack, to the mic/auxillary input jack of a tape recorder.

  3. Of course, you'll need to have your phone conversation
    via the mic/earbuds, rather than using the phone as a handset.
The above setup should work... if someone can rig this up
then report back here on your success, that would be wonderful.

trish : - )

PS.....
Instead of using that special mic/headphone wire with the split-out jack,
this should work instead: Pick up a DLO brand splitter,
and plug your existing mic/headphone wire into side A of the splitter,
then attach your tape recorder (via audio cable with 3.5mm jacks) into side B.


EDIT:
Worth a mention: The guy at the iPhone store told me that when connecting
to your iPhone's jack (female), make sure that the plug (male) has 3 bands
if you want headphone + mic. [the DLO brand splitter mentioned above has 3 bands]
If all you want is headphone, then a 2-band plug should work.
[the cable connecting to your tape recorder only requires 2-band plugs]
Click to expand...

I am a journalist who records phone interviews with full legal consent of the interviewee.

I have tried the DLO Splitter with the Iphone. Thanks for that amazing suggestion above!.
It all almost works, with one hiccup that I'll explain below.
Anyone have any hunches why it isn't working perfectly?

Here's my set up:
Iphone jack to DLO Splitter
DLO Splitter microphone capatible (3 pronged) jack to earbuds with microphone.
DLO second jack (2 pronged) to Zoom recorder.

It almost seems to work, but here's the catch: I get a great recording of the person I'm speaking to, but -- alas! -- my own voice is very faint on the recording. It's there, getting picked up, but at a much lower level.

Any guesses audio experts as to why this is? When I use the earbuds microphone straight into my Zoom recorder, it records fine, so I know the microphone works. But when I do the whole set up, the level on it is not the same as the person on the other end of the phone, as I explained above. It's a mystery to me why -- and how to fix it.

Any guesses as to how to perfect this recording set up?

Thanks so much for your suggestions!

Michael
Click to expand...


.. > Here's my set up:
.. > Iphone jack to DLO Splitter
.. > DLO Splitter microphone capatible (3 pronged) jack to earbuds with microphone.
.. > DLO second jack (2 pronged) to Zoom recorder.
.. >
.. > It almost seems to work, but here's the catch: I get a great recording of
.. > the person I'm speaking to, but -- alas! -- my own voice is very faint on the recording.
.. > It's there, getting picked up, but at a much lower level.


Hi Michael,

With regards to the faint voice issue,
here are some things to try.

trish : - )

----------------------

a) Try using a different headphone/mic unit. That may just do it for ya.

b) or, try using a different tape recorder.

c) When using the headphone/mic unit, try putting the mic closer to your mouth.
The only "gotcha" with that idea is you may sound overly-loud to the person you're speaking with.
(however, I'm sure iPhone has an automatic audio control that limits the
volume during the call--so you may still sound loud, but not that loud)

d) or, try un-connecting then re-connecting everything, then try another test call.
 
I bought a SpoofCard last year to play a joke on a friend.
It was kinda cool, but it takes some time to setup the
call thru Spoofcard's 800 number before calling your 'victim'.

Spoofcard does record conversations (as they advertise it does)
however you can't use it when someone calls you...
instead you always have be the originator of the call, and,
you have to go thru the time consuming tedious call setup
that I mentioned above.

One thing I don't like about SpoofCard is that if you don't use
your minutes, you lose them. On their own forums, people are always
complaining about having lost their minutes balance.


djdrah:

Your suggestion of bringing your own voicemail (in recording mode)
into a 3-way call, is quite interesting. However the big "gotcha"
is, as you mentioned, the big slap when, during your conversation,
you hear your voicemail prompts say something to the effect:
"To save your recording, press..."

The other gotcha is, as you mentioned, the fact that the recordings
are short--typically much shorter than any average conversation.


trish : - )
 
[/QUOTE]
djdrah:

Your suggestion of bringing your own voicemail (in recording mode)
into a 3-way call, is quite interesting. However the big "gotcha"
is, as you mentioned, the big slap when, during your conversation,
you hear your voicemail prompts say something to the effect:
"To save your recording, press..."

The other gotcha is, as you mentioned, the fact that the recordings
are short--typically much shorter than any average conversation.


trish : - )[/QUOTE]

Yes, that is true, but I've gotten very VERY long messages from clients in the past. I think AT&T's voicemail is simply a bucket that fills up. If you keep your voicemail messages deleted, you might get many minutes of recording done. Again, gotta test it out. I've received 10 min messages in the past, but if someone is looking for hrs of recording, then yes, this isn't for you...
 
Recorder by Retronyms app

Has anyone tried this app? "Recorder" by Retronyms in the app store. It says it will record only outgoing calls, but that is something easy at least. The only thing is it says that it costs only pennies per minute...how many pennies?
 
shergarland said:
Has anyone tried this app? "Recorder" by Retronyms in the app store. It says it will record only outgoing calls, but that is something easy at least. The only thing is it says that it costs only pennies per minute...how many pennies?
Click to expand...

shergarland,

Thanks for your post. Retronyms Recorder seems to works like Spoofcard
(discussed above) and may have similar limitations and gotcha's.

I have an email into Retronums support with some q's
and I'll report back here once they respond.

Has anyone tried using Recorder?

trish : - )
 
ozzyman500 said:
Why not just use the Voice Memo app Apple made available in 3.0?
Click to expand...

Voice Memo does not record calls, which is what this thread is about.

Anyone doing this should be aware that recording your calls without notifying the other party is illegal in the following states:

California
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Massachusetts
Maryland
Michigan
Montana
New Hampshire
Pennsylvania
Washington
 
stumbled on a built in recorder, not sure how to repeat it tho

UPDATE:
i figured it out, the call was coming through google voice and by pressing "4" in google voice it will record the calls.. sorry to get your hopes up

I have a original iphone 8 gig running 3.0.1...

I just (8:30pm) was on a call, on speakerphone and had the keypad up. my son was pressing some numbers when all of the sudden i the phone said "recording call" then he pressed another number "4" i think and is stopped recording. i havent figured out how to do this again and i havent yet found the recording itself but i looks like there is a way to do it....

if anyone has stumbled across this and knows the keypad combo to start the recording let me know! :)
 
This thread just made my head explode.

How about, get some sort of hands free car kit, plug in a mic to the zoom recorder and place it where it can hear your voice and what's coming out of the speakers.
 
culturerover said:
It almost seems to work, but here's the catch: I get a great recording of the person I'm speaking to, but -- alas! -- my own voice is very faint on the recording. It's there, getting picked up, but at a much lower level.
Click to expand...

What you're recording is the sounds played to your earbuds; phones intentionally play your own voice to you quietly, and the other voice at something like real volume. To record both at the same volume you would need a more complex device - one which splits out a signal which combines the mic signal with the ear signal.
 
I went to an Apple Store today and asked how to record an iPhone conversation. One employee suggested using the phone speaker, setting GarageBand to record a new "live instrument" track, and putting the phone near the computer.
 
Google Voice

Allows for phone recording and it works great. I have not google voice number forward to my iphone and when people call it give me a option to record the conversation.
Works well for me
 
Polyergic said:
...phones intentionally play your own voice to you quietly, and the other voice at something like real volume.
Click to expand...

The technical term for this, if anyone is interested, is side tone. It is necessary because people talking with a phone in front of their ear have difficulty judging the volume of their own voice. Injecting a little bit of the captured voice (around -18dB) into the earpiece prevents people from shouting into their phones.
 
thelatinist said:
The technical term for this, if anyone is interested, is side tone. It is necessary because people talking with a phone in front of their ear have difficulty judging the volume of their own voice. Injecting a little bit of the captured voice (around -18dB) into the earpiece prevents people from shouting into their phones.
Click to expand...

didnt know this, very sensible once you find out!
 
What about recording just your side?

This is slightly tangential, but does anyone know if a third-party app could still record what's going into your mic while you're talking on the phone? Or is it that the Phone app is not only inaccessible to the general SDK, but blocks it from using the microphone at all?

I ask because I'm a tutor who does some sessions over the phone, and while it would obviously be preferable to have both sides of the conversation, I tend to do 80% of the talking in these calls anyway, so even a one-way recording app would be incredibly useful. Plus, I'm pretty sure that would steer around any legality issues, since you're not recording the other person—or technically, even, the phone call itself.
 
hohohong said:
I am hesitant to get iPhone coz I need a voice/conversation recorder. Don't think iPhone has that feature. Is there a 3rd Party software i can use instead?

It's so handy to record conversation while driving or when you have not pen and paper handy.
Click to expand...

Don't buy anything from apple man (except intel based notebooks).
Wtf is this?! I am buying something that don't allow me to do nothing. My fckuing iphone 3gs is genuine, bought 700 usd, and I should jailbreak because apple doesn't want me to have simple features like call recording. Apple doesn't want also my phone to communicate with other phones. What is this?! A cool touchscreen cost me 700 usd??? Fcku apple. I am regretful about my investment on apple.
 
Now that multitasking is here,….

Are we able to record phone conversation? Is there an app for that? ;)
 
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