Want to record your iPhone calls? This is the best option for now.

[patent10021]

There are still a few things that the iPhone needs. Like the ability to record phone calls. There are many legit uses i.e. journalism, logging of conference calls and studying. I want to record all my conversations because it helps me to improve my Japanese. Especially when talking to financial and legal institutions.

Everyone knows there are certain US states with privacy laws but it's up to the user to inform the other party that the call is being recorded. Has nothing to do with the iPhone being technically capable of recording the conversation.

It's 2010 and many older non-smart phones can record. Even my ghetto 4 year old phone here in Japan can do it. Only 30 seconds though because the memory is so little.

I heard that the iPhone can technically do it but that it would have to be an Apple iOS application since the SDK restricts devs from accessing the Phone app.

Yeah I've seen the jailbroken app/s. Crappy.

If anyone is interested, the best way to go about it now is using the online service ipadio. It's free and it works. It's phone blogging that can be used as a work around for recording phone calls. I just signed up last night and was quite surprised.

You have to dial an access number to enter your PIN to start recording but it's free and it works. There are currently free 50 ipadio access numbers around the world. The service was meant for phone blogging but with the conferencing capabilities of the iPhone you can conference with the ipadio service and your off to the races.

It's the best option available right now. At least it works.

Here are a few helpful links.

ipadio app on Youtube
http://is.gd/dVROP

How to broadcast conference calls on ipadio (recording calls). What's interesting is that he's calling his subject/person first. If it were me, I'd call ipadio first. http://is.gd/dVSuE

ipadio homepage
http://is.gd/dVQHH

 

[BlondeBuddhist]

I heard if you hit conference call and dial yourself it will go to your voicemail and record there.

That seems easier


Blonde Buddhist

 

[patent10021]

I heard that doesn't work and that's why people are looking for apps/services.

 

[BlondeBuddhist]

Haha..

Well, looks like we both hear things. Perhaps giving it a test would be valuable.

Blonde Buddhist

 

[Fernandez21]

Couldnt you just hook the phone up to a recorder using the headphone jack? I think that would be the easiest.

 

[moussekateer]

I heard that the iPhone can technically do it but that it would have to be an Apple iOS application since the SDK restricts devs from accessing the iPhone

That's incorrect. The iPhone cannot record phonecalls for technical reasons (legal motivations or not).

Phone calls are decoded and processed in the baseband which has it's own OS and firmware. It then passes the sounds DIRECTLY to the speaker. It never passes through the iPhone processor or iOS. The iPhone knows a call is going on but it is never made aware of the call data, all the processing is done on the baseband.

Recording calls directly on the iPhone will never be possible (for all phones up to the iPhone 4). It's a hardware design choice by apple. The only options you have are workarounds like those mentioned above.

 

[allibyrd]

Voicemail work-around doesn't work . . .

Haha..

Well, looks like we both hear things. Perhaps giving it a test would be valuable.

Blonde Buddhist

I just tried it, twice, to be sure I was doing it right -- once by dialing my number after the call connected, and once by clicking on my number in my contacts list after the call connected. Neither time was the call recorded.

 

[killerrobot]

Google voice allows you to record phone calls - connect it to your iPhone number and voila.
The whole problem as you and others have pointed out is that there are several legality issues that surface if you plan on recording a phone call.