Recording Phone Calls On Your Smartphone

We only have so much space in our pockets and purses right folks? Thanks to technology our smartphones can do things that used to require four or five separate devices. As a journalist a smartphone can be a lifesaver. Map to an interview, research in the browser, pictures to add content and in a pinch a recorder. But you don't have to be a reporter to get the benefits of recording phone calls.

Why Might You Need To Record A Call?

· To enhance your memory

· Record important conversations for business or school

· Legal reasons such as proof of something happening

Is It Legal?

It is legal to record phone calls in the United States without telling the person you're recording except in these states:

·  California

·  Connecticut

·  Florida

·  Illinois

·  Maryland

·  Massachusetts

·  Michigan

·  Montana

·  Nevada

·  New Hampshire

·  Pennsylvania

·  Washington

Most phones with Google Android and iPhones are capable of performing this function.

1. The VoIP Way

2. The Dowloadable App Way

The VoIP Way

There are two popular services that you can download to your phone: one is Skype, the other is Google Voice. Google Voice is a free service that uses a web interface so no downloading an app. All that's required is a free Google Account. Once you make the call just press "4" on the dial pad and you start recording. You can find the recording in your voice recorder control panel afterward.

Skype is a bit different. You have to make a call to somebody else with a Skype account or you have to pay. Plus all the recorders are third party add-ons. Some suggestions QuickVoice, Audio Memo, or ScreenChomp all have their benefits and drawbacks. What I would suggest is bypass the add-on and go straight for the app store.

The Downloadable App Way                                                     

There are far more choices free and not this way but no guarantees on reliability. Also iPhones are purposefully different from Google Android enabled phones and they each have their own apps. Test at your own risk but through trial and error the paid apps tend to offer best reward.

Some recommended free apps for Google Android:

1. Call Recorder - Saves to your phones SD memory card

2. Record my Call - Doesn't work on all phones

Some recommended pay apps for Google Android:

1. AllCallRecorder Deluxe - Costs $2.95 but comes with a free trial and comes highly recommended over it's free version.

2. Call Recorder Pro - Costs $1.58; will run in the background and save to mp4.

Some recommended free apps for Apple iPhone:

1. There really aren't any "free apps" there are some free apps as far as initial cost but pretty much all require a fee for a monthly service or what you record. Apple doesn't typically like nor allow people to have free reign to record phone calls on their devices.

Some recommended pay apps for Apple iPhone:

1. Call Recording by TPS Games - App is free; service is 10 dollars a month

2. Recorder by Retronyms - App is $0.99 and you pay for the time you record.