iPhone Finally Gets Call Recording Feature with iOS 18.1 Developer Beta 1
iPhone users are finally getting a call recording on their devices after 17 years.
Millions of iPhone users are finally getting a call recording on their devices after 17 years. With the recently released iOS 18.1 developer beta 1, a feature that Android users have enjoyed for years is only now making its way to the iPhone, but I've learnt to appreciate little wins.
As someone who often needs to jot down important details from calls, this will be a game-changer. No more frantically trying to scribble notes while on the phone.
To access this feature as an iPhone user, you'll need to join the iOS 18.1 beta waitlist via Settings. Once you get the update, you will find a new audio recording option at the top-left corner of the call screen, when you make a call. When clicked, iOS announces that the call is being recorded to alert the other parties. After the call ends, the recording is saved in the built-in Notes app.
Oyinebiladou Omemu
The best part about the feature is the automatic transcription. With this, you can easily skim through the transcript of the call to review your conversations, or even ask Apple Intelligence to summarize the entire conversation. The tool uses the on-device Neural Engine, ensuring personal data isn’t processed in Apple or third-party clouds.
With this, Apple has taken a step further with this call recording feature compared to its Android counterparts. But, in what might sound like a bit of a letdown to many, the call recording feature is currently exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max users who are part of Apple’s developer program. Public testers can expect access to this beta feature in the coming weeks, and the final iOS 18.1 build is anticipated to launch in October.
As this is still a beta version there might be some bugs or limitations. But, I can already imagine all the ways it will improve my productivity and organization.
Notably, the iOS 18.1 developer beta 1 also brings an early look at upcoming Apple Intelligence features, including a new search interface for call history, an autofill feature for phone numbers, and an option to switch SIM cards seamlessly during a call.
Emmanuel Oyedeji
