Guide · June 30, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Record Audio on iPhone
By Dmytro Barabash, founder of Nod · Updated October 28, 2026
The fastest way to record audio on an iPhone is the built-in Voice Memos app — open it and tap the red record button. But "record audio" can mean a few different things: a quick voice note, audio during a screen recording, or capturing a call or meeting. Here's how to do each.
Record a voice memo
- Open Voice Memos (it's in the Utilities folder, or pull down and search).
- Tap the red circle to start; tap it again to stop.
- Your recording saves automatically — rename it by tapping the title, and trim or share from the ··· menu.
Voice Memos records from the iPhone's microphone, so it's perfect for spoken notes, interviews in person, or a lecture in the room.
Record audio with a screen recording
To capture sound playing on your iPhone (an app, a video), use Screen Recording:
- Add it via Settings → Control Center → Screen Recording.
- Open Control Center and long-press the record button.
- Tap Microphone on to also capture your voice, then Start Recording.
This records the screen with audio — useful for tutorials, but it captures app audio, not phone-call audio.
Record a call or meeting
Voice Memos can't record a phone call, and recent iOS adds Call Recording directly in the Phone app (with an announcement to both parties). For meetings on Zoom, Meet, or Teams, the cleaner path is often to join from a computer and capture the meeting there, where a notetaker can give you a transcript and notes instead of just an audio file.
Nod is a meeting notetaker for that desktop case. It isn't on iPhone: the desktop app for macOS, Windows, and Linux comes first, with iPhone and Android to follow. On a computer it records your microphone and the computer's own audio, without a bot joining the call, then transcribes and writes the notes (a short summary, key points, action items) on the device. The audio is never written to disk. Nod isn't released yet; you can join the waitlist.
Quick reference
- Spoken note or in-person audio: Voice Memos.
- App/screen audio: Screen Recording with the mic toggle.
- Phone call: the Phone app's Call Recording on supported iOS.
- Meetings at your desk: capture on your computer for a transcript and notes, not just audio.
Wherever you record people speaking, get consent where the law requires it — see meeting recording consent laws.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I record audio on my iPhone?
- Open the Voice Memos app and tap the red record button — it captures from the microphone and saves automatically. For audio playing on the phone, use Screen Recording from Control Center with the microphone toggle on.
- Can I record a phone call on iPhone?
- Voice Memos can't record calls, but recent iOS adds Call Recording directly in the Phone app, with an announcement to both parties. For meetings on Zoom, Meet, or Teams, joining from a computer and capturing there gives you a transcript and notes instead of just audio.
- How do I record audio playing on my iPhone?
- Add Screen Recording to Control Center, then long-press the record button and start a recording — it captures the screen with the app's audio. Toggle the microphone on if you also want your own voice.