How to Record a Phone Call on Android

Recording a phone call on Android starts in the phone's calling app, and the controls depend on that app. Google's Pixel route uses Call Assist > Call Recording during a connected call. Samsung Phone has its own Record control.

Check support for the model, carrier and region first. A missing button does not automatically mean the phone is faulty, and screen recording is a different feature.

Check the calling app and supported phone

Google's call-recording requirements specify Pixel 6 or later with Android 14 or later, or Android 9 or later on supported non-Pixel devices. The Phone app must be current; region and carrier support also matter.

Samsung's Galaxy recording guide likewise makes availability dependent on the model, region and One UI version. Follow the matching app's instructions.

Status: Google Phone and Samsung Phone recording paths checked October 29, 2026. Availability varies by device and region. No call was placed or recorded.

Before recording, tell the other participant and obtain the permission required where the call takes place. Google warns that consent requirements vary. The app's spoken announcement is not a substitute for checking those requirements.

Start and stop in Google Phone

Make or answer the call, then use the relevant control:

• Pixel: Tap Call Assist > Call Recording. Finish with Call Assist > Stop.
• Other supported phones using Google Phone: Tap Record, then Stop recording when finished.

Google says recording cannot start before the call is answered, while it is on hold, or in a conference call. Both participants hear notices when recording starts and stops.

Keep this procedure to calls handled by Google Phone. A button in another app with a similar handset icon can have different capabilities and menus.

Use Samsung Phone's recording control on a Galaxy

Samsung says its supported One UI 7 and later phones have a Record icon during the call. Some devices place it behind More. Tap the record control again to stop.

Samsung's regional guide gives More options > Record call as the manual route. These are menu variations, so look for the recording action shown on the particular phone rather than following Pixel's Call Assist path.

In Samsung Phone, open More options > Settings > Record calls > Recorded calls to find saved audio. The US guide also identifies recorded entries in Recents with a microphone icon.

Transcripts and summaries are separate capabilities. Samsung lists Galaxy models that can record but do not offer those text features. Audio can still be available when there is no summary text.

For eligible phones needing repeated recording, the regional guide documents Record calls > Auto record calls, with choices for all calls, unsaved numbers or specific numbers. Enable only the scope actually needed.

Play the saved audio before relying on it

In Google Phone, open Home, select the caller and use Play. For an earlier recorded call, open History and select its recording. Share can export audio to a supported app.

Google says recordings stay on the device without an off-device backup; deleting the associated call log also deletes its recording. The Android backup overview explains the limits of the system backup indicator.

Our check is to play the saved call and confirm it contains the conversation needed before removing the phone's copy. Review the recipient and the file itself before sharing private audio.

When the recording option is missing

Check the phone model, software version, calling app and regional availability with its manufacturer or carrier. Ask whether that exact combination supports recording before attempting a reset or reinstall.

The Samsung screen recorder cannot substitute for this control. Samsung states that its screen-recording feature excludes phone, VoIP and video calls.

If a supported device still cannot record an answered call, give Google or Samsung Support the app version and the missing control's location. For a saved file that will not play, retain it while support checks the problem.

The Short Version

Use the recording control in the calling app that actually handles the call. Support and menu wording vary. Check the saved audio afterward and preserve anything needed before deleting call history or resetting the phone.