How to turn on call recording

In this article, you'll learn how to turn on call recording for your business numbers. With a recording you can go back to a call and hear exactly what was said. That's handy for checking a quote, training someone new, or settling a "that's not what I said" moment.

Recording is set per number. Turning it on for your main line doesn't turn it on for your other lines, so check each number you want recorded.

To open your phone numbers:

  1. In the menu, click Phone.

You can also get there from Settings: under Phone & booking, click Phone numbers.

Turn on recording for a number

  1. Find the number in the Phone numbers list and click Edit next to it.
  2. The number's settings open on the Basic tab.
  3. Tick Record calls.
  4. Click Save at the bottom of the window.
Turning on call recording for a number

Back on the list, the number now shows · recording on next to it, so you can see at a glance which lines are recorded.

A recorded number shows "recording on" in the Phone numbers list
A recorded number shows "recording on" in the Phone numbers list

Play a recording notice to callers

Once Record calls is ticked, a second box shows up under it.

  1. Tick Play a recording notice to callers.
  2. Type what you want callers to hear in the box that appears. If you're not sure what to say, the box suggests "This call may be recorded for quality purposes."
  3. Click Save.
Note: Recording laws aren't the same everywhere. Some states require everyone on the call to agree to be recorded. If that might apply to you, turn the notice on so callers know before the call goes ahead.

Get transcripts of recorded calls

On the same Basic tab you can tick Transcribe recorded calls. Transcripts are made from the recording, so recording has to be on too. If you tick Transcribe recorded calls without Record calls, the window warns you: "Transcription needs call recording on."

To see what you get from a transcript, read Transcribing and summarizing your calls.

Turn on recording in the phone app

You can change the same settings from the app on your iPhone or Android.

  1. Open the menu and tap the gear at the bottom to show Settings.
  2. Under Phone & booking, tap Phone numbers.
  3. Under the number you want, tap Call settings.
  4. On the Basic tab, switch on Record calls.
  5. To play a notice, switch on Recording notice and type your words in the box.
  6. Switch on Transcribe calls if you want transcripts too.
  7. Tap Save at the top right.
Tip: The app's labels are a little shorter than the web's, but they're the same settings. A change you make in one place shows up in the other.

Recording on tracking numbers

If you use call tracking, a tracking number that forwards calls has its own recording box.

  1. In the menu, click Call tracking.
  2. Click Edit next to the tracking number.
  3. With Forward to a number chosen under Calls ring, tick Record calls (callers hear a short recording notice).
  4. Click Save.

If the tracking number is set to ring The CRM instead, there's no box to tick. Its recording follows your main line's settings. For more on tracking numbers, see Using call tracking to see which ads bring in calls.

Note: The window says call settings can take a few minutes to apply, so give a new setting a moment before you test it.

Where to hear your recordings

Recorded calls play right in the conversation with that customer. See Listening to call recordings for how to find and play them.