Sometimes we want to know how to record voice calls on WhatsApp, because they are being used more and more. Unfortunately, recording calls made through WhatsApp itself is more complicated than when they are conventional voice calls, but there are solutions .
In 2015 it was rumored that WhatsApp would allow recording conversations natively, but it is clear that the company changed its intentions. It is true that this function would raise privacy concerns, but in certain contexts it is acceptable and even necessary .
Before explaining how to carry out the process, let's take a look at if it is allowed in Spain. We are not specialists in legal matters, which always admit exceptions, but the issue seems quite clear in this specific case .
Is it legal to record WhatsApp calls?
The Spanish courts have ruled on WhatsApp on many occasions, although voice calls have not touched them. It is possible to think that they would apply the same jurisprudence as normal telephone conversations First of all, let's clarify that recording WhatsApp calls (or other communication) in which we do not participate violates The right to privacy .
If you are wondering how to record voice calls on WhatsApp, you are most likely thinking of your own. Well, it is legal to record a call in which we participate, even without notifying the other party. Of course, then it depends on the use we make of the recording .
In general, in the trials the recordings of calls are fully valid If your boss tells you about a work issue on WhatsApp, it would be a valid proof. What is not so clear is what would happen if, along with professional issues, other personal issues were touched, so we must be very careful
Another issue would be to record the voice call and forward it to other people, in which case we would be invading their privacy, and we could suffer legal consequences.
In every country the law is different, for example, in the state of California (USA) it is very restricted. Since WhatsApp, Facebook, Google, Apple and many large technology companies have their headquarters there, many times they prevent recording calls in other places where there should be no limitations .
Hands-free and external recorder
On WhatsApp, Android and iOS there are various restrictions when recording calls, which makes the most efficient system uncomfortable and saves the voice with a quality not always perfect .
Basically, it requires the WhatsApp call in hands-free (to be heard loudly through the mobile speaker), and use a voice recorder to record the conversation, which will surely be among the mobile's pre-installed apps .
Let's see the example with a Xiaomi smartphone (we have already explained how to record calls in Xiaomi), although the steps are almost identical in other manufacturers:
- First we look for the mobile voice recorder, if there is none installed we can download a call recorder app from the store .
- Now we have to press the record button, which will almost certainly be a red circle:
- Almost all recorders work in the background (while we use other apps), with a notification that the microphone is being accessed:
- We will search for the person we want to call and we will touch the phone icon from the WhatsApp window:
- It is essential to press the speaker icon to activate hands-free, as we will really be recording the other's voice from the microphone person (playing on speaker):
- When we end the call it is necessary to end the recording in the recorder app , and then make suresave the audio to keep it:
- If the other person calls us , in principle there should be no problem activating hands-free in WhatsApp and going out tosystem menu to open the recorder and start recording .
In general, it should be possible to record voice calls with your own mobile, in our tests we have not found any problems. If in some case the system does not allow it, you would have to resort to the hands-free trick (mobile speaker) and record on a different device.
For example, using the voice recorder that comes with Windows 10 if we have a PC at hand, or with thesomeone else's phone , which will almost certainly come with an app pre-installed. It is important that we are in a quiet environment and that the devices are close .
Apps to record WhatsApp calls
If we cannot activate the hands-free or the loss of quality is not acceptable to us, we are going to see how to record voice calls in WhatsApp through apps. However, they may experience problems registering the other party's voice due to operating system limitations .
All programs are for Android, since the iPhone greatly limits its possibilities in this regard. They require, before beginning, to accept the corresponding permission:
Basically, what we propose are screen capture apps on Android, as it is the only reliable way to access voice calls. We leave some free ones for you to choose from:
We will already have the file with the voice call, although it includes both the audio and the video of the screen. It may work perfectly for us like this, but if we prefer to keep only the sound of the WhatsApp call, we can use a free converter and convert it to MP3 .
What if I have an iPhone?
We have seen how to record voice calls for Android mobiles, however, recording calls on iPhone is complex. Apple is jealous of privacy and the iOS operating system has more limitations. It would be possible to jailbreak to get extra freedom and get apps from outside the App Store.
We do not recommend this option, as it is technically very complicated, poses security risks, and voids the device's warranty. It is best to use a program to record the iPhone screen, which requires connecting the terminal to a PC or Mac, but at least it is easy to do and does not involve risks .
On the other hand, iOS includes a screen recorder, which does not capture the voice of our interlocutor in WhatsApp, unless Let's use hands free. We can enable it in this route:
Settings > Control Center -> More Controls -> Screen Recording -> Add
Then it will be possible to start recording from the control center, on the icon with two concentric circles:
We already see that it is possible to record voice calls on WhatsApp, although it is not as simple as we would like. Of course, we must use this possibility respecting the privacy of others, as well as recording calls on Android only when there is a justified reason .
