Why it is hard on iPhone specifically
Android had background call-recording apps for years. On iPhone it was never possible: Apple does not give apps access to the audio of a phone call. That is an Apple privacy decision, and it has not changed. What changed in 2024 is that Apple added recording of its own — with its own rules. Everything else works around the limit somehow: a conference call, an external device, or recording outside the phone altogether.
Option 1: Apple's built-in recording (iOS 18.1 and later)
What it is. Since iOS 18.1 (October 2024) you can record a phone or FaceTime call from the Phone app.
How to start it. During the call, tap "More", then "Call Recording". Apple: "Both call participants hear an audio notice that the call is being recorded" and "the audio notice replays periodically during the call." The recording is saved to a "Call Recordings" folder in Notes. In select regions and languages there is a transcript, and on devices with Apple Intelligence — a summary.
In Israel, in Hebrew. Hebrew is on Apple's language list, and Israel is not on the blocked-regions list (the EU, Gulf states, Turkey and Russia are). Check Settings › Apps › Phone for the option.
Pros. Free. Built in. No app.
Cons. You tap on every call — an incoming call you did not tap is not recorded. The spoken notice plays to the customer and cannot be turned off. Recordings live in Notes, not in a customer card, with no search across calls and no CRM connection. Detailed comparison with Haro.
Option 2: Recorder apps (TapeACall and similar)
How it works. The app does not record your call directly — it cannot. It opens a conference call: it dials the vendor's number and merges it into your call, and the recording happens there. For an incoming call you answer, open the app, and add their line.
Pros. No particular iOS version needed. Sharing and export.
Cons. Started on every call. Depends on "conference calling" being available on your plan (not every Israeli plan). Your audio passes through a foreign server. Some well-known apps have shut down (Rev Call Recorder announced closure). Usually no Hebrew transcript.
Option 3: A separate recorder device (PLAUD Note and similar)
How it works. A thin card that snaps onto the back of the iPhone (MagSafe). In "call" mode a vibration sensor picks up the phone speaker's vibrations and records both sides. There is an app and an AI subscription for transcription and summaries (PLAUD: free Starter with 300 minutes a month, Pro, Unlimited). Hebrew is on PLAUD's language list. Device price: US$159.
Pros. Also records in-person meetings and lectures — not just calls. Good transcription quality. Works with any phone.
Cons. Must be attached, charged, and pressed on every call. Incoming call while driving? Probably not recorded. Records the speaker, not the line. No customer card, no CRM connection. Detailed comparison: PLAUD vs Haro.
Option 4: Recording on the phone line (at the carrier)
How it works. Your call passes through the mobile network before it reaches the device. A service connected to the network records it there — so the phone itself is not involved. It does not matter whether it is an iPhone or Android, whether an app is open, or whether you remembered to press.
How to join in Israel. Two ways: (a) a business plan with Hot Mobile, whose line connects to the service; (b) the recording service's eSIM added to the iPhone as a second line, on any carrier. Either way the number does not change. This is how Haro works; other Israeli providers (Extra Mobile, for example) also record at the network level.
Pros. Fully automatic — every call, incoming and outgoing, even while the phone was off. No app, no device, no button. Audio from both sides, from the line. With Haro: Hebrew transcript, summary, tasks and a customer card for every call.
Cons. A monthly subscription (Haro: from 250 ₪). Requires a carrier connection or a second SIM. Does not record WhatsApp, FaceTime or Zoom — phone calls only. Does not record in-person meetings.
Comparison table
| Apple's recording | Recorder app | Device (PLAUD) | Phone line (Haro) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Records by itself, nothing to start | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Incoming and outgoing | only if you tapped | only if you started it | only if you started it | ✓ all |
| Other party hears a notice | yes, repeating | depends | no | no |
| Hebrew transcript | select regions | usually not | yes | ✓ with who-said-what |
| Summary and tasks | summary (Apple Intelligence) | no | summary | ✓ summary, tasks, calendar |
| Customer card / CRM | no | no | no | ✓ |
| Extra device needed | no | no | yes ($159) | no |
| Records in-person meetings | no | no | ✓ | no |
| Records WhatsApp | no | no | via the speaker | no |
| Cost | free | free / subscription | $159 + AI plan | subscription, from 250 ₪/month |
| Best for | the occasional call | no iOS 18 | meetings, lectures | a business with many calls |
What is legal in Israel
- Recording a call you take part in — allowed, even without telling the other party. The Wiretapping Law, 1979, treats a participant's recording as not "wiretapping".
- Recording other people's calls that you are not part of — prohibited (except as the law provides).
- Businesses that sell by phone must record from 2026: Amendment 73 to the Consumer Protection Law (passed July 2026) requires a business marketing remotely to record every consumer call, notify about the recording, keep it for two years and hand it over on request. What it means for your business.
- "Allowed to record" does not mean "allowed to do anything with the recording": employee and customer privacy and sensitive data still apply.
This page is general information, not legal advice.
Which option is right for you
- One important call a week, and the notice doesn't bother you → Apple's recording. Free and enough.
- No iOS 18, and patience to start it each time → a recorder app, after checking it works with your plan.
- Meetings in a room, lectures, interviews → a device like PLAUD.
- A business: dozens of calls a day, incoming calls nobody remembers, a team, records needed in a customer card → recording on the phone line. How it works with Haro.
Some combine them: Apple for a private call worth keeping, Haro for every work call.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, two ways: Apple's built-in recording (from iOS 18.1, manual, with an announcement to the other party) or recording on the phone line at the carrier (automatic for every call, no announcement) — which is what Haro does.
According to Apple's availability page, recording is available in Hebrew, and Israel is not on the list of regions where the feature is blocked (the EU and Gulf states, for example, are). Transcripts are available 'in select regions and languages' — check on your device. Checked 22 Sep 2026.
With Apple's recording — yes, both parties hear a spoken notice, and it repeats during the call. With apps — depends on the app. With recording on the phone line (Haro) — no notice is played.
In Israel you may record a call you take part in, without the other party's consent — it is not 'wiretapping' under the Wiretapping Law, 1979. Businesses that sell by phone have a separate duty from 2026 to record and notify (Amendment 73 to the Consumer Protection Law). Not legal advice.
Because Apple does not let apps access the audio of a phone call. Recorder apps work around it with a conference call to the vendor's number — which is why you must start them on every call.
Only on the phone line: the carrier (or a service connected to it) records the call on the network, before it reaches the device. In Israel this is done through a Hot Mobile business plan or the recording service's eSIM — that is how Haro works.
Not with methods that record the phone line (WhatsApp calls don't travel on it), and not with Apple's recording (it is for phone and FaceTime calls). An external device will record whatever comes out of the speaker.
PLAUD is excellent for in-person meetings and lectures. For business phone calls — where nobody remembers to start anything — recording on the phone line is better: every call is recorded by itself, incoming included. Full comparison on the PLAUD vs Haro page.