Call recording: what to look for and the rules
What call recording does
Call recording saves the audio of calls, usually with the date, the number, the agent and the outcome. Teams use it for coaching and quality checks, to settle disputes about what was said, and to meet compliance rules in regulated industries.
Automatic or manual
Some products record every call automatically; others let the agent start and stop recording by hand. Automatic recording is safer for compliance because nothing depends on someone remembering. Manual recording suits teams that only need to capture some calls.
Things that differ between products
- Retention. How long recordings are kept before they are deleted. Plans in the same product often differ, from one month up to unlimited.
- Pause and resume. Needed so agents can avoid recording card numbers or other sensitive details.
- Access control and export. Who can listen, and whether you can export recordings to your own storage.
- Transcripts. Some products add a transcript or AI summary, often as an extra.
- Storage. A stereo recording at 64 kbps uses roughly 58 MB an hour, so storage adds up fast. See our recording storage calculator.
Consent
Rules on recording and consent vary by country and, in the US, by state. The safe habit is to say at the start of the call that it may be recorded, and to check the rules where your callers are. In the EU and UK, recordings that identify people are personal data, so privacy law also applies.
Which apps list call recording
From each provider's own pricing page. “Check” means the page doesn't say, or we haven't verified that app yet.
| App | Status | What the provider says |
|---|---|---|
| CallHippo | Some plans | Professional and above on the core plans. |
| CloudTalk | Included | On every plan. Lite and Starter keep recordings for 1 month; Essential and Expert keep them without a limit. |
| JustCall | Check | Not listed on the pricing page. |
| KrispCall | Check | Not verified yet. |
| PhoneBurner | Included | On every plan. Storage is 30 days on Standard, 90 days on Professional and unlimited on Premium. |
| Quo | Included | Manual on Starter; automatic on Business and Scale. |
| Readymode | Check | Not listed on the pricing page. |
FAQ
Is it legal to record calls?
It depends on where the people on the call are. Some places need only one party's consent, others need everyone's. Tell callers at the start and check the rules for the countries and states you call. This is not legal advice.
How long should I keep call recordings?
As long as your compliance, training and dispute needs require, and no longer. Longer retention costs more storage and can create privacy obligations, so set a written retention policy.