There are several things that Android users can do but iPhone users cannot. One of those things is call recording. Apple has never added a call recording feature to iOS. So, iPhone users cannot record calls. People who switch from Android to iOS badly miss the call recording feature. But why Apple don’t add call recording feature to iPhone?
The answer is pretty simple. Recording call is illegal in several countries. Call recording laws differ between countries and states. In some countries, you cannot record calls at all. Some countries allow call recording after the consent of both parties and some allow recording after the consent of one party. In both the USA and Canada, it is illegal to record phone calls without consent from both parties. In the US, a person may get up to 1-year imprisonment, and up to 5 years in Canada. There is no law that strictly prohibits voice and call recording of individuals in India. Call recordings can also be reproduced as evidence in court.
Now if Apple wants to add call recording, it will have to add the feature in countries where call recording is legal and hide the feature where call recording is illegal. This will make things really complicated for the company. In case of a mistake, the company may fall into legal trouble.
Now several people will argue that Google also provides call recording in Android. Then why can’t Apple? There’s an explanation.
Google also doesn’t offer call recording natively in Android. But other OEMs add the call recording feature in their custom Skins. If you do not have call recording on your Android phone, you can easily download Android call recording apps. Android ecosystem is open and Google doesn’t have full control over app distribution. So, the company is safe even if there are several call recording apps.
The company already killed the official call-recording API and is also trying to make it hard for app developers to record calls. With Android 10, it blocked call recording via Microphone but developers found a workaround. Now the company is blockading those workarounds too. Back in April 2022, Google also announced that the company is killing third-party call-recording apps.
For Apple, the case is a bit complicated. Apple has full control of app distribution. If a call recording app appears in the App store in a country where call recording is illegal, Apple will get all the blame. So, the company disallows call recording apps from appearing in the App Store. Since you cannot sideload apps on iPhone, there is no automatic call recording app for the iPhone.
Also see: How to Record Calls on an iPhone
There are a few call recording apps for iPhone. These apps basically make a conference call to a recording server for recording calls. Because Apple doesn’t allow any app to access calls. Some people put the iPhone on speaker and then use an external recorder to record phone calls.
I hope now it is clear why Apple doesn’t want to add a call recording feature to iPhone. Android users enjoy this feature but Google is also trying its best to discourage call recording. In coming Android versions, call recording may be completely banned in Android as well.
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