Record Phone Calls on PC or Mac — 3 Best Methods (2026)

Person wearing headset at computer - Record phone calls on your computer with RECAP

If you need to record phone calls on your computer for legal documentation, business compliance, journalism, or personal reference, this guide covers every method available — including the complete hardware setup and recording process on both Windows and Mac. By the end, you should have working call recording in a single sitting.

Methods to Record Phone Calls on a Computer

There are several ways to capture phone call audio on a PC or Mac. Each method has different trade-offs in audio quality, reliability, and convenience. Here is an honest overview before we dive into the step-by-step instructions.

Method 1: RECAP S2 Hardware Adapter (Best Quality)

The RECAP S2 ($99) is a dedicated audio adapter that connects between your phone and a wired headset, then outputs both sides of the call directly to your computer’s microphone input. Because it captures the electrical audio signal rather than re-recording through the air, you get clean, full-fidelity audio of both voices. No apps, no batteries, no subscriptions — just a hardware connection.

Trade-offs: Requires a wired headset (not Bluetooth), an adapter for phones without a headphone jack, and a separate recording setup on your computer. The rest of this guide walks through the full RECAP S2 setup in detail.

Method 2: Speakerphone + Computer Microphone (Simplest, Lowest Quality)

The simplest approach: put your phone on speaker and use your computer’s built-in microphone (or an external USB microphone) to record the room audio.

How: Place your phone near your computer’s microphone, start a call on speaker, and hit record in any audio software (Audacity, OBS, QuickTime, Windows Sound Recorder).

Trade-offs: Audio quality is poor — you pick up room echo, background noise, and your voice will be much louder than the caller’s. Recordings are often unusable for transcription or legal purposes. This method works in a pinch but is not suitable for anything that requires clear, reliable audio.

Method 3: Google Voice Recording to Computer

If you make calls through Google Voice on your computer’s web browser, you can record incoming calls directly. Google Voice has a built-in recording feature (press 4 during a call to start recording), but it only works on incoming calls and announces the recording to all parties.

Trade-offs: Only works for incoming calls made through Google Voice. The recording announcement cannot be disabled. Call quality depends on your internet connection. You cannot record outgoing calls. Not suitable if you need discreet or flexible recording.

Method 4: Third-Party VoIP Apps with Built-In Recording

Some VoIP (Voice over IP) applications — such as Skype (discontinued May 2025, now redirects to Microsoft Teams), Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and other conferencing tools — offer built-in call recording when you make phone calls through them.

Want to record Zoom, Teams, or other video calls on your computer without the built-in recording announcement? See our guide to recording video calls without notification.

Trade-offs: Requires making your calls through the app rather than your phone’s native dialer. Many VoIP apps notify all participants that recording is active. Recording quality depends on your internet connection. Monthly subscriptions may apply for phone number access. Not practical if you need to record standard cell phone calls from your phone’s regular number.

Why RECAP S2 Is the Best Option for Most Users

Unlike speakerphone recording, RECAP S2 captures a clean analog signal — no room noise, no echo, balanced volume on both sides. Unlike Google Voice or VoIP apps, it works with any phone call from any carrier, on any phone, using your regular phone number. There is no recording announcement, no subscription, and no dependency on internet quality. For anyone who needs reliable, high-quality phone call recordings on their computer, RECAP S2 is the most straightforward solution.

For a deeper comparison of recording software options (Audacity, OBS, QuickTime, and more), see our guide to the best call recording software for PC.

What You Need (RECAP S2 Method)

Recording phone calls to a computer with RECAP S2 requires a hardware adapter to route the call audio from your phone to your PC. Here is the complete list:

RECAP S2 audio adapter ($99) — connects between your phone and headset, and outputs both sides of the call to a recording device
A wired headset with a 3.5mm TRRS plug (most earbuds with a built-in microphone work)
A USB-C or Lightning to 3.5mm adapter — if your phone does not have a headphone jack (most modern phones). See our adapter compatibility guide for tested recommendations.
Recording software on your PC — Audacity (free), OBS Studio (free), Windows Sound Recorder, QuickTime, or another audio recorder

You may also need one of the following depending on your computer’s audio ports:

A USB audio adapter — if your PC has no 3.5mm microphone input at all. See our adapter guide for recommendations.
A TRRS splitter — if your laptop has a single combo headset jack instead of separate mic and headphone jacks

Check Your Computer First (30 Seconds)

Before setting up, run our free Audio Device Scanner to check whether your computer has a stereo microphone input. The scanner runs in your browser in 30 seconds and tells you exactly what audio inputs your computer supports. If your computer does not have a stereo input (common on modern Macs and thin laptops), the scanner will tell you — and a USB audio adapter will solve it.

Hardware Setup: Step by Step

The signal chain is straightforward. Audio flows from your phone call, through RECAP S2, and into your computer’s microphone input.

Step 1: Connect Your Phone to RECAP S2

If your phone has a 3.5mm headset jack, plug RECAP S2 directly into it.
If your phone uses USB-C (Samsung Galaxy S20+, Google Pixel 6+, most modern Android phones): connect a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter to your phone first, then plug RECAP S2 into the adapter. Use an active adapter with a built-in DAC — cheap passive adapters will not work with Samsung or Pixel phones.
If your iPhone uses Lightning: connect Apple’s Lightning to 3.5mm adapter to your phone first, then plug RECAP S2 into the adapter.
If your iPhone uses USB-C: use a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter.

See our compatible adapters guide for tested options, pricing, and where to buy for your specific phone.

Step 2: Connect Your Headset

Plug your wired headset into the headset port on RECAP S2. You will talk and listen through this headset during your calls, just as you normally would. RECAP S2 passes audio through transparently — there is no change to call quality or experience for you or the other party.

Step 3: Connect RECAP S2 to Your Computer

RECAP S2 has a separate output cable that carries both sides of the call audio. This cable connects to your computer’s microphone input (not the headphone jack).

Identify your computer’s audio ports:

Desktop PC with separate jacks: Look for the pink 3.5mm jack on the back or front panel — that is the microphone input. Plug RECAP S2’s output cable directly into it.
Laptop with separate mic and headphone jacks: Plug RECAP S2’s output cable into the microphone jack (usually marked with a microphone icon or colored pink).
Laptop with a single combo headset jack (most modern laptops): You need a TRRS splitter that separates the combo jack into individual microphone and headphone connections. Plug RECAP S2’s output cable into the microphone side of the splitter. TRRS splitters are widely available on Amazon.
Computer with no 3.5mm jacks (USB-C only or no audio ports): You need a USB audio adapter that adds a 3.5mm microphone input via USB. See our compatible adapters guide for recommended USB audio adapters. Plug RECAP S2’s output cable into the adapter’s mic input, and plug the adapter into a USB port on your computer.

Complete Signal Chain

Here is the full connection path:

Phone → adapter (if needed) → RECAP S2 → headset (you talk here)
                                    ↓
                              output cable
                                    ↓
                    PC microphone input (or USB audio adapter)

Once everything is connected, make a test call before recording anything important. Call a friend or your voicemail, and confirm that you can hear the caller through your headset and that they can hear you.

Recording on Windows

Selecting the Right Input Device

Before recording, you need to tell Windows to use the correct microphone input — the one RECAP S2 is connected to.

Right-click the speaker icon in the system tray (bottom-right of your screen).
Click Sound settings (Windows 11) or Open Sound settings (Windows 10).
Scroll down to the Input section.
Under “Choose a device for speaking or recording,” select the input that RECAP S2 is connected to. This will be your computer’s built-in microphone jack (labeled something like “Microphone – Realtek Audio”) or your USB audio adapter (labeled something like “Microphone – USB Audio Device”).
Speak into your headset while watching the input level meter. You should see it move. If it does not, you have the wrong device selected — try the other options in the dropdown.

Adjusting Microphone Volume

The input volume needs to be set correctly or your recording will be too quiet or distorted.

In the same Sound settings window, click on the input device you selected.
Adjust the Input volume slider. Start at 80% and test.
Make a test call and watch the level meter. The meter should bounce actively during conversation without hitting the maximum constantly.

If the audio is too quiet even at 100%, you may need to enable Microphone Boost in the advanced audio settings. See our detailed guide: How to adjust microphone volume on PC.

If the audio sounds distorted or clipped, the input volume is too high. Lower it until the distortion stops. See: How to fix clipping sound in recordings.

Option A: Recording with Audacity (Recommended)

Audacity is free, open-source, and the best option for most users. It gives you level monitoring, voice-activated recording, and audio editing tools.

Initial setup (one time):

Download and install Audacity from audacityteam.org.
In the top toolbar, click the Audio Setup button (or go to Edit > Preferences > Audio Settings).
Set the Recording Device to your microphone input (the same one you selected in Windows Sound settings).
Set Recording Channels to Mono. Phone calls are mono audio — recording in stereo doubles the file size for no benefit.
Click OK.

Recording a call:

Open Audacity and confirm the correct input device is selected in the toolbar.
Start your phone call.
Click the red Record button in Audacity. You should see a waveform appear as audio comes through.
When the call ends, click Stop.
Go to File > Export Audio and save as MP3 (128kbps is sufficient for voice) or WAV.

Voice-activated recording (hands-free):

If you want Audacity to start recording automatically when a call begins:

Go to Transport > Transport Options > Sound Activated Recording and enable it.
Go to Transport > Transport Options > Sound Activation Level and set the threshold. Start at -30dB and adjust — the threshold should be above your room’s background noise level but below normal conversation volume.
Click Record. Audacity will wait silently until it detects audio above the threshold, then begin capturing.

This is especially useful if you want to automatically record every phone call without pressing any buttons.

Option B: Recording with OBS Studio

OBS Studio is a free, open-source tool primarily known for streaming and screen recording, but it also works well as a dedicated audio recorder. OBS is a strong choice if you already use it for other tasks or want to record audio alongside screen activity.

Setup for audio-only recording:

Download and install OBS Studio from obsproject.com.
In the main window, go to Settings > Audio.
Under Global Audio Devices, set Mic/Auxiliary Audio to the input RECAP S2 is connected to.
Click OK.
In the Audio Mixer panel at the bottom, you should see the mic channel. Speak into your headset and confirm the level meter moves.
To record audio only (no video), go to Settings > Output, set Recording Format to MKV or MP4, and under Audio Encoder, choose AAC or MP3.
Click Start Recording when your call begins, and Stop Recording when it ends.

OBS is more complex than Audacity for simple call recording, but it offers flexible multi-source mixing if you need it. For a full comparison of OBS, Audacity, and other recording software, see our software guide.

Option C: Recording with Windows Sound Recorder

If you do not want to install any software, Windows has a built-in option.

Open the Start menu and search for Sound Recorder (Windows 11) or Voice Recorder (Windows 10).
If prompted, select the correct input device.
Click the large Record button to start.
Click Stop when your call ends.
The recording saves automatically in M4A format.

Sound Recorder is simpler than Audacity or OBS but lacks level monitoring, voice activation, and editing tools. It works well for quick, occasional recordings.

Recording on Mac

Selecting the Input Device

Important — Mac users, check your audio inputs first: Run our Audio Device Scanner to see what inputs your Mac supports. Most modern MacBooks (2021 and newer, with Apple Silicon chips) have a single combo 3.5mm jack that is designed for headsets, not line-level input. This combo jack will not detect RECAP S2’s output cable as a microphone input — even though it works fine with Apple earbuds. If the scanner shows no stereo microphone input, you need a USB audio adapter like the Andrea USB-MA. Older Macs (pre-2021) with a separate “Line In” port work directly.

Open System Settings (click the Apple menu > System Settings).
Go to Sound in the sidebar.
Scroll down to the Input section.
Select the input that RECAP S2 is connected to. On older Macs this will be “Line In.” On newer Macs with a USB audio adapter, select the adapter’s name (e.g., “USB Audio Device” or “Andrea USB-MA”).
Speak into your headset and watch the Input level meter. It should respond. If it does not, try selecting a different input device.
Adjust the Input volume slider. Start at 80% and test during a call.

Option A: Recording with QuickTime (Built-In)

QuickTime Player is already installed on every Mac and works well for simple call recording.

Open QuickTime Player (find it in Applications or use Spotlight search).
Go to File > New Audio Recording.
Click the small dropdown arrow next to the record button. Select the input device that RECAP S2 is connected to.
Adjust the volume slider to set recording level. Watch the level meter as you speak.
Click the red Record button when your call starts.
Click Stop when the call ends.
Go to File > Save or File > Export As to save the recording. QuickTime saves in M4A format by default.

QuickTime is simple and reliable but does not offer voice activation or waveform display during recording.

Option B: Recording with Audacity on Mac

Audacity works identically on Mac as it does on Windows. Follow the same steps from the Windows Audacity section above:

Download Audacity from audacityteam.org.
Set the recording device to your Mac’s audio input or USB audio adapter.
Set channels to Mono.
Click Record when your call starts, Stop when it ends.
Export as MP3 or WAV.

Audacity on Mac offers the same voice-activated recording feature — useful for hands-free, automatic call recording.

Recording Software Comparison

Choosing the right recording software depends on your needs. Here is a quick comparison of the most common options:

Software	Platform	Price	Voice Activation	Waveform Monitor	Editing Tools	Best For
Audacity	Windows, Mac, Linux	Free	Yes	Yes	Yes (full editor)	Most users — best balance of features and simplicity
OBS Studio	Windows, Mac, Linux	Free	No	Yes (level meter)	No (recording only)	Users who also stream or need multi-source mixing
QuickTime	Mac only	Free (built-in)	No	Basic	No	Quick recordings on Mac, no install needed
Windows Sound Recorder	Windows only	Free (built-in)	No	No	No	Quick recordings on Windows, no install needed

For a detailed breakdown with advanced options like Reaper and Adobe Audition, see our complete software comparison guide.

Recommended Recording Settings

Whatever software you use on either platform, these settings produce the best results for phone call audio:

Setting	Recommended Value	Why
Sample rate	44,100 Hz	Standard quality, more than sufficient for voice
Bit depth	16-bit	Adequate for phone audio dynamic range
Channels	Mono	Phone calls are mono — stereo doubles file size with no benefit
Export format	MP3 (128kbps) or WAV	MP3 for smaller files, WAV for maximum quality
Input volume	Peaks at -6dB to -3dB	Strong signal without clipping

Troubleshooting Common Issues

No Audio Detected

Symptom: Your recording software shows no input, the level meter does not move.

Fix: 1. Check that you selected the correct input device in your OS sound settings AND in your recording software. These are separate settings — both must point to the right input. 2. Make sure RECAP S2’s output cable is plugged into your PC’s microphone input, not the headphone output. 3. Try a different USB port if using a USB audio adapter. 4. On Windows, make sure the microphone is not muted or disabled in Sound settings > Input device properties. 5. On Mac (2021 and newer with Apple Silicon): The combo 3.5mm jack on modern MacBooks does not accept line-level input from RECAP S2’s output cable. Run our Audio Device Scanner to confirm — if no stereo microphone input appears, you need a USB audio adapter like the Andrea USB-MA.

Audio Too Quiet

Symptom: The recording is barely audible even at full playback volume.

Fix: 1. Increase the microphone input volume in your OS sound settings (see instructions above). 2. On Windows, enable Microphone Boost in the advanced input device properties. 3. In Audacity, use Effect > Amplify after recording to boost the volume. 4. See our detailed guide: How to adjust microphone volume.

Audio Distorted or Clipping

Symptom: The recording sounds crunchy, harsh, or distorted. The waveform in Audacity looks like it is hitting the top and bottom edges (flat-topped).

Fix: 1. Lower the microphone input volume in your OS sound settings. Try 50-60%. 2. Lower the phone’s call volume during the call. 3. In Audacity, if the waveform is clipped, use Effect > Clip Fix to attempt repair (results vary). 4. See our detailed guide: How to fix clipping sound in recordings.

Only Hearing One Side of the Call

Symptom: The recording captures your voice but not the caller’s, or vice versa.

Fix: 1. Make sure your phone adapter is an active adapter with a built-in DAC (not a passive adapter). This is the most common cause on Samsung and Pixel phones. See our adapter compatibility guide. 2. Check that RECAP S2 is fully seated in the adapter and the headset is fully plugged into RECAP S2. 3. Try unplugging and reconnecting each connection in the chain. 4. If using a USB-C adapter on Android, try a different adapter — see our compatible adapters guide for tested options that work reliably on all phones.

Recording Starts but Audio Cuts In and Out

Symptom: Audio drops intermittently during the recording.

Fix: 1. Check all physical connections — a loose cable is the most common cause. 2. If using voice-activated recording in Audacity, the activation threshold may be set too high. Lower it (e.g., from -20dB to -35dB) so the software does not cut out during quieter speech. 3. Try a different cable or adapter to rule out a hardware defect.

Advanced: Automatic Recording

If you record calls regularly and want a hands-free workflow where every call is captured without pressing buttons, you have two options:

Audacity’s Sound Activated Recording — Audacity listens for audio above a threshold and records automatically. Leave it running in the background, and it captures every call. See the setup steps in the Windows and Mac sections above.
A dedicated voice-activated recorder — Digital voice recorders from Sony, Olympus, and Zoom have VOR (Voice Operated Recording) modes that start and stop based on audio detection. Connect RECAP S2’s output to the recorder instead of your PC.

For a complete walkthrough of both approaches, see our guide: How to automatically record every phone call.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I record phone calls on my computer without any hardware?

Not with high quality. Your phone and computer are separate devices, so there is no software that can route live phone call audio from your cell phone to your PC with full fidelity. You can use the speakerphone method (put the call on speaker and record with your computer’s microphone), but the audio quality will be poor due to room noise and echo. For clean recordings of both sides of the call, you need a hardware connection like RECAP S2.

Do I need a specific type of headset?

Any wired headset or earbuds with a 3.5mm TRRS plug (the kind with a built-in microphone) will work. Bluetooth headsets and AirPods will not work — RECAP S2 requires a wired connection because it captures the audio signal from the physical cable.

Can I use RECAP S2 with any phone?

Yes. RECAP S2 works with every phone that supports a wired headset — iPhones (all models, using the appropriate adapter), Android phones (all manufacturers and OS versions), and even landline desk phones with a headset jack. See our adapter guide for the right adapter for your specific phone.

What if my computer only has USB-C ports and no audio jacks?

Use a USB audio adapter that adds a 3.5mm microphone input via USB. See our compatible adapters guide for recommended USB audio adapters. Plug RECAP S2’s output into the adapter, and plug the adapter into your computer’s USB port.

Will the other person know I am recording?

RECAP S2 is a hardware device that does not interact with your phone’s software in any way. It does not trigger any recording notification, beep, or announcement. The other party will not know unless you tell them. Whether you are required to tell them depends on your local recording laws.

What audio quality can I expect?

RECAP S2 delivers a clean analog audio signal directly from the call. Recording quality depends on your software settings, but with the recommended settings (44,100 Hz, 16-bit, MP3 128kbps), you will get clear, professional-quality audio suitable for transcription, legal documentation, or archiving.

Can I use OBS Studio instead of Audacity to record calls?

Yes. OBS Studio works as an audio recorder by setting your microphone input to the RECAP S2 source and starting a recording. OBS is a good choice if you already use it for streaming or screen recording. However, Audacity is generally easier for audio-only call recording because it offers voice-activated recording, a waveform display, and built-in editing tools. See our software comparison guide for a full breakdown.

Is there a way to record phone calls on my computer for free?

The recording software itself is free — Audacity, OBS Studio, QuickTime, and Windows Sound Recorder all cost nothing. The hardware is the only cost: the RECAP S2 adapter is $99 (one-time purchase, no subscription), and you may need a phone adapter if your phone lacks a headphone jack (see our adapter guide for options and pricing).

Ready to start recording phone calls on your computer?

Get RECAP S2 — $99 — captures both sides of any phone call and outputs directly to your PC. No apps, no batteries, no subscriptions.