How do you record a FaceTime call with audio?

Screen recording drops the other person's voice, so record the call on a Mac instead. Wave AI for Mac records your microphone and system audio at the same time, capturing the other person without virtual-audio plugins. If you joined through a FaceTime link in Chrome, the Wave Chrome extension records the tab plus your mic.

Can you screen record FaceTime with sound?

Not with the other person's voice. iPhone's screen recorder captures the video but not the other caller's audio, and putting the call on speaker gives poor quality. Recording the call on a Mac with Wave AI for Mac captures both voices directly.

Does FaceTime have a built-in recording feature?

Only for audio calls. Since iOS 18.1, iPhone can record one-to-one phone and FaceTime audio calls: both people hear a notice, the recording and transcript save to Notes, and it isn't offered in the EU and several other countries. For video calls, Local Capture records only your own side, so Wave AI for Mac is the practical way to record both people.

Can you record a FaceTime call on iPhone?

Partly. iPhone's built-in Call Recording covers one-to-one FaceTime audio calls, with a notice to both people, where Apple offers it. Screen recording won't capture the other person's voice. For a FaceTime video call with both sides of the audio, take the call on your Mac and record it with Wave AI for Mac.

Is it legal to record a FaceTime call?

It depends on where you and the other person are. Most U.S. states are one-party consent, meaning one person on the call can record it. Twelve states, including California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Washington, require everyone's consent, and when a call crosses state lines the stricter law usually applies. Tell the other person and get their okay before you start. Wave's state list is at wave.co/use-cases/one-party-consent-states.

How to Record a FaceTime Call — With Both Sides of the Audio

Q: Can you record a FaceTime call?

Yes, with limits. iPhone's built-in Call Recording covers one-to-one FaceTime audio calls in supported countries and announces itself. For a FaceTime video call with both voices, take the call on your Mac and record it with Wave AI for Mac, which captures your microphone and the call audio together and produces a transcript and AI summary. Tell the other person you're recording.

Last updated: November 3, 2026

To record a FaceTime video call with both voices, take the call on your Mac and record it with Wave AI for Mac, which captures your microphone and the call's audio together and turns it into a speaker-labeled transcript and AI summary. On iPhone, Apple's built-in Call Recording covers one-to-one FaceTime audio calls only, with an announcement.

Ways to record a FaceTime call

How do I record a FaceTime video call with audio?

Take the call on your Mac and record it with Wave for Mac. Wave captures your microphone and your Mac's system audio at the same time, so both sides of the call are recorded, with no plugin and nothing joining the call.

Install Wave for Mac and sign in, then allow microphone and system audio access when asked.
Start or answer the FaceTime call on your Mac.
Click record in Wave. Tell the other person you're recording.
Stop when the call ends. The transcript, speaker labels and AI summary appear in your library.

Recording a FaceTime audio call on iPhone

In many countries, though not the EU and some others, you can record a one-to-one FaceTime audio call: tap the more button during the call, then Call Recording. Both people hear a notice that the call is being recorded, and the recording and transcript save to a Call Recordings folder in Notes.

Apple: Use audio call tools in FaceTime

What about Local Capture and screen recording?

Neither gives you a clean recording of the other person on iPhone.

Screen recording captures the video, but not the other caller's audio.
Local Capture, in Control Center, records high-quality audio and video of your side of a video call to the Files app. Apple designs it to be combined with the other participants' own recordings afterward.

Do you need consent to record a FaceTime call?

In the US, most states let you record a call you're part of, but twelve states require everyone's consent, and the stricter rule usually applies across state lines. Tell the other person before you start.

One-party and all-party consent states

The problems you know too well

FaceTime Has No Record Button

Since iOS 18.1, iPhone can record phone calls and one-to-one FaceTime audio calls, but it plays a notice to both people, saves to Notes, isn't offered in the EU and several other countries, and doesn't record the other side of a video call.

A Screen Recording Loses the Other Person's Voice

iPhone's screen recorder captures the video but not the other caller's audio. On a Mac, QuickTime records only your mic unless you install virtual-audio tools like BlackHole or Loopback. Wave for Mac captures both voices with no workaround.

A Video Clip Still Isn't Notes

Even when a recording works, you're left with a file to scrub through. Wave turns the call into a searchable transcript and an AI summary with decisions and action items, so you can find what was said instead of rewatching it.

Features

Everything you need to capture every conversation

Wave for Mac Captures Both Sides

Wave for Mac and Windows records your microphone and your computer's system audio simultaneously. Take the FaceTime call on your Mac, hit record, and both your voice and the other person's come through — no bot, nothing joining the call.

No Virtual-Audio Setup Required

FaceTime doesn't accept plugins or bots, and QuickTime needs a routing tool to grab system audio. Wave records at the system level out of the box — no BlackHole, no Loopback, no Soundflower, no audio-device juggling before every call.

Chrome Extension for FaceTime Web Links

People without an Apple device can join a FaceTime link in the latest Chrome or Edge. When the call is running in a Chrome tab, the Wave Chrome extension records that tab plus your microphone, with the same transcript and summary.

Speaker-Labeled Transcript

Every FaceTime recording becomes a full transcript with automatic speaker labels and timestamps, so you know exactly who said what — not just a wall of unattributed text.

AI Summary with Action Items

Key decisions, action items, and follow-ups are pulled out automatically after the call ends. Share the recap instead of writing notes from memory or re-listening to the whole conversation.

Searchable Library You Can Ask

Every call lands in one searchable library, and you can ask Wave questions about any recording — answers come cited straight from the transcript, even months later.

Perfect for

Long-distance FaceTime catch-ups you want to rememberRemote interviews and consultations held over FaceTimeClient and freelance calls that happen on FaceTimeFaceTime audio calls where you need accurate notesFamily calls you don't want to forget the details ofCross-device calls joined through a FaceTime web link

FAQs

Common questions

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