# Recording Calls

> A clear guide to recording your CallTuv calls at no extra cost - turning recording on, staying on the right side of the law, and playing recordings back later.

**TL;DR:** Turn the recording switch on before dialing (it's free), and the recording appears with the call in your history for playback or MP3 download. Recording lawfully is your responsibility - when in doubt, tell the other person.

CallTuv can record your calls for you, at no extra cost - useful for keeping important business conversations, instructions you don't want to forget, or agreements made over the phone. The recording is saved with the call in your history, where you can listen to it again or save it to your computer. (Curious why it's included free when others charge for it? See our [free call recordings](https://calltuv.com/free-call-recordings) page.)

## How to record a call

The key thing to remember: **turn recording on before you dial**, not during the call.

1. Open the dialer as usual (see [How to Make a Call with CallTuv](/help/5273948-how-to-make-a-call-with-calltuv)).
2. Before pressing the call button, look for the **recording button** near the other call controls - it looks like a small sound-wave symbol. Tap or click it once so it's switched on.
3. The very first time you turn it on, CallTuv shows a short notice asking you to confirm that you understand you're responsible for recording lawfully (more on that just below). Confirm it once and it won't ask again.
4. Now dial. The entire call, from "hello" to hang-up, is recorded.

Once a call is in progress, the recording switch is locked - it can't be turned on or off mid-call. So if you think you might want a recording, switch it on before dialing; it costs nothing either way.

The button works exactly the same on the website and in the mobile app.

## A word about the law

Different countries (and different US states) have different rules about recording phone calls. In some places it's enough that *you* know the call is recorded; in others, **everyone on the call must agree**. CallTuv can't know which rules apply to your particular call, so the responsibility rests with you.

The simplest habit that keeps you safe nearly everywhere: at the start of the call, say "just so you know, I'm recording this call." More detail is in our [Acceptable Use Policy](https://calltuv.com/acceptable-use-policy).

## Listening to a recording

1. Open your [call history](/help/7482016-your-call-history) - the **History** page on the website, or the **Recents** tab in the app.
2. Find the call - recorded calls show a small **play button**.
3. Tap or click play, and the recording plays right there.

Two things you might see, both normal:

- **"Recording is processing"** - right after a call ends, CallTuv needs a short moment to prepare the audio. Wait a minute and try again.
- **"Recording link expired"** - for security, each playback session is temporary. If you left the page open a long while, just press play again and it starts fresh.

## Saving a recording to your device

Next to the player there's an **Open recording** option. It opens the recording as a standard audio file (MP3 format - the kind any computer or phone can play), which you can then save wherever you keep important files.

## Who else can hear my recordings?

Recordings belong to your [team](/help/6027384-how-teams-and-shared-balance-work), just like the rest of the call history - so people on your team can listen to recordings of the team's calls. If you're the only person on your team, only you can hear them.

## If a recording didn't work

Very occasionally an entry says **"Call recording failed"** - the call itself went through fine, but the audio couldn't be captured. We're sorry when that happens; a failed recording unfortunately can't be recovered. The call is billed normally like any other.