Using Google to record a phone call

The New York Times explains how:

First, Google can only record calls you receive via Google Voice, not those you dial out yourself. Second, Google announces to all parties that the call is being recorded, so you can’t use it to trap  callers. (Recording a call without the consent of all parties is illegal in some states. Recording a call without anyone on the call knowing it is a federal crime.)



To set up call recording, you must create a Google Voice account. If you’ve already got a Gmail or an iGoogle account, you can use your existing user name and password. Or, you can create one when you first use Google Voice with your browser. The service will give you a Google phone number, with an  area code that may differ from the one on your phone. Then, it will prompt you for a cellphone or land line number where incoming calls to your Google number will be forwarded.

Recording is easy. At any time during an incoming call, press 4 on your phone. A lady’s voice will announce to everyone on the call, “This call is now being recorded.” Continue with your call. After you hang up, Google Voice, whose interface looks a lot like Gmail, will create an inbox entry for the recorded call. You can click to play it in your browser, or download it to your computer as a plain old MP3 file. It’s a lot easier than trying to take notes while you talk, and – provided your caller doesn’t mind being recorded – it’s much less disruptive.