Research conducted October 2026 from official documentation, research papers and legal references. Details may change.
Not legal advice. This guide is general information, current as of October 2026. Laws vary and change; check the law where every participant is, or ask a lawyer.
Short answer: it depends on where everyone is. U.S. federal law and most states allow recording if one participant (which can be you) consents. Some states require everyone's consent. The safest habit everywhere is to tell people you're recording and get a clear yes [1][2].
One-party vs. all-party consent
- One-party consent. Federal wiretap law allows a person who is part of a conversation to record it, unless the recording is made to commit a crime or tort [1]. Most U.S. states follow this approach [2][3].
- All-party (two-party) consent. A minority of states, including California, require everyone in a confidential conversation to agree [2][3]. The Reporters Committee keeps a state-by-state guide [2].
When participants are in different states, the stricter rule may apply, so many teams default to everyone's consent [2][3].
Outside the U.S.
In the EU and UK, a recording of identifiable people is personal data. You need a lawful basis under GDPR Article 6, such as consent or legitimate interests, plus transparency about what you do with it [4]. Workplace recordings often also involve employment rules and internal policies.
Meetings, interviews and lectures
- Work meetings: announce it at the start ("I'm recording for notes; any objections?") and follow your company policy.
- Interviews: get consent on the recording itself, at the start.
- Lectures: many schools have their own recording rules; ask the instructor.
- Phone and video calls: the same consent laws apply, and the other person may be in a different state or country [2].
Privacy: where does the recording go?
Consent is half of it. The other half is what happens to the audio. Cloud note-takers store recordings and transcripts on their servers, and their privacy policies explain how that data is processed and shared [5]. Before you record sensitive conversations, check:
- Is the audio uploaded, or transcribed on your device?
- Who can access it, and is it used to train models?
- Can you delete it, and how?
Keepsay transcribes on your iPhone with no account for on-device use [6]. Recordings stay on your phone unless you share them. If you turn on optional Cloud AI summaries, only the transcript text is sent, never the audio [7].
A simple consent checklist
- Say you're recording and why, before you start.
- Get a clear yes, ideally on the recording.
- Stop if anyone objects.
- Store the recording securely and delete it when you're done.
- Share transcripts only with people who need them.
Related: iPhone meeting recorder apps in 2026
Sources & methodology
Methodology. In October 2026 we read the official documentation, papers, repositories and legal references listed below, and checked that every link loaded. We did not run benchmark tests. Keepsay facts come from its App Store listing, website and app code; Keepsay supports 12 recording languages.