You’d think that with all of the recent BlackBerry OS updates, RIM would have provided the ability to record phone calls. This can be beneficial for many purposes. Often, people have to take notes when on the phone. That’s no good if you’re not sitting down. Having the voice recorder makes it easier to have the conversation and pick out the important parts later. For others, like me, it is a great tool for interviews. It feels embarrassing sometimes when an interviewee asks for your number, and you have to explain that you must dial in, since the only way you can record the call is via Skype. Is there any way we can record calls on our BlackBerry?
Voice Recorder Notes
If you have a newer OS (mine is 4.3.0.127), you’ll have the Voice Recorder Notes application. When I first saw this, I thought it was a great way to record phone calls. However, as you can see from the screenshot, that just can’t happen. I didn’t expect much of it, anyway. I figured it just used the built-in mic, which means that the caller on the other end would be horribly muffled at best. Instead, the application simply won’t work while the phone is active. So much for that idea.
There has to be a way, though. Right?
Ring2
Back at WES, I ran into a company called Ring2. They deal with conference calling, and have an application built for BlackBerry. In addition to a host of other features, they offer the ability to record conference calls. Since you technically can hold a call with just two participants, you can utilize the feature for your basic call recording needs.
The downside is that it costs. They don’t publish their prices, but expect a monthly fee rather than a flat-rate download. This looks like one of the easiest ways to record your calls.
Grand Central
In searching for an answer to the call recording question, I stumbled across Grand Central, a Google project. Among its many features is the ability to record incoming calls, simply by hitting the number 4 on your keypad. From what I’ve gathered, this only works with incoming calls. Still, it’s better than nothing.
(By the by, does anyone know which weighs more: All of the trees cut down to make U.S. dollars in one year, or all the trains traveling through Grand Central Station in one year?)
Limited options
So it looks like we don’t have a ton of options for recording calls on our BlackBerry devices. RIM didn’t include such an ability in OS 4.5, or at least as far as I’m able to tell. We might see updates to third-party applications like VR+, but even then we can’t be sure if this is on the developer’s agenda.
Anyone have a better solution out there? Please, please leave it in the comments if you do.
65 comments… read them below or add one
I been looking for a solution this this problem as well.
I thought mVoice, from Motionapps, was able to do it.
But now it seems, from what I’m learning, that it’s an OS challenge, and not developers in general.
I have a Treo 680, that has an amazing program called Callrec. That program and Natara’s Bonsai (outliner program, similar to Ideamatrix from Rexwireless), are literally Dealbreakers for determining whether I use my Treo 680, or my blackberry bold!
the best solution: Callrec and Bonsai, remade for the blackberry!
Wouldn’t such an application/use require notification of the other party that the call is being recorded? Or at a minimum issue the recurring “beep” across the line that indicates a call is being recorded in the absence of full notification?
Recording phone calls without consent is illegal in some states, which is why you will never see the functionality built into the blackberry, I’m sure that law extends to far more then the US as well.
One solution is to get a digital recorder like this one http://www.telephonecallrecorder.com/fsv256-133hour-phone-cell-phone-digital-recorder-p-56.html that comes with a earbud that is a microphone. Even though it’s in your ear, it picks up both your voice and the other person’s voice. You do have to be sure to keep the phone still on your ear otherwise you’ll pick up “rubbing” noise from the phone rubbing on the microphone. It’s not the highest quality recording because it’s not a direct connection to the line, it uses a microphone, but it’s a great way to record your calls.
It’s possible on some cell phones, and a few have had them built in. I know some of my older phones had the ability to record conversations for short durations, usually about a minute. They didn’t indicate a beep of any kind to the other person on the line, just to me when I would hold the notes button down.
As one poster stated, in some states it’s illegal to record a conversation without the other parties consent. In the state I live in, the law only requires that one party be aware that the recording is going on.
Im not sure exactly how it works but take a look at recordiapro.com my brother used it for recording incoming calls… somehow. i know u might have to get a new number
just addming my 2 cents.
Recordedcalls.com says they’re coming out with a solution to record calls on rim’s blackberry platform.
Well, I still haven’t found a suitable app for this. But I wanted to address your little riddle
“(By the by, does anyone know which weighs more: All of the trees cut down to make U.S. dollars in one year, or all the trains traveling through Grand Central Station in one year?)”
Neither, they are both fictional amounts. Dollars are made from fabric, not paper. No trains pass THROUGH grand central, they all stop there.
Recordedcalls.com has got to be some kind of scam phishing for emails.
It is rediculous that Blackberry does not have such an app.
It seems so basic, and it would be so usefull for interviews!!!
In terms of legalities. It is NOT illegal to record a phone call between two or more parties as long as you are a part of the conversation and all other parties are aware of this. It is only illegal when you are tapping into a conversation that you are not party to, or are using amplifying olr secretive recording devices to enable you to unnaturally listen to another person’s coversation. (This goes for Canada anyway – need I remind anyone of the mulroney tapes? =))It is more a question of ethics.
Just started a discussion on the blackberry forums. We’re all trying to find an app for recording phone calls as well. (I’m a journalist, and so such an app would invaluable). Any other suggestions on where to find such an app…?
The QmodilSoft support folks said, “We will expand our work to other devices but I can’t tell you when we will have software for Blackberry…It is because Blackberry OS has some limitations regarding call recording.”
What a damn pain… And why can’t Blackberry get it together!?
Has anyone tried mVoice by MotionApps?
Totally maddening. Am now seriously considering ditching the Blackberry 8220 and getting the new Palm Pre. Such a shame. But I really do need this feature. A pity it has proved so difficult for RIM to make it accessible. Thanks for all of your help!
re: palm pre:
no mention that it will be able to do what the older palm os allows…!
for all the bad-mouthing of garnet/palm os, it still allows this function to occur! hah!
if it is, in fact, due to the os not allowing it, then it’s pointless to badger developers regarding it. such is the way it is.
maybe we should badger rim regarding it.
re: lawfulness.
sounds funny to concern about who’s recording who, when I hear, generally, about the govts. always tapping into others phone calls and such. double standards I feel.
Thanks all!
I have the original ENV and it records both incoming and outgoing calls but only the voice of the party on the other line. all you have to do is hold down the CLR button for a couple of seconds.
This really helped when my ex wife interfered with my one allowed phone call a day to my son. The authorities got to here her in the backround interfering with the calls and cackling like a hyena on crack.
Legality? That’s an absolutely asinine argument, even for US republican bible thumper prudes. You know what else is illegal? Issuing death threats on your phone, phoning in false bomb threats, or impersonating a US president on the phone. All can be done with a cell phone, yet calls are still allowed.
https://vr.shapeservices.com/
No I dont work for them…
I’m eager to trade in my outdated Treo700p for something more modern, feature rich, with a better keypad. Digging the blackberry bold… On the Treo700p, I use mVoice from Motionapps–works like a charm to record calls, which I NEED to capture details from calls with clients when I’m not able to take notes (i.e., while driving) Am I stuck? Forever bound to a slowly dying treo? Sounds like developers aren’t able to crack the OS restriction. Won’t Bberry listen? Who’s lobbying them? It’s a dealbreaker for me… and it sounds like many, many others.
It might be illegal to record without other party’s consent, but only in some states. It’s not same as using this record illegally. I don’t see any point in this restriction.
Who wants to record for illegal purposes has a lot of options any way. Making phones without such basic features makes me not taking any phone as more than just a phone (calls only). (I recommend good old paper notbook:)
The set of feature on different phones are so unnatural. Every one lacks something important from what I need.
And BB is just another disappointment
In Canada it’s only necessary for ONE of the parties to know the conversation in being recorded, not both.
Grand Central is now called Google voice. The main downside is for Google voice is that you have to use the number given to you by google. So the other party needs to dial your google number and not your actual number. This is very difficult for people like me who are using the same number from last 7 years.
dont know if this method is any good but what i have tried is put phone onto speakerphone and record with an external recorder like a zoom, quality is spot on1
Berry Record!
“In some states, it’s illegal to record without the other party’s consent” is no reason not to have the feature.
It’s illegal for me to use my cellphone to photograph people in the locker room of the local YMCA without their consent. Yet nearly every cellphone has a built-in camera.
It’s illegal for me to deliberately smash my cellphone into someone else’s nose! Yet cellphones still exist!
Just because it’s *possible* to commit a crime with a feature does not mean that the feature should not be implemented.
Just thought of something: use speakerphone, connect headphone jack to line in of the computer and use Sound Recorder (or equivalent) to save it to mp3!!! I think it should work…
I tried mVoice and it does not record the other person’s voice in the conversation. Only useful for recording grocery lists and face to face conversations, if you ask me.
One idea I came up with was to use google voice, call yourself, start recording, and then three way the person you want to record.
The legal issues are not a problem. I’m not quoting the laws exactly, but in brief, they state that; an illegal wire tap is being performed when none of the parties involved in the recording know that the recording is taking place. In addition, this can be bypassed with a disclaimer stating that the call could potentially be recorded at some point prior to the recording taking place. So long as one person involved in the conversation knows, a disclaimer is present, or a court order has been approved, a recorded call is not illegal.
there is a free app called AMR for HTC, I might go back to HTC, so many apps!
Why is it that on any post you go to regarding something like this you always have whiners having something to say about legalities. Who cares if it’s legal or not. If I had an app or knew of one that would work I wouldn’t hesitate for second to post it.
Just got off of the phone with RIM. Was told that there was no such application and that the only way to “suggest” that one be developed is to send an email to:
ideaprocess@rim.com
I am an attorney and you cannot believe how quickly things settle when I play a person’s own words back for them.
In researching this issue for the past six months, I now believe that the only way to get RIM to understand how serious we are about wanting this app. is by emailing enmass and (if we are able) then voting with our feet (i.e. leaving Blackberry). I hoped it wouldn’t come to that but recording calls is legal in my state as long as 1 party consents, and I NEED the ability to do this. Please join with me and let’s see if we can wake these Canadians up.
Well, I found a workaround to this. It’s not very simple but anyone should be able to do it. First you connect your BB to your pc (laptop, whatever). Then you turn on voice recorder in your bb and any software for recording in your pc and make the call with the speaker on.
After the call you will get 2 mp3: one in your bb with your side of the conversation and the other in your computer with the other party. You copy the mp3 from your BB and mix it with the recording software (audacity, audition, etc). As I said, it’s not the simplest solution but works for me when I’m doing interviews with my bb. Besides you don’t need to pay a cent.
Anyways it’s a shame that RIM won’t allow users to record their phonecalls easily
I plugged my blackberry pearl into my sound mixer and then activated the headset option on my phone. The problem with that is, that you get a weird echo when you speak on the phone.
I do phone interviews for my podcast. I think I’m going to have to switch to a different phone — like a NOKIA 6085 (!) that lets you record calls quite easily.
I have a memory issue and often need to refer to my phone calls. I am looking for an existing app that just fills my flash card with recordings of all my calls in and out. I made this tool, and anyone is free to use it http://www.callbandit.com/ but it requires you to make a 3 way call to 206-456-0802, (Washington state phone number) Free other than the phone call. Not automatic though like my office phone is.
My Treo 755P is hugely missed. I “upgraded” to the Palm Pre and enormously regretted the decision. When I finally convinced Sprint to switch me to a BB Tour a couple months ago there was no app for voice recording both parties of a call. As far as I know the same is still true of the BB Tour. I really miss Mvoice for the Treo, and the Treo as well. The BB has great web capabilities but on this point it is handicapped, needlessly.
i hate my Henlkbri
He has no such software is so complicated
You can not record incoming call
UltimateVoiceRecorder work with all cell phone but not exist for BlackBerry devices
very old nextel 700 or 900 phone i use to have with a click of a button i could record both parties. it worked great especially when i was driving and asked for a cell number. i would then repeat it just in case connection was bad. it was awesome. Maybe Kevin Mitnick could hack it for BB
there is an app, justin mentioned it halfway thru the thread, its exactly what u guys are all whining about its called
BERRY RECORD
Cant beleive the blackberry doesnt have this feature every phone i have had in the past even back to the monochrome lcd phones they all had the record feature, considering blackberry is considerd a busines mans phone its missing a vital business call fature which is recording important phone calls. i have emailed black berry at their address someone else here posted ideaprocess@rim.com
sorry- http://www.recordcellphones.com
simply we are arguing.is there any possibility for BB call recording?
its very essential for a lawyer like me….
mine is BB bold 9000..plz
@Rizwana Nope no call recording.
To record use google voice
press #4 and start recording.
These are deliberate limitations imposed on Blackberry devices by RIM.. protest against this, join the facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hate-RIMs-deliberate-limitations-on-Blackberry/170599672974452
mi hijo de 9 años esta a 500 kilometros de mi y mi esposa en otro pais, deseo grabar las conversas con mi hijo para enviarselo a mi esposa y asi ayudarle a ella a ser fuerte en la lejania, no puede haber cosa mas noble e importante que esta?
Poruque BLackberry nos priva de esto?
Gracias por una app que lo permita, gracias.
@ family2011
1.) Vous et votre femme vous inscrire pour les comptes twitter
2.) Télécharger l’application Twitter pour BlackBerry
3.) enregistrer de courtes vidéos sur votre BlackBerry
4.) Envoyer une vidéo à TwitVid aide de l’application Twitter
5.) sens d’un message @ aide de l’application Twitter à votre compte épouses avec la vidéo ci-jointe.
Do you people really believe RIM or other manufacture’s haven’t thought of this?
A phone call recorder would not be a hard thing to implement and yes it has many uses.
BUT – certain technology (like this) is HELD BACK (yes held back). All the reasons aren’t clear but a major one is that this would give too much power to us consumers. Really think about how often people are misled and just plain lied to.
Why do big companies (especially cable, phone, internet) seem to easily get away with constantly deceiving and gauging customers?
One of the quickest and most efficient ways to settle ANY kind of dispute is with a recording of that person’s words.
This has nothing to do with RIM or anybody else not being able to do this or having the idea. They aren’t allowed to do this.. yet.
“”Why do big companies (especially cable, phone, internet) seem to easily get away with constantly deceiving and gauging customers?”"— This is just one of gov made scams. They try to frame us- to make us to pay for services. They protect criminals cheating on the phone and they will put you to jail if you try protect youself by recording criminal on the phone.
This work-around is pretty simple.
Several posters refer to hooking up to sound mixers, PC’s etc. or use online pay services, or alternate numbers, etc. All this is way too unwieldy and unspontaneous.
Put your BBY or any other cell phone on speaker mode. If any one else you have a good relationship with has a BBY or other phone that can record voice or video, etc. volunteers, or you have any voice recorder
simply put your BBY on Speaker mode.
Then holding the secondary recording device a few inches from your BBY speaker, record both sides with thi other device
Often, your own older or other brand cell phone, whether subcribed to a wireless service or not can be uses as the recorder, so that there’s no extra expense.
Certainly this is one SIMPLE app, as all the hardware is in every BBY. Can Voice Recorder not being able to record the conversation as well, be just a legal
issue at RIM ?
NOKIA Communicator 9200, 9250, I had a blast of recording conversations, very simple and easy
i need this software can you help me plz
In Australia it is illegal to record without consent.
HOWEVER, if you’re a business you can easily say what EVERYBODY nowdays says when you call them: “this call is being recorded for training and quality purposes”.
It’s a shame there’s no easy way to record calls but if you buy a dictaphone you can get a telephone pickup which goes in your ear like an earphone and it will record your call while you talk.
Cant beleive the blackberry doesnt have this feature every phone i have had in the past even back to the monochrome lcd phones they all had the record feature, considering blackberry is considerd a busines mans phone its missing a vital business call fature which is recording important phone calls. i have emailed black berry at their address someone else here posted
There is a solution. You can now buy recording earpieces that look much like an regular earpiece plug into your recording device and hold the phone to your ear, its sensitive enough to pick up both the sound of your phone speaker as well as your dialouge..google it tons out there sold @ most spy shops or ebay
Interesting that as some chatter about illegality, they must not understand that industries (i.e. banking, financial planning, brokerage firms, insurance companies, and more) require recorded agreements before they will transact business – and let’s not forget Verizon who requires recorded agreement to contract extension before they will transact the purchase of certain devices and pricing.
I am about to return my first BB device, a 9930 and just keep my Treo700p. To limit a “business” phone on a tool used so much by so many is making me rethink if I want to make the move to BB.
In response to the answer to the train riddle “Neither, they are both fictional amounts. Dollars are made from fabric, not paper. No trains pass THROUGH grand central, they all stop there.”
The problem still stands:
1. That fabric must weigh something, and it can be estimated.
2. Seriously… there must be a lot of trains in there already, if they just stop there. However, I expect they also leave and make way for other trains to arrive, therefore ‘passing through’.
And the answer is: definitely, the trains, if there are at least a few each day.
This is so annoying, cant listen to radio, cant record calls, cant do so many things………..am selling my BB and go back to Nokia…………A%A%$^%&^$^&$££^!!!
This post brings no value to the world. Your title suggests that you know a way to record phone calls yet the body of your message does not provide any answers… thanks!
I’ll right away clutch your rss as I can’t in finding your e-mail subscription hyperlink or newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Please permit me know so that I could subscribe. Thanks.
Guys, its called Berry Record…
Here’s a link: http://search.4shared.com/search.html?searchmode=2&searchName=Berry+Record
Thank me later…
@KMoney954…your “recommendation” is NOT helpful.
BerryRecord complaints: “The feature brief states recording notes on the run and while on a call. It does not mention an important fact….it does not record both sides of the call. The absence of this bit of info is false advertising.”
Did you do your research first before posting your answer?
I guess you guys are the lucky ones i downloaded Google voice and it says that it currently doesnt have an app for mobile phones but I can still enjoy the voice mail for free. It only works on computers not cell phones
In the UK one-sided consensual intercept is perfectly legal so if a person is (for example) receiving threatning or abusive calls they can record them and ‘hand’ them to police without the other party knowing.
As a small business where we are mobile (ie driving) the ability to record small detail such as addresses etc without stopping a car (which is illegal on UK motorways) is vital as we could easily miss some small detail and lose the business….
I wish all the smartphone companies would sort this problem out as this is an important business need…
I found very simple way to record calls from any phone including both parties.
Email me if you interested