WhatsApp does not record calls. There is no record button in the phone app, in WhatsApp Web or in the desktop apps for Mac and Windows, and there is no setting that adds one. If you want a copy of a call, you have to capture the audio some other way.
On a computer there are two realistic ways to do that. You can run a general-purpose screen or audio recorder alongside WhatsApp, or you can use a WhatsApp app that records the call itself. This guide covers both, what each one leaves you with, and the consent question that matters more than either.
Updated September 2026
Why a screen recorder is the usual answer, and where it falls short
Search for "record WhatsApp call on Mac" and most guides tell you to open QuickTime, OBS or a paid screen recorder, start it, then place the call. It works, with three catches.
It needs broad permissions. On a Mac, a screen recorder asks for Screen Recording permission, and capturing the other person's voice usually needs system-audio access or a virtual audio device on top. On Windows you pick the right input and output devices and hope the headset does not switch halfway through.
It captures everything. A screen recording includes whatever else is on your screen and every notification sound that plays during the call. Audio-only recorders are narrower, but they still record the whole computer's sound, not just the call.
It leaves you with a file and nothing else. You get a video or an audio file. If you want to know what was said, you either listen again or upload it to a transcription service, and even then the transcript does not know which voice was yours.
None of this is wrong. If you record one call a month and never need the words, a screen recorder is fine. If calls are part of your work, the steps pile up.
Recording the call itself: the Kaption desktop app
Kaption for Mac and Windows is a desktop app that runs WhatsApp Web with Kaption's tools built in. Since September 2026 it records WhatsApp calls directly. Here is exactly how it behaves in the current version.
1. Choose how each number records
In Settings › Call recordings, each WhatsApp number you have linked gets its own setting: Every call, Only when I press Record, or Off. If you run a work number and a personal number side by side, you can record one and not the other.
A number that has not chosen yet starts recording when a call begins, and the recording bar asks what you want: Always, Only this call, or Don't record. Choosing "Don't record" throws that recording away completely.
2. Talk as usual
While a call records, a red bar sits over the call with the running time and a Stop button. The first time you record, it reminds you to tell everyone on the call. Your own side follows WhatsApp's mute: if you mute yourself in the call, you are muted in the recording too.
Kaption takes the other person's voice from WhatsApp's own call playback and yours from the microphone WhatsApp is already using. That is why it does not ask for Screen Recording or system-audio permission, and why nothing else on your computer ends up in the file.
3. Find the file in Downloads
When the call ends, the recording is saved to Downloads › Kaption Call Recordings, named after the contact and the time of the call. It is a standard .m4a audio file with both sides mixed together, so it plays in any audio player and can be shared like any other file. A new recording never overwrites an older one.
This works for WhatsApp voice calls and for the audio of video calls. The picture of a video call is not recorded.
4. Read the transcript
Kaption also keeps a separate two-track copy of each call in the app's own data folder. The contact's voice and yours are on different tracks, so each side is transcribed on its own and every line of the transcript shows who spoke. Sides that were silent are skipped.
Where the transcription runs depends on your computer:
- On a Mac with macOS 26, transcripts can run on the Mac itself with Apple's speech recognition, so the audio stays on your computer. Kaption Cloud is the other option.
- On Windows, call transcripts run in Kaption Cloud.
Cloud transcription depends on your Kaption plan. Automatic transcripts are off until you turn them on; you can also transcribe a single recording whenever you want it.
The Call recordings screen lists every recording with play, show in Finder or File Explorer, and delete. Search covers contact names and transcripts, and it runs on your computer.
Recording in Chrome or Edge
If you use WhatsApp Web in the browser, the Kaption extension for Chrome and Edge records calls too. It uses the same recorder and the same choices as the desktop app (every call, only when you press Record, or off) and asks for no extra browser permission.
- Where recordings go: they are kept in your browser. Open Call recordings in Kaption to play, search, transcribe or download them, or choose a folder once and Kaption saves a copy of each new recording there.
- Transcripts: each side is transcribed on its own, like in the desktop app.
- Browsers: Chrome and Edge. Firefox is not supported.
What Kaption does not record
To be precise about the limits:
- Only WhatsApp calls made in the Kaption desktop app or in WhatsApp Web with the Kaption extension. It does not record regular phone calls, FaceTime, Zoom or any other app.
- Desktop app computers: Macs with Apple silicon (M1 or newer) and Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit, where the app is an early beta. There is no Intel Mac or Linux version of the app; on those computers, use the extension in Chrome or Edge.
Consent comes first
Recording laws differ by country and, in the United States, by state. Some places only require one person on the call to agree to a recording; many require everyone. In some countries, recording a private conversation without consent is a criminal offence.
Kaption does not send the other person any notice that the call is being recorded. That is why it reminds you to tell them. The simplest rule works everywhere: say at the start of the call that you would like to record it, and stop if anyone says no. For anything with legal weight, check the rules where you and the other person are.
Which method should you use?
| Screen or audio recorder | Kaption desktop app |
|---|
| Permissions | Screen Recording and often system audio | None beyond WhatsApp's own microphone |
| What is captured | Screen and/or all computer sound | The WhatsApp call's audio only |
| Output | Video or audio file | .m4a in Downloads, plus a transcript |
| Who said what | No | Yes, each side labelled |
| Several WhatsApp numbers | Not relevant | Per-number recording settings |
| Works for other apps | Yes | No, WhatsApp calls only |
If you record calls from many apps, keep a general recorder. If your calls happen on WhatsApp and you want the words afterwards, recording inside the app is faster and captures less.
For a full walkthrough of the feature, see how call recording works in Kaption. If you are still deciding on a desktop app, we compared Kaption, WhatsApp Desktop, Volt and ChatMate feature by feature.
FAQ
Can you record WhatsApp calls on WhatsApp Desktop or WhatsApp Web?
Not with WhatsApp's own apps. Neither has a record option. You need a separate recorder running alongside it, or Kaption, which records the call itself: in its desktop app, or in WhatsApp Web with the Kaption extension for Chrome and Edge.
Does the other person know I am recording?
WhatsApp does not tell them, and Kaption does not either. Tell them yourself before you start; in many places that is a legal requirement, not just good manners.
Where do Kaption call recordings go?
In the desktop app, into your Downloads folder, inside a folder called Kaption Call Recordings. Each file is named after the contact and the time of the call. In the Chrome and Edge extension, recordings are kept in your browser, and you can download them or have Kaption save a copy of each one to a folder you choose.
Can I record WhatsApp video calls?
Kaption records the audio of WhatsApp video calls. The video itself is not recorded.
Can I stop Kaption from recording every call?
Yes. In Settings › Call recordings, choose Only when I press Record, or Off, separately for each number. You can also press Stop on the recording bar during any call.
Does call recording work on Windows?
Yes. The Windows app is an early beta for Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit. Recordings save to Downloads the same way as on a Mac, and transcripts run in Kaption Cloud.
