--- title: "Recording WhatsApp calls with clients: a guide for lawyers" description: "How lawyers can record client WhatsApp calls with consent, keep a transcript of who said what for the case file and search past calls on Mac or Windows." canonical: "https://kaptionai.com/blog/en/record-whatsapp-calls-for-lawyers/" lang: "en" --- # Recording WhatsApp calls with clients: a guide for lawyers > How lawyers can record client WhatsApp calls with consent, keep a transcript of who said what for the case file and search past calls on Mac or Windows. Canonical: https://kaptionai.com/blog/en/record-whatsapp-calls-for-lawyers/ Many clients no longer email their lawyer or book a meeting. They call on WhatsApp, often from the car or between shifts, and explain the whole case in twenty minutes: dates, names, what the other side said, what they signed. When the call ends, all you have is whatever you managed to write down while listening. WhatsApp has no record button, on the phone or on a computer. This guide shows how a lawyer can record client calls on WhatsApp with the client's consent, get a transcript that shows who said each line, and find a detail from a call weeks later, using Kaption on a Mac or PC. *Updated October 2026* ## Why client calls on WhatsApp are hard to keep track of A client call carries the facts you build the case on. The date a notice arrived, the amount a landlord asked for, the exact words of a phone conversation with an employer. On WhatsApp those calls have no record at all: the chat shows that a call happened and how long it lasted, nothing more. Taking notes while you listen means you are half listening, and notes written from memory are weak support when two people remember a call differently. A recording with a transcript solves the practical part. You can listen properly during the call and read it back afterwards. ## Ask first, every time Before anything about software: recording laws differ by country and, in the United States, by state. Some places allow a recording if one person on the call agrees; many require everyone on the call to agree. In some countries, recording a private conversation without consent is a criminal offence. Your professional rules may add their own requirements about recording clients. Neither WhatsApp nor Kaption tells the other person that a call is being recorded. So the habit that works everywhere is simple: at the start of the call, say you would like to record it for the file, wait for a clear yes, and stop if the client or anyone else on the call says no. A short message in the chat confirming the agreement leaves a written trace next to the call. ## How to record a client call on WhatsApp Kaption records WhatsApp calls in two places: in the [Kaption desktop app for Mac and Windows](/desktop/), and in WhatsApp Web with the Kaption extension for Chrome and Edge. 1. **Choose a recording mode for your work number.** In Settings › Call recordings, each WhatsApp number has its own setting: Every call, Only when I press Record, or Off. If you keep a work number and a personal number side by side in the desktop app, you can record client calls on one and never record the other. For client work, "Only when I press Record" fits the consent habit above: you start recording after the client agrees. 2. **Talk as usual.** While the call records, a red bar shows the running time and a Stop button. The first time you record, Kaption reminds you to tell everyone on the call. Your side follows WhatsApp's mute. 3. **Find the file.** In the desktop app, the recording goes to Downloads › Kaption Call Recordings as a standard `.m4a` audio file, named after the contact and the time of the call. A new recording never overwrites an older one. In the extension, recordings stay in your browser, where you can download them or have Kaption save a copy of each new one to a folder you choose. Kaption records voice calls and the audio of video calls. It does not record the picture, and it only records WhatsApp calls made in the desktop app or in WhatsApp Web with the extension: not regular phone calls, and not other apps. ## A transcript that shows who said what For a case file, the useful part is the text. Kaption keeps the client's voice and yours on separate tracks and transcribes each side on its own, so every line of the transcript is labelled with who spoke. You can see at a glance which statement came from the client and which question came from you. Sides that stayed silent are skipped. Automatic transcripts are off until you turn them on, so you can also transcribe a single recording only when you need it. Where the transcription runs matters to many lawyers: - **On a Mac with macOS 26**, the desktop app can transcribe calls 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. The desktop app runs on Macs with Apple silicon and on Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit, where it is an early beta. Kaption gives you the recording and the transcript. It does not write a summary of the call or draw conclusions from it; reading the transcript and deciding what matters is still your work. ## Search past calls Months into a matter, the question is rarely "what did we talk about on the 14th?". It is "when did the client first mention the second contract?". The Call recordings screen lists every recording with play and delete, and search covers contact names and transcripts. The search runs on your computer. Because each file is named after the contact and the time, recordings are also easy to file by hand: copy the `.m4a` and the transcript text into the client's folder in whatever system your office uses. ## A routine that works for client calls - Set your work number to "Only when I press Record". - At the start of each call, ask the client if you can record it for the file. Press Record only after a clear yes. - If a third person joins, ask again. - After the call, transcribe it, read it, and copy anything important into the case notes in your own words. - Decide where recordings live and who in the office can open them, the same way you would for any other client document. For the general setup on any computer, see [how to record WhatsApp calls on Mac and Windows](/blog/en/how-to-record-whatsapp-calls-on-mac-and-windows/). For everything the recorder does, see [Kaption call recording](/call-recording/). ## FAQ ### Is it legal to record a WhatsApp call with a client? It depends on where you and the client are. Some places require only one person's consent, many require everyone's, and professional rules can add more. Kaption does not notify the other person, so always tell everyone on the call and ask before you record. Check the rules that apply to you before relying on a recording. ### Does the client know the call is being recorded? Not from WhatsApp or Kaption. Neither sends any notice. You have to tell them yourself, at the start of the call. ### Can I record WhatsApp calls from my phone? No. Kaption records WhatsApp calls made in the Kaption desktop app on a Mac or Windows PC, or in WhatsApp Web with the Kaption extension in Chrome or Edge. It does not record calls on your phone or regular phone calls. ### Can the transcript stay on my computer? Yes, on a Mac with macOS 26 using the desktop app: transcripts can run on the Mac with Apple's speech recognition, so the audio is not sent anywhere for transcription. On Windows, transcripts run in Kaption Cloud. ### Does Kaption summarize the call for me? No. Kaption saves the recording and transcribes each side so you can read who said what. It does not produce call summaries.