Record and transcribe calls on your Mac, with no bot
An AI note taker for Mac with no bot. Tap Fn + ⌃ on Zoom, Meet or Teams, or pick In person, and Koi writes down who said what on your Mac, with audio or video.
Start here
What is the best call recorder for Mac?
It depends on the call. For Zoom, Meet and Teams with a transcript and video, Koi. For iPhone calls and one-to-one FaceTime audio, Apple's own recording, which is free and tells both sides. For a clean audio file of any app, WhatsApp and FaceTime included, Audio Hijack or Piezo.
We make Koi, so read this with that in mind. Koi is built for online meetings, and we haven't tested it with FaceTime, phone calls relayed from an iPhone, or WhatsApp, so we don't list it for those. Koi also names no one beyond You and Them, and has no free plan. Facts about the other apps come from their own sites, checked October 16, 2026.
By call
Which recorder for which call
| Our pick | Free option | Tells the other side? | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoom, Meet, Teams | Koi | The meeting app's own recorder, if you're allowed | The app's own recorder does. Koi doesn't |
| iPhone calls on your Mac | Apple's Phone app | Apple's Phone app | Yes, both hear a notice |
| FaceTime audio, one to one | Apple's FaceTime recording | Apple's FaceTime recording | Yes, both hear a notice |
| WhatsApp, Discord, Signal | Audio Hijack | OBS Studio, set up by hand | No |
The picks
The best call recorders for Mac in 2026
1. Koi
Best for: Online meetings, with a transcript and screen video
Tap Fn + ⌃ on a Zoom, Meet or Teams call, pick Online call, then Audio only or Audio and video. Koi records your Mac, not the meeting, so nothing joins and you don't need to be the host. Your microphone is You and what the Mac plays is Them, each stretch written down on your Mac, and both sides' sound is kept as an audio file, or with the screen filmed. The audio or video and the transcript stay on your Mac.
After the call, Koi asks whether to summarize it. With a yes, the transcript's words go to Koi's AI online for a summary, your to-dos and a follow-up email draft. Pro is $20 a month after a 3-day trial with a card, or Lifetime from $59 once.
2. Apple's Phone app
Best for: Recording iPhone calls on your Mac, free
On macOS Tahoe 26 and later, a call from your iPhone can ring on your Mac, and the Phone app can record it: click More, then Call Recording. Both people hear a notice. The recording goes to a Call Recordings folder in Notes, and Apple Intelligence can summarize it. Your iPhone and Mac need the same Apple Account, the same Wi-Fi and calls on other devices turned on, and Apple says to check that recording is offered in your language and region.
3. Apple's FaceTime recording
Best for: One-to-one FaceTime audio calls
Apple's FaceTime guide says you can record a FaceTime audio call when you're talking to one other person. Both hear a notice, and the recording and its transcript land in Notes, under Call Recordings. Apple's FaceTime guides for macOS Tahoe 26 and macOS 27 both describe it. It doesn't cover FaceTime video or group calls.
4. Audio Hijack
Best for: A clean audio file of any app, with a transcript
Rogue Amoeba's recorder captures any app's sound plus your microphone. Its supported apps list includes FaceTime, WhatsApp, Zoom, Teams, Slack, Discord, Signal and Webex, but not Google Meet in a browser. A Transcribe block writes a transcript on your Mac with Whisper. It's $69 and runs on macOS 14.4 to 27. You build the recording from blocks, which takes a few minutes the first time.
5. Piezo
Best for: One click, one audio file
Piezo is Audio Hijack's simple sibling: pick an app such as Zoom or FaceTime, press record, and it saves the audio to separate channels for easy editing. No transcript. It's $29 on Rogue Amoeba's store and runs on macOS 14.4 to 27.
6. MacWhisper
Best for: Local transcripts of meeting and chat apps
MacWhisper Pro spots calls starting in Zoom, Teams, Slack, WhatsApp, Telegram, Webex, Discord and browsers, records them and transcribes on your Mac, with up to 8 speakers. Its docs say FaceTime isn't supported because of macOS privacy limits. Pro is €64 once and needs macOS 15.
7. OBS Studio
Best for: Free, if you don't mind setting it up
OBS is free and records an app's sound with its macOS Audio Capture source, on OBS 30 and macOS 13 or later, plus your microphone as a second source. It films the screen too. There's no transcript and no notes, and you set up the scene yourself.
8. Zoom's own recorder
Best for: Hosts on Zoom who only need the file
Zoom records to your computer on the free Basic plan, but only the host, or someone the host allows, can start it. Computer recordings don't include a transcript. Our Zoom guide walks through it.
Comparison
Mac call recorders compared
From each maker's own pages, checked October 16, 2026.
| Records | Transcript | Video | Price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koi | Online meeting apps | On your Mac | Yes, the screen | $20 a month, or from $59 once | Meetings with video |
| Apple's Phone app | iPhone calls | Not stated | No | Free | Phone calls |
| Apple's FaceTime recording | FaceTime audio, one to one | Yes, in Notes | No | Free | FaceTime audio |
| Audio Hijack | Any app | On your Mac | No | $69 | Clean audio of any app |
| Piezo | Any app | No | No | $29 | One-click audio |
| MacWhisper | Meeting and chat apps, not FaceTime | On your Mac | Not listed | €64 once | Local transcripts |
| OBS Studio | Any app, by hand | No | Yes | Free | Free, with setup |
| Zoom's recorder | Zoom, if allowed | Not for computer recordings | Yes | Free on Basic | Zoom hosts |
Consent
Is it legal to record a call on a Mac?
It depends on where you and the other person are, and some places require everyone to agree. Apple's Phone and FaceTime recording play a notice to both sides, and Apple's guide says the other participant must agree. Zoom asks participants for consent when its recorder starts. Audio Hijack, Piezo, OBS and Koi don't tell anyone, so telling them is your job.
This isn't legal advice. A proposed class action, Chamberlain v. Granola, alleges a recorder captured conversations without the other people's knowledge, per RuntimeWire; nothing has been decided. Saying “mind if I record this?” is easier than finding out.
Choosing
Which call recorder should you use?
- Zoom, Meet or Teams, with a transcript and the screen? Koi.
- A call from your iPhone? Apple's Phone app.
- FaceTime audio with one person? Apple's FaceTime recording.
- A clean audio file of WhatsApp, Discord or anything else? Audio Hijack, or Piezo for one click.
- Free, and you're happy to set it up? OBS Studio.
For meetings, see our bot-free note takers, or our guide to recording your Mac's audio.
Keep exploring
How to record a FaceTime call on your Mac
How to record a FaceTime call on a Mac: Apple's own Call Recording for audio calls, screen recording a video call with sound, and apps that capture both sides.
How to record a WhatsApp call on your Mac
How to record a WhatsApp call on a Mac: screen record a video call with its sound on macOS 27, or a voice call with an audio app. Ask the other person first.
The best Granola AI alternatives in 2026
Granola AI alternatives compared: Koi, Otter, Fathom, Fireflies, Jamie, MacWhisper and Meetily. Bots, where transcription happens, free tiers and prices.
Support
Frequently asked questions
Yes. On macOS Tahoe 26 and later, the Phone app records iPhone calls that ring on your Mac: click More, then Call Recording. Both people hear a notice, and the recording goes to Notes.
Apple's FaceTime guide for macOS 27 says you can record a FaceTime audio call with one other person, with a notice both hear. For other FaceTime calls, Audio Hijack and Piezo list FaceTime as supported.
We haven't tested those yet, so we don't claim it. Koi is built for online meetings like Zoom, Meet and Teams, where it records a transcript and a screen video on your Mac.
Apple's own recording, for iPhone calls and one-to-one FaceTime audio. For other apps, OBS Studio is free but takes setup. Koi has no free plan.