GUIDE · TRANSCRIBEANYTHINGHow to transcribe a phone call on your Mac
To transcribe a phone call on a Mac, route the call through your Mac — an iPhone call answered on the Mac, a FaceTime call, or any VoIP call — and capture it live with system-audio transcription, or drop a call recording in afterward. TranscribeAnything handles both: the live capture hears both sides of anything playing through your Mac, and the transcript stays on your machine, which is exactly where a recorded conversation should live. Know your local consent laws before recording any call.
Step by step- For live calls: answer the call on your Mac (iPhone calls hand off natively, or use FaceTime/any VoIP app), then choose System audio in the TranscribeAnything menu bar.
- Talk normally — both sides of the call are transcribed as it happens.
- For recorded calls: drop the recording file (M4A, MP3, WAV) onto the menu bar icon.
- Export the timestamped transcript, or paste it into an AI for a summary and follow-ups.
Consent comes first
Recording a call is regulated: some US states (California among them) require every participant's consent, others require only one party's. That's true no matter what tool you use. On-device transcription doesn't change your legal obligations — it changes where the recording lives, which is on your Mac instead of a vendor's server. Get consent, then capture.
Which calls this covers
Anything your Mac plays: iPhone cellular calls answered on the Mac via Continuity, FaceTime audio and video, WhatsApp and Telegram desktop calls, Skype, and every VoIP or softphone app. If you can hear it through your Mac's speakers or headphones, it can be transcribed live — with no bot, plugin, or per-app integration.
Afterward, the transcript is timestamped like any other, ready for quotes, summaries, or a CRM note. TranscribeAnything runs Apple's on-device speech engine at up to 80× realtime, supports 10 languages, and costs $19.99/year for unlimited transcription — the first 5 transcriptions (up to 30 minutes each) are free.
Frequently asked questions
Does it capture both sides of the call?Live system-audio capture transcribes what plays through your Mac — the other party — and your own voice comes through when using mic capture or a recording that includes both sides. For full two-sided live capture, record the call with both sides audible on the Mac.
Is it legal to transcribe my calls?It depends on where you and the other party are. One-party-consent jurisdictions allow recording conversations you're part of; all-party states like California require everyone's consent. When in doubt, ask.
Can I transcribe old call recordings?Yes — drop any M4A, MP3, or WAV recording in and it transcribes like any other file.
Does anything join or interrupt the call?No. Capture happens at the system level on your Mac; the call itself is untouched and nothing is visible to the other party.
Try it on your own audio.First 5 transcriptions free (30 minutes each), then $19.99/year unlimited. Apple's on-device speech engine — your audio never leaves your Mac.