Your iPhone's built-in Voice Memos app is a great way to record the audio around you, whether it be conversations, lectures, meetings, interviews, discussions, chitchat, gossip, or other kinds of talks. But if your goal is to record audio on the down-low without being noticed, you'll need to know the hidden shortcut. Typically, to make an
audio recording in Voice Memos, you open the app, hit record, and then tap the stop button to save. If you've added the Voice Memos control to Control Center, you could long-press it and tap "New Recording," then tap stop in the app. You could even ask Siri, but it will only open Voice Memos for you, not start a recording, so you would have to hit record yourself, then stop. No matter which of those
methods you use, somebody will likely spot you trying to secretly record a conversation since you have to fumble around with your iPhone. When you finally start a recording, you can turn off the display, and it'll still record, so at least there's that. But that's not enough to remain unnoticed. There are third-party audio and voice recording apps with features that make secret recordings easier, but that just means another app on your iPhone. Instead, you can create a shortcut using the preinstalled
Shortcuts app to start a covert audio recording faster. You can even skip the Voice Memos app and save directly to one of your cloud storage accounts with a shortcut. So what makes a shortcut faster? Back Tap. By unlocking and utilizing Back Tap, the
accessibility feature in iOS 14 and later, you can make it so that you can start recording audio simply by tapping on the back of your iPhone. For an even stealthier performance, add an action to lower your screen brightness so that no one but you can see what you're doing on your device. Federal law says that it's OK to record someone or a group of people without their knowledge as long as you're a part of the
conversation and have no criminal or tortious intent. If you're not, you need just one person from the group to give you permission. Washington, D.C. and 38 states have similar laws. However, 12 states require consent from all parties involved. Those states are California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Washington. If it's legal where you are, undercover spy recordings of conversations are helpful for many things. For example, to prove someone said what they said, incriminate somebody of wrongdoing, take audio notes, understand things you couldn't hear the first time, and more. Step 1: Choose Your Save LocationBefore you build the shortcut, you must choose your recording method; You can record audio directly to the Voice Memos app or straight to the Files app.
Step 2: Start a New Custom ShortcutThere are no default actions for Back Tap that use Voice Memos, so you'll have to build a shortcut to assign to one of the Back Tap gestures. Launch Shortcuts, go to "My Shortcuts," and tap on the plus (+) icon to start a new workflow. Step 3: Build the Shortcut for Voice Memos or FilesHow you build the shortcut depends on what save location you chose in the first step above, Voice Memos or Files. Jump to the correct section below for the method you want to use. Option 1: Record and Save with Voice MemosIn the shortcut's draft, tap "Add Action" or the search bar at the bottom, then find and add the "Record a new voice memo" action. After adding it, tap the expand button on the action box to show its options. Next, disable the "Show When Run" toggle to make the shortcut more discreet. You can now close the shortcut to save it as "Record a new voice memo." That's literally all there is to the Voice Memos shortcut. If you'd like, you can choose a new name before closing the editor, as well as a new icon and color. However, since Voice Memos is the only action, the icon in the Shortcuts app will appear as the Voice Memos app icon; It will show up as your custom icon if you add the shortcut to your Home Screen. Option 2: Record and Save with FilesIn the shortcut's draft, tap "Add Action" or the search bar at the bottom, then find and add the "Record Audio" action. After adding it, tap the expand button on the action box to show its options. Next, you can configure the following settings.
Now, tap "Save File" from the list of suggestions under your first action. If you don't see it there, tap the search bar at the bottom, then find and add "Save File." After adding it, tap the expand button on the action box to show its options. You can customize the following options.
You can now close the shortcut to save it as whatever default name Shortcuts chose for it. In my case, that was the last action, "Save File." Instead, it's better to choose a new name before closing the editor, as well as a new icon and color if you want. Step 4: Add a Screen Dimmer (Optional)To make the shortcut more stealthy, you may want to add an action that dims the screen so nearby people can't tell what's on your iPhone's display. Without it, you can click the Side button on your iPhone to make the display sleep as soon as the shortcut starts, but a dimmer action will be even less conspicuous. In the "My Shortcuts" menu, tap the ellipsis (•••) icon on the card for your Voice Memos or Files shortcut to open the editor if you're not already there. Next, tap the search bar at the bottom, then find and add "Set Brightness."
Step 5: Add Your Shortcuts to Back TapNow it's time to add your shortcut to a Back Tap gesture. Navigate to Settings –> Accessibility –> Touch –> Back Tap, then choose "Double Tap" or "Triple Tap." Double means you tap the back of your iPhone twice, and triple means three times. A double tap is easier to trigger accidentally, so you might want to choose three taps. In either option, find your shortcut's name and select it.
Step 6: Run the Shortcut Using Back TapIt's time to test everything you just set up. Tap the back of your iPhone two or three times, depending on the gesture you chose, and watch everything fall into place. Below you can see the two shortcuts in action, with Files on the left and Voice Memos on the right. Step 7: View Your Audio RecordingsNow it's time to view and listen to your recordings. If you used Voice Memos, open the Voice Memos app, and you should see your recordings at the top of the list if they're the most recent files. You can then tap on a file's ellipsis (•••) button to edit the recording, copy it to your clipboard, share it, save it to Files, etc. Tapping the settings icon will let you adjust the playback speed, skip silence, and enhance the recording. If you used Files, open the Files app and navigate to the destination path you chose when creating the shortcut. If you didn't specify a name for your recordings in the shortcut, the audio recordings would have the date and time in the title, and you can tap on it to listen to it. You can also use the Share button to share it with friends and family or copy the file to your clipboard. Keep Your Connection Secure Without a Monthly Bill. Get a lifetime subscription to VPN Unlimited for all your devices with a one-time purchase from the new Gadget Hacks Shop, and watch Hulu or Netflix without regional restrictions, increase security when browsing on public networks, and more. Buy Now (80% off) > Other worthwhile deals to check out:
Can you record a call on iPhone without the other person knowing?Here is how you can record a phone call on iPhone secretly: Step 1: Download iRec Call Recorder which is the top downloaded and top rated call recording app in the Apple App Store. When you open the app, you should see a big red record button which is what you need to tap on if you want to begin the recording.
Can I record a phone call conversation on my iPhone?iPhone does not allow recording through the built-in microphone while that phone is actively on a call via its own software. You either need an external iOS device with audio recording and microphone functions or a third-party app with a separate call software such as Google Voice.
How can I record a phone call without the other person knowing?If you have an Android phone, the Automatic Call Recorder by Appliqato is one of the best apps available in the Google Play Store for recording phone calls. Once installed, the app automatically records all outgoing and incoming phone calls without alerting the person you're recording.
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