Record and transcribe FaceTime calls on a Mac
Yes, Aside works with FaceTime on a Mac, and with iPhone calls you take on your computer. It records your microphone and the sound your computer plays, then transcribes the call on your computer (add another language and every call is transcribed online, as on computers too slow to keep up, but for notes-only calls on the free plan).
Does Aside work with FaceTime?
Yes, FaceTime audio and video
Aside records your microphone and the sound your computer plays. A FaceTime call on your computer is just that, so Aside transcribes it like any other call. One-to-one and group calls work the same way. Aside records the audio, not the video.
Phone calls through your computer
If your computer is set up to make and receive your iPhone’s calls, the call’s audio plays on the Mac, and Aside can record and transcribe it too. That covers ordinary phone numbers: a supplier, a candidate who dialled in, a client who prefers the phone. Aside has no iPhone app, so for calls taken on the iPhone itself, Aside doesn’t hear anything.
Where the audio goes
Aside transcribes English and 24 European languages on your computer with an on-device speech model (add another language and every call is transcribed online, as on computers too slow to keep up, but for notes-only calls on the free plan), and the recording stays on your computer with playback of both sides. Personal calls stay personal.
How to record a FaceTime call with Aside
1. Install Aside
Download Aside for Mac (Apple silicon, macOS 14.2 or later). It lives in the menu bar. The first time, it downloads its speech model once, about 570 MB, or 720 MB with other European languages. Add a language the on-device model doesn’t know and every call is transcribed online, so only a small model for telling speakers apart downloads. On the free plan, in 13 of those languages, a 990 MB model downloads too, for the calls Aside doesn’t guide.
2. Allow the microphone and Mac audio
On first run, macOS asks to let Aside use your microphone and the sound your computer plays. Allow both. You do this once, not for each call or each app.
3. Record the call
Start or answer the FaceTime call, or the phone call, on your computer. Start recording from the menu bar or press ⌃⌥P. When the call ends, press ⌃⌥X. The transcript has your notes in place, and after a guided call (2 a week on Free, every call on the paid plan) the write-up starts when you stop.
To keep part of a call off the record, press ⌃⌥P to pause. The transcript marks the gap.
Apple’s call recording and Aside
On recent versions of macOS, the Phone app on Mac can record a phone call. Both people hear a notice, and the recording goes to Notes. Check Apple’s page for where it’s available.
Use Apple’s call recording if…
- You only need a recording of a phone call and it’s available in your language and region.
- You want an audio notice to tell the other person, built into the call.
- You want the recording saved in the Notes app.
Use Aside if…
- You want FaceTime calls and phone calls in the same place as your Zoom, Meet and Teams calls.
- You want notes you type during the call placed in the transcript.
- You want a summary, next steps and a follow-up email afterwards.
- You want guidance toward your goals during the call.
Where Aside differs
Speaker names on a two-person call
Aside suggests names from clues in the call, like a name said aloud, and shows the reason. Voices you’ve confirmed before are named for you next time, and one click undoes it. Voiceprints stay on your computer.
Guidance for calls that matter
A FaceTime call with an investor or a phone screen with a candidate can have a plan like any meeting. On a guided call (2 a week on Free, every call on the paid plan), Aside shows which goals you’ve covered and brings up answers you prepared. See the investor pitch and hiring interview playbooks, or all features.
Tell people you’re recording
Aside doesn’t play a notice to the other side, so say it yourself at the start. Recording laws differ by place, and many require everyone’s consent. Aside’s pill and cards are hidden from screen sharing, so only you see them.
Questions
Can Aside transcribe FaceTime calls on a Mac?
Yes. Aside records your microphone and the sound your computer plays, so FaceTime audio and video calls on your computer are transcribed like any other call. It records audio, not video.
Can Aside record iPhone phone calls?
Only when you take the call on your computer. If your computer makes and receives your iPhone’s calls, Aside records and transcribes them. Aside has no iPhone app.
Does the other person hear that they’re being recorded?
No. Aside doesn’t play a notice, so tell people at the start. Many places require everyone’s consent.
Is the FaceTime audio uploaded?
Only if you’ve added a language the on-device model doesn’t know (then all your calls are) or your computer is too slow to keep up, and on Free only the calls Aside guides. Aside transcribes English and 24 European languages on your computer with an on-device speech model (add another language and every call is transcribed online, as on computers too slow to keep up, but for notes-only calls on the free plan), and the recording stays on your computer.
Last checked 15 Oct 2026. Products change, so check Apple’s own pages before you decide.
Sources
Facts about Apple come from its own help pages, read on 15 Oct 2026.