How to Record Your Skype Calls

Skype doesn't natively support any type of call recording, but several third-party applications can handle the job, whether you want to capture audio or video calls.

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If you need a way to record your Skype audio or video calls, on the PC or mobile, you have several options.

For Skype audio calls on your computer or mobile device, you can simply use a digital recorder, which you can find for as little as $30. If you have an iPhone, you can use the built-in Voice Memos app to record Skype calls made on your computer. And if you have an Android device, you can use a voice-recording app for Skype calls made on your PC.

But what if you want something that can handle audio and video calls? No problem. Skype doesn't natively support any type of call recording, but several third-party applications can handle the job.

First, is it legal to record an audio or video call, and do you need the permission of the other party? That varies based on where you live. US federal law and the laws of many US states allow recording if just one party, including you, approves. Some states require both parties to consent to be recorded. Other countries have their own laws. To be on the safe side, ask the other person for permission before recording the call.

First, let's look programs that can record Skype calls on your computer.

Amolto Call Recorder

Amolto Call Recorder comes in two flavors: a free version that supports just Skype audio recording; and a $29.99-per-user edition that adds video recording to the mix. The $29.99 flavor starts off as a 10-day trial so you can try before you buy.

The program is simple to use. Launch it, and it waits for a Skype call. Make or receive an audio call (or video if you're using the paid version) and Call Recorder automatically starts recording. When the call is finished, just switch back to the program and stop the recording. You can then click on links to play the recording from the software. Your audio recordings are saved as MP3 files in the Music folder under your user profile, while your video recordings are stored as MP4 files in your Videos folder.

Kanda's Callnote Premium

This program is free to use and can record Skype video calls. The major restriction is that it limits you to 30 free audio and video recordings per month. If you need more, you can opt for Callnote Pro, which costs $9.95 per year after a 14-day free trial.

To record your Skype audio or video calls, connect Callnote to Skype by following the program's prompts. You can enable certain options in Callnote, such as the ability to always start the recording when the call starts, notify participants that the call is being recording, and record video as well as audio. Make or receive your call, and if you chose the option to automatically start the recording, then Callnote goes into action.

After your call is finished, you can play the recording from the app or move to your Documents folder to play an audio recording as an MP3 file and a video recording as an MP4 file. You can also share or send your video recording to Dropbox, YouTube, Facebook, and other sites.

Record Skype Calls on Your iPhone or iPad

Finding an app in Apple's App Store to directly record a Skype video call is virtually impossible. None of the apps I initially tried could do the job. I did discover some apps available outside of the App Store for jailbroken and non-jailbroken devices, but I'd be wary of trusting them.

The only safe option I discovered was to use an app that mirrors and records the screen activity from your iPhone or iPad onto your computer via AirPlay. So, you make your Skype call from your iOS device but use an application on your computer to record the video. You'll find a few apps capable of this, most of which will cost you some bucks. Here are several worth trying.

AceThinker iPhone Screen Recorder

For $29.95, AceThinker iPhone Screen Recorder will record Skype video calls mirrored on your computer. You can try the application for free for three days before deciding if you want to buy it.

After you install iPhone Screen Recorder, launch the program. Then hop onto your iPhone and iPad and swipe from the bottom of the screen to display the Control Center. Tap on the icon for AirPlay Mirroring and you should see an entry for AceThinker. Tap on the AceThinker entry, and the screen of your iOS device is then mirrored in the Screen Recorder program on your computer. Make the Skype call from your iPhone or iPad.

After you're connected, click on the Record button in Screen Recorder. After the call is done, click on the same button to stop recording. The application then opens a File Explorer or Windows Explorer window where you can play the recording.