"This Call Is Being Recorded"... iPhone Changes Its Mind on 'Privacy Protection' After 17 Years

Possibility of Samsung Galaxy Users Switching to Apple

Customers visiting the Apple Store in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul, are viewing Apple's first AI smartphone, the iPhone 16, which was released in Korea on the 20th. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Apple officially supports call recording for the first time in 17 years since the iPhone launch.

On the 29th, Apple released the beta version of iOS 18.1, the iPhone operating system that includes the AI system Apple Intelligence. On iPhones, iPads, and Macs equipped with Apple Intelligence, users can use the 'writing tools.' Not only in Apple’s default apps but also in third-party apps, users can rewrite, proofread, and summarize text, and by inputting descriptions of photos or videos as text, they can find them immediately.

Call recording is also possible. This is the first official recording service provided since the iPhone was launched in 2007. During a call, users can press the recording button at the top left. The other party automatically receives a voice notification saying, "This call is being recorded." The recorded call content is saved in the Notes app. Through Apple’s proprietary AI system, Apple Intelligence, the call content is automatically transcribed and summarized.

Until now, Apple did not provide call recording services citing 'privacy protection.' With the introduction of the built-in recording service within the call app for the first time, there is speculation that users who had remained loyal to Samsung Galaxy might switch to Apple.

However, only some of the publicly announced features are included in the Apple Intelligence released on this day. Some functions such as Siri responses using ChatGPT, app task execution via voice commands, emoji and image generation are scheduled to be applied in December. Also, the AI features implemented this time can only be used if the device and Siri language are set to 'U.S. English.' Apple stated, "We will add support for British English in the UK within this year and support more languages such as Korean, Chinese, Spanish, French, and Japanese around April next year."

Meanwhile, iOS 18.1 includes various AI features such as call recording, writing tools, app notification summaries, message reply assistance, and photo editing functions. However, these features are only available on iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, iPhone 16 series, and devices equipped with A17 Pro or later chips or M1 chips.