Record the audio from FaceTime calls on Mac.

FaceTime audio you can return to

For an interview, a project discussion, or a conversation you want to revisit, echo99 records your voice and the other side separately. It captures the audio playing on your Mac during a FaceTime audio or video call. It does not record the camera feed, shared screen, or other video.

After you stop, transcription runs locally. You can read speaker-labeled text, play back the call, and generate a summary with a model running on the same Mac.

How to record a FaceTime conversation

1. Set up echo99 using the getting started guide. Allow microphone and system-audio access and install the models.
2. Start or answer the FaceTime call on your Mac. Tell the other participants you intend to record and use headphones for cleaner audio.
3. Open echo99 from the menu bar and click Record.
4. When the conversation ends, click Stop Recording. Open Recordings to listen back and read the finished transcript.

Make a short test call first and confirm both voices are audible in the saved recording. echo99 records your Mac’s default input (System Settings → Sound → Input), so choose the same microphone in FaceTime. During a recording, echo99 also warns you in its menu-bar panel (“Mic looks silent” or “System audio looks silent”) if one side stays silent for about 90 seconds while the other has sound.

What about FaceTime’s own recording?

Since macOS Tahoe 26, FaceTime can record one-to-one FaceTime audio calls. The recording is saved in Notes, with a transcript in supported languages. Both participants hear a recording notice. Availability depends on language and region; check Apple’s current documentation for your setup.

echo99 offers a separate audio workflow with files in your chosen folder, speaker labels, and the same playback and summary tools you use for your other calls. It does not start FaceTime’s native recording feature or its announcement, so let the participants know yourself.

Keep the conversation on the Mac you are recording

• Stay on this device. If you move the call to an iPhone or iPad, echo99 cannot continue capturing audio that no longer plays on your Mac.
• Audio is the source. Names are not imported from FaceTime contacts. You can label voices and use speaker recognition for people you speak with regularly.
• Other sound can be captured. Pause unrelated audio and silence notification sounds before an important conversation.
• Summaries need a model. Follow the summary setup guide to create notes locally, and check important details against the recording.

Apple feature details checked in September 2026. See Apple’s FaceTime audio call guide for supported recording features and regional availability.

Related guides: Local transcription, Speaker identification, Meeting notes without a bot