WhatsApp has no record button. Not on Android, not on iPhone, not in the WhatsApp desktop app. A call happens, and when it ends there is nothing left but the call log entry. If you need a record of a supplier confirming a price, a client changing a delivery date, or a family member explaining something you will need later, you have to capture it from outside WhatsApp.
This guide covers how to record WhatsApp voice and video calls on a Windows PC, why the obvious methods produce poor results, and what a dedicated recorder does differently.
Why there is no built-in recorder
WhatsApp’s calls are end-to-end encrypted, and the app is deliberately built with as little local persistence as possible. Adding a recorder would mean adding a feature whose main use cases are disputes and surveillance, and Meta has never shipped one. Every recording solution is therefore third-party, and works by capturing the call from the device it is playing on.
The three approaches, and where each one fails
| Method | What goes wrong |
|---|---|
| Phone screen recorder (built into Android and iOS) | Saves a portrait screen recording, includes your notification banners and app chrome, and on many devices records only your microphone – so the other person is captured as faint speaker output rather than a clean audio channel. Long calls produce very large files. |
| Desktop screen recorder (OBS and similar) | Works, but records your entire desktop: window frames, cursor, notifications, whatever else is on screen. Video quality drops the moment you resize the call window, and mixing system audio with a microphone takes configuration most people never finish. |
| Dedicated call recorder for the WhatsApp desktop app | Captures the call’s original audio and video streams directly, so the output is a clean picture of the call at up to 1080p with both sides on separate, clean channels. |
Evaer for WhatsApp is the third kind. It works alongside the official, unmodified WhatsApp desktop application – nothing is patched or injected, so there is no modified client to get flagged.
Step by step on Windows
- Install Evaer for WhatsApp on the PC where you use WhatsApp Desktop. The trial runs for 14 days with no feature limits.
- Open WhatsApp Desktop and make the call as usual – voice or video, one-to-one or group.
- Pick a layout. Side-by-side landscape is the default for interviews; picture-in-picture keeps one person large; separate video files gives you one file per participant for editing.
- Press Start Recording when the call connects. Or enable automatic recording and Evaer begins whenever a WhatsApp call is answered.
- Stop when you are done. The MP4 or AVI file is on your disk. Voice calls are saved as MP3 automatically.
Getting the audio right
Evaer can record both sides mixed, your microphone only, or the remote party only. For transcription, the remote-only channel is usually the cleanest source you can get from a WhatsApp call: it contains the other person’s voice and none of your room.
If you are on a laptop without a headset, turn on echo cancellation in Evaer’s audio settings. Without it, the other person’s voice comes out of your speakers, gets picked up by your microphone and lands in the recording a second time, slightly delayed.
What you end up with
- MP4 (H.264) or AVI video, up to 1080p, at the resolution WhatsApp actually delivered
- MP3 audio, either alongside the video or on its own for voice calls
- No window frames, no cursor, no notification pop-ups, no chat sidebar
- Quality that does not change if you move or resize the WhatsApp window mid-call
Before you record someone
WhatsApp gives no sign that a recording is happening, and Evaer adds none – at the other end the call is completely ordinary. That is exactly what makes it useful, and exactly why you should think about consent first. Recording law varies: some countries and some US states require every participant to agree, others need only one. Check your local rules, and where consent is required, ask.
Quick answers
Can you record a WhatsApp call on a Windows PC?
Yes. WhatsApp itself has no recorder, but a third-party application running alongside the WhatsApp desktop app can capture the call. Evaer for WhatsApp records both voice and video calls and saves them to your local disk.
Does recording a WhatsApp call notify the other person?
No. WhatsApp has no recording indicator and does not detect third-party recorders, so the other participant sees an ordinary call. Consent requirements still depend on your local law.
Does it work with the official WhatsApp desktop app?
Yes. Evaer works with the unmodified official WhatsApp Desktop application on Windows 10 and 11. Nothing is patched, injected or replaced.
What format are WhatsApp call recordings saved in?
Video calls are saved as MP4 (H.264) or AVI at up to 1080p, with an optional separate MP3 track. Voice-only calls are saved as MP3 automatically.
Can I record WhatsApp group calls?
Yes. Evaer records WhatsApp group voice and video calls as well as one-to-one calls.