Truecaller’s call recording feature won’t work on iPhones from Sept. 30

Truecaller has announced that it will discontinue its call recording feature on iOS devices starting September 30, marking a significant shift in the company's strategy just over two years after its launch. The Swedish firm intends to prioritize its core mission of combating spam calls, as confirmed in a recent communication with TechCrunch. Users who have previously saved call recordings have several options for preserving their content. They can download the recordings directly to their devices, share them via email or messaging platforms, or choose to store them on iCloud for continued access post-discontinuation. Nakul Kabra, Truecaller’s head of iOS, explained that this decision allows the company to concentrate on enhancing its Live Caller ID and automatic spam-blocking functionalities. In June 2023, the company had reintroduced call recording for paying iOS subscribers, in tandem with its launch on Android, which also included native call transcription capabilities. While the call recording feature operates smoothly on Android, its implementation on iOS has proven to be more challenging due to restrictions in Apple's operating system, which does not permit third-party apps to record calls directly. Truecaller had previously employed a workaround involving a recording line to merge calls, a method that has led to increased operational costs and complexity. The discontinuation follows a recent update from Apple that introduced native support for call recording and transcription in iOS 18.1, allowing users to record calls without needing to connect to a recording line. This update also features transcriptions powered by Apple Intelligence. Truecaller initially offered the call recording feature to attract more iPhone users to its platform, as the free tier's caller ID function has limitations. Subscribers gain access to real-time caller ID, advanced spam blocking, Siri shortcuts, incognito mode, and various other premium features. Currently, Truecaller boasts around 3 million subscribers globally, with iOS users contributing to 44% of its premium revenue, according to the company’s second-quarter financial report.