Glossary · Phone system (PBX)
Call recording
In one sentence
Call recording saves business phone conversations as audio files for training, evidence, compliance or quality checks. Callers must be told, and the recordings are personal data under GDPR.
Also known as : call recording · call recordings · recorded calls · recording calls · phone call recording
What is call recording?
Call recording is the phone system feature that saves a conversation as an audio file. The reasons are familiar: training new staff with real calls, keeping evidence of what was agreed, resolving complaints, meeting regulatory duties or checking service quality.
Recordings capture the voice and words of identifiable people, so they are personal data under UK GDPR (or EU GDPR for calls handled in the EU). In the UK, the ICO expects businesses to be open about recording and to be able to justify it. For a fuller look at what to tell callers and when, see our page on GDPR and telephony.
How it works
Technically, the phone system copies the audio stream of the call and stores it, either automatically or when the user presses record. You typically decide:
- Scope: which extensions, which call queue, which hours, or on-demand recording only.
- Notice: an announcement before the call is connected, saying the call may be recorded and why.
- Access: who can play or download recordings, with a log of who listened.
- Retention: automatic deletion after the period you have set.
On the legal side, a few reference points: have a clear purpose and lawful basis, tell callers and staff, keep recordings only as long as needed, restrict access, and keep payment card data out of recordings in line with PCI DSS. Sector rules can add to this; FCA-regulated firms, for instance, must record certain conversations. Outbound sales calls also have their own rules, see the Telephone Preference Service.
Example
A mortgage broker in Reading records every advice call because its regulator requires a record of what was discussed. An announcement at the start explains this, and advisers mention it again before the fact-find. When a client reads out their card details to pay a fee, the adviser pauses recording from the softphone. Recordings are kept for the period the compliance team has set, are only accessible to the compliance officer, and are deleted automatically afterwards.
Call recording at Universal Telecom
Call recording is included in our virtual PBX, with configurable scope, announcements, access rights and retention. Working with the content of calls through AI (transcription, summaries, sentiment analysis) belongs to our sister brand utio.io.
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal for a business to record phone calls in the UK?
Yes, for legitimate business purposes such as evidence of transactions, regulatory compliance or training, under the Lawful Business Practice rules and UK GDPR. You need a lawful basis and must tell callers the call is being recorded and why.
Can we record calls where customers give card details?
You should not store full card numbers or security codes in recordings. Under PCI DSS, the usual approach is to pause recording while card details are given, or to take payments through a separate secure system.
How long should call recordings be kept?
Only as long as your stated purpose needs. Some sectors have their own rules, for example FCA-regulated firms, but there is no single retention period that suits every business.
Related terms
- GDPR and telephony
GDPR applies to business telephony whenever it handles personal data: phone numbers, call logs, recordings and voicemails. It requires a defined purpose and lawful basis, clear information for callers and staff, limited retention and safeguards from suppliers.
- TPS (Telephone Preference Service)
The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) is the UK's free opt-out register for unsolicited live sales and marketing calls. Under PECR, businesses must not make such calls to registered numbers unless the person has told that caller they are happy to be called.
- Contact centre
A contact centre is the team, processes and software that handle customer conversations across several channels, such as phone, email, chat and messaging, using shared queues, agents and reporting.
- Voicemail
Voicemail records a message when a call goes unanswered and makes it available to the recipient on their phone, in an app or by email, often with the caller's number and the time.
- Cloud PBX
A cloud PBX is a business phone system run by a provider in its data centres. Extensions, IVR menus, queues and call routing are managed from a web portal, with no PBX hardware on site.
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