You can record a phone call in Kenya with the built-in recorder on recent iPhones (iOS 18 and later) and on Android phones that use Google's Phone app, where your phone and region support it; both tools play a notice so the other person knows. Kenyan law protects the privacy of communications (Article 31 of the Constitution), and the Data Protection Act 2019 counts recording as processing personal data. A purely personal recording is exempt from the Act, but a business that records calls must tell callers, have a lawful reason, and delete recordings when they are no longer needed. This is general information, not legal advice.
Apple added call recording to the iPhone Phone app. Apple lists the countries where it is not available; Kenya is not on that list as of September 2026, and English is a supported language.
- Open the Phone app and make or answer a call.
- During the call, tap the record button, then Call Recording.
- To stop, tap the stop button or hang up.
Both people hear an audio notice that the call is being recorded. Recording works when you are talking to one other person. Recordings are saved to a Call Recordings folder in the Notes app, where you can play, share or delete them. Apple asks you to make sure the other person is willing to be recorded before you start. Recording can be turned off in Settings, Apps, Phone, Audio Call Recording.
Google's Phone app records calls on non-Pixel phones running Android 9 or later, and on Pixel 6 or later with Android 14 or later. You need the latest version of the app, a device and carrier that support recording, and to be in a country or region where Google offers it. If you don't see a Record button during a call, it isn't available to you.
- Open the Phone app and make or answer a call.
- Tap Record on the call screen (on a Pixel, tap Call Assist, then Call Recording).
- Tap Stop recording when you're done.
Both people hear a notice when recording starts and when it stops. You can't record a call until it is answered, while it is on hold, or once you merge it into a conference call. Recordings are stored on your phone only, and you can find them under the caller in the app's call history. You can also set the app to always record unknown numbers or chosen contacts, and to delete recordings automatically after a set time.
Other phone makers ship their own dialler apps, and whether they record calls varies. Check your phone maker's help pages.
Three sources set the main rules.
The Constitution. Article 31 gives every person the right to privacy, including the right not to have "the privacy of their communications infringed".
The Data Protection Act 2019. A person's voice on a recording is information about an identifiable person, so it is personal data, and the Act's definition of processing lists "recording" by name. What follows depends on who is recording and why:
- For yourself. Processing "by an individual in the course of a purely personal or household activity" is exempt from the Act (section 51). It does not cover a business recording its customers or staff.
- For a business. The Act applies in full. Before collecting the data, the business must tell the person, in so far as practicable, that data is being collected, why, and what their rights are (section 29). It needs a lawful basis (section 30): consent, or that recording is necessary for a contract, a legal obligation or the business's legitimate interests. If it relies on consent, the business must be able to prove it, and the person can withdraw it at any time (section 32). The person has the right to object (section 26). And the recording must be kept no longer than necessary (section 25).
Enforcement. The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) handles complaints. It can fine up to KES 5 million, or 1% of the previous year's turnover for a business, whichever is lower (section 63), and can order compensation. In February 2026 it ordered Liquid Telecommunications Kenya to pay KES 700,000 to an individual whose call was recorded after he explicitly refused, and whose recording was later used in arbitration.
What this means in practice: tell the other person before you record, stop if they say no, and don't share a recording beyond the reason you made it. If you record for a business, write down why you record and how long you keep recordings, and follow it.
This is general information about Kenyan law as of September 2026, not legal advice. For a specific situation, speak to an advocate or contact the ODPC. For a business-focused walkthrough, including notice wording and retention schedules, read our guide to recording calls legally in Kenya.
Recording on a personal phone has limits for a business. Each recording sits on one employee's phone. It only covers calls made on that phone. And when the employee leaves, the recordings leave with them.
On a Sautikit number, calls are recorded by the phone system rather than a handset:
- Not tied to one handset. Recording happens in the phone system, so it doesn't depend on which phone answers: a mobile the number forwards to, the SautiKit Phone app, or a desk phone.
- Download or send to your own storage. Each recording can be downloaded, and your system is notified through the API when it's ready. Our recording guide shows how to copy recordings to your own storage automatically.
- Tell callers first. Your call flow can play a short spoken notice before the caller is connected, such as "This call may be recorded for quality and training", which helps meet the Data Protection Act's duty to inform.
What it costs. A Kenyan number is KES 116 a month including VAT, with no setup fee. Incoming calls are free, and calls you make cost KES 3.00 a minute, billed per second. Recording storage includes 1 GB free. On the free tier, recordings are kept for 24 hours, so download the ones you need or copy them to your own storage. Paid storage starts at KES 599 a month for 10 GB with a longer retention window, up to 30 days on the largest tier; see pricing.
Recording for purely personal use is exempt from the Data Protection Act 2019. A business recording calls must tell the caller, have a lawful basis such as consent or legitimate interests, honour objections, and delete recordings when no longer needed. The Constitution protects the privacy of communications. This is general information, not legal advice.
A business must inform people before it collects their personal data, under section 29 of the Data Protection Act. Both the iPhone and Google Phone app recorders announce the recording to the other person automatically. Telling people first, and stopping if they refuse, is the safe course: in 2026 the ODPC ordered KES 700,000 in compensation over a call recorded after the person said no.
Yes, on iOS 18 or later. Kenya is not on Apple's list of countries where call recording is unavailable, as of September 2026. During a call, tap the record button, then Call Recording; the recording is saved in the Notes app.
Google's Phone app only records on supported devices and carriers, in countries where Google offers it, and on Android 9 or later (Pixel 6 or later with Android 14 for Pixels). Update the Phone app first. Other makers' dialler apps have their own rules.
With the built-in iPhone and Google Phone app recorders, yes: both play a notice to everyone on the call when recording starts.
- Constitution of Kenya 2010, Article 31: https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/act/2010/constitution/eng@2010-09-03
- Data Protection Act 2019 (sections 2, 25, 26, 29, 30, 32, 51, 63): https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/act/2019/24/eng@2022-12-31
- Office of the Data Protection Commissioner: https://www.odpc.go.ke
- Capital FM, ODPC finds call recording unlawful processing (Alston v Liquid Telecommunications Kenya, ODPC Complaint No. 1125 of 2025), 4 February 2026: https://capitalfm.africa/odpc-call-recording-unlawful-processing-liquid-telecom/
- Apple, Record and transcribe a call on iPhone: https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/record-and-transcribe-a-call-iph57c6590e9/ios
- Apple, How to record a call on iPhone and iPad: https://support.apple.com/en-us/121583
- Apple, iOS feature availability (Phone: Call Recording): https://www.apple.com/ios/feature-availability/
- Google, Use the Phone app to record calls: https://support.google.com/phoneapp/answer/9803950?hl=en
- Sautikit pricing: https://sautikit.com/pricing