Confessions of a chronically forgetful person saved by a single smartphone setting

I dislike phone calls unless it's an emergency. It's a personality trait that people have tagged as an antisocial quirk, yet I'm unapologetic about it. If I do take a call without being in the mood for it, I won't give the best responses.

Sometimes I tune out of lengthy conversations, and I'm unable to remember every detail. It's great that I now have call recording back on my new phone.

Even when I'm not mentally present for a chat, I pair it with artificial intelligence to make accurate notes. Here's how it helps me recover information from past conversations.

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By  Irene Okpanachi

This article is a demonstration of how I personally use call recording in my day-to-day life. All calls referenced were captured with the full knowledge and permission of the other parties involved. It's not an endorsement of abusing consent. Always check the laws applicable in your region before using similar features.

AI Call Summary is my preferred assistant for hands-free note taking

I've ditched my pen and sticky papers

My Comulytic Note Pro recorder taught me that there's no point in suffering needlessly. I've started using it for virtually everything, including capturing meetings and calls. It's improved how much useful information I retain from each scenario by about 50–60%, compared with the 30% I'd hold onto from memory alone.

The tool automatically generated transcripts I could revisit after interactions. I'd say it was preparing me for this level of productivity to become a permanent fixture in my routines. I recently got the Infinix GT 50 Pro as a review unit, and I've been tinkering with every overlaid XOS feature.

In particular, call recording is something I've enjoyed using on Tecno and Infinix phones in the past. I assumed it was standard on Android, but it isn't. Google has a beefy history with the feature, and even restricted third-party apps that supported it on Android 9. It's nice to see it again on my phone, and making a broader comeback on Android.

Meanwhile, Infinix has had call recording baked into XOS 4 alongside Android 8, which is seven years before Google's own app made it widely available. AI Call Summary is a relatively new feature that launched with Android 15, and has become one of my favorites.

Its concept is similar to Call Notes, which was introduced to Google Pixel 9 and 10 users in the US. However, Google's solution processes everything locally using Gemini Nano, while Infinix sends data to the cloud. It's unsettling, but the value I get in return is worth it.

I tap a button during a live call, and my phone logs what other parties say. Then it generates a summary accessible and editable in the Infinix Notes app afterward.

Interestingly, the tool provides a voice disclaimer informing everyone of the process, and that the data will go to the cloud. But if I opt for regular call recording, no disclaimer voice plays. In terms of legality, it's not illegal to use either option in my country, according to the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023. All parties just need to be aware of it.

Call Summary reminds me not to forget

I can also turn conversations into tasks

My call summaries appear in the Infinix Notes app. It organizes them by contact name, date, and timestamp. Tapping one shows the Smart Summary, which is a short AI-generated paragraph distilling what the call was about.

An audio player appears beneath it to revisit the original call, and the full transcript with speakers labeled with the contact's name and "You" line by line.

The most recent entry correctly captured a casual catch-up with a friend, and it noted how we made inside jokes. It also flagged that a family check-in happened, and it was accurate enough that I didn't need to replay the audio at all.

Where it needs plenty of help is with transcription. I'm guessing it's because of the different Nigerian accents. They're flexible in ways models trained predominantly on American and British English intonations struggle to recognize. We may pronounce words loosely or even switch to pidgin. The transcript reflected its confusion back at me.

When possible, I correct the mistakes and transform key points into actionable items, which I check off as I go.

If I'm supposed to attend an event with someone on Monday, I'll create a checklist beneath the transcripts that says to confirm our attendance or sort out the best transportation means and route by Sunday.

I also use the Reminder option to save myself from forgetting the recording exists. It's tucked inside the menu in the upper right corner. You'll tap a three-dot button to expand it. It reveals a scroll-wheel picker for setting a date and time when I want to be notified. I may not always have the time to sit with the information right away.

I can hold anyone accountable for what they say

You might need evidence for sensitive matters

Digital accountability is something I've had to learn the hard way over the years. Memories can be awfully selective at the wrong moments, especially when loans, deadlines, or major projects are involved.

You want to be ready for those moments and hold people accountable for exactly what was said. There was an instance where a vendor quoted me a price, then invoiced something different. We argued unnecessarily about our initial agreement.

It works the other way too, so I can keep myself honest. If I said I'd do something, the reminder I set on the call summary will surface and make sure I commit to my promises.

It also helps me remember the small things that matter to friends, such as an upcoming event or something that happened years ago. I'm terrible at retaining that kind of detail, although I'm learning to be better. For now, the transcripts are kinder to my relationships than my memory could be at this chaotic phase of my life.

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By  Prarthana Gopal

Take your phone's word for it

Call recording is becoming less of a niche feature tucked away in third-party apps. On supported devices, you should see a dedicated icon on the call screen with a red dot or notification confirming that it's active.

On OEM phones like Samsung Galaxy, you can even automate and narrow it down to specific contacts if you go into the Phone app settings. Open Record calls and toggle on Auto record calls.

But before that, check your intentions and local laws to record responsibly.