Beside includes a Recording Consent setting that lets you notify callers when a call is being recorded. When enabled, both inbound and outbound callers will hear an automated message at the start of the call.
This helps you stay transparent and aligned with call recording laws in your region.
Enable recording consent
From Beside on the web
Go to app.beside.com
Click Settings in the sidebar, then Phone Numbers under Workspace
Click the line you want to manage
On the General tab, scroll to Compliance & Privacy
Toggle Recording Consent on
From the mobile app
Open the Beside mobile app
Tap the gear icon at the top right to open Settings
Scroll down to Recording Consent
Toggle the setting ON
Once enabled, Beside will automatically play this message at the start of every call - whether you're receiving or placing it:
"This call is recorded. To opt out, please ask the other party to stop recording."
📌 The consent message plays in full. The Recording Consent message is fixed and plays in its entirety at the very start of every call, including Receptionist calls. It cannot be interrupted by the caller speaking. This is the message that meets the notification requirement in all-party consent states.
Stop recording if a caller opts out
How the opt-out is handled depends on who is on the call.
If you answered the call
If a caller asks not to be recorded, you can stop recording mid-call by tapping the Recorder button on your call screen. What was captured before you stopped stays playable, and the call is marked Partial recording: stopped during the call.
If your Receptionist answered the call
You do not have to do anything. When the caller clearly asks not to be recorded, your Receptionist agrees and Beside keeps no recording of that call, no transcript and no summary, and sends nothing on to your connected integrations.
The call still appears in your conversation with the caller and the time, marked Not recorded: the caller asked not to be recorded.
📌 It takes a clear request about recording:
A plain "no" to another question, unclear speech, or an automated "this call is being recorded" notice playing on the caller's own line does not trigger it.
Your Receptionist asks a simple yes or no question when it is unsure, and never raises the subject of recording by itself.
FAQ
Does the consent message play on Receptionist calls?
Does the consent message play on Receptionist calls?
Yes. When Recording Consent is enabled, the message plays at the start of all calls - including those handled by the Receptionist.
Can I customize the consent message?
Can I customize the consent message?
No. The recording consent message is a standard automated message and cannot be customized at this time.
Does my Receptionist stop recording if the caller asks it to?
Does my Receptionist stop recording if the caller asks it to?
Yes, and you do not need to do anything. Beside keeps no recording, transcript or summary of that call, and the call is marked Not recorded: the caller asked not to be recorded in your conversation. It only acts on a clear request about recording, not on a plain "no" to another question.
Can a caller interrupt the consent message?
Can a caller interrupt the consent message?
No. The Recording Consent message plays in full at the start of every call and cannot be interrupted by the caller, even if they start speaking. This is what makes it suitable for the notification requirement in all-party consent states like California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Washington.
Note that the Receptionist's Introduction Message (the custom greeting you record) is different - it can be interrupted if the caller starts speaking. This barge-in is intentional, so callers don't have to wait through the greeting before they can ask their question. For this reason, don't rely on your Receptionist greeting alone to deliver the legal notification - keep Recording Consent enabled separately, so the compliance message is always played in full before anything else.