All The Ways to Wave: Every Device, Every Scenario, One App

Wave works everywhere you do. Your phone. Your laptop. Your wrist. Your browser. Whether you're in a boardroom, on a Zoom call, walking your dog with an idea, or dialing into a conference line from the car — there's a way to Wave it.

This is the complete guide. Every device, every method, every scenario. Bookmark this one.

1. iPhone & Android App

The one that started it all.

Open Wave on your phone, tap the red record button, and set it down. That's it. Wave captures audio through your phone's microphone, uploads it, and automatically generates a full transcript and AI summary. It works in the background — you can lock your screen, switch to another app, or just put your phone in your pocket.

Best for:

• In-person meetings, lectures, and interviews
• Coffee chats and brainstorms
• Voice memos and quick ideas on the go
• Therapy sessions, doctor visits, or any conversation worth remembering

Wave even works offline — it records locally and processes everything once you're back online. Available on both the App Store and Google Play.

2. Apple Watch

Record from your wrist. No phone needed.

Wave on Apple Watch lets you start recording with a single tap — no iPhone required nearby. The app uses extended runtime sessions, so it keeps recording even when the screen turns off or your wrist drops. Recordings sync automatically to your iPhone and appear in your Wave library like any other session.

Best for:

• Quick voice memos when your phone isn't handy
• Recording conversations hands-free
• Workouts, walks, or commutes where you want to capture a thought
• Situations where pulling out a phone would be awkward

Setup: Install Wave on your iPhone and the Watch app syncs automatically. Requires Apple Watch Series 4 or newer with watchOS 10+. Add the Wave complication to your watch face for instant access. For the full walkthrough, see our Apple Watch guide.

Pro tip: Wave protects your recordings with automatic battery management — you'll get a warning at 15% and recording auto-stops at 10% to prevent data loss.

3. Wave Desktop (Mac & Windows)

Capture system audio from any app on your computer.

Wave Desktop records both your microphone and your computer's system audio simultaneously. That means it captures both sides of any call — Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Slack huddles, even YouTube videos or podcasts playing in your browser. No bot joins the call. No notification. No recording indicator. Just press record and let it run in the background.

Best for:

• Virtual meetings on any platform without a visible bot
• Recording Slack huddles, Discord calls, or any audio source
• Capturing webinars, online lectures, or training videos
• Personal reference recordings where discretion matters

Setup: Download Wave Desktop for Mac or Windows. On Mac, grant microphone and screen recording permissions when prompted. Sign in with the same account you use on mobile and everything syncs. Full details in our Wave Desktop guide.

Pro tip: Start Wave Desktop before your meeting begins and leave it running. You can grab screenshots of important slides or visuals as they come up during the call.

4. Chrome Extension

Record any browser tab with one click.

The Wave Chrome Extension captures audio directly from your browser — tab audio, your microphone, or both at the same time. It's perfect for recording browser-based meetings, online lectures, podcasts, or anything playing in a Chrome tab. No desktop app install required.

Best for:

• Google Meet calls (directly in the browser)
• Zoom web client meetings
• YouTube videos, podcasts, and webinars
• Any audio playing in a browser tab

Setup: Install from the Chrome Web Store, sign in with your Wave account, and click the Wave icon in your toolbar. Toggle Tab Audio to capture what's playing, and Microphone to capture your voice. You can switch tabs during recording and even change microphones mid-session. See the Chrome Extension guide for the full walkthrough.

Your five most recent recordings appear right in the extension popup, and everything syncs to your full Wave library.

5. Meeting Bots

Wave joins the call so you don't have to.

Connect your calendar and Wave automatically sends an AI notetaker to your meetings on Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams. The bot joins as a visible participant (you can customize its name — "Sarah's Notes," "Team AI," whatever fits). It captures video, audio, and screen shares, then delivers a full recording, transcript, and AI summary.

Best for:

• Meetings you can't attend — the bot records for you
• Interviews and candidate screens
• Training sessions and presentations with screen sharing
• Team standups where recording is already standard practice

Setup: Connect your Google or Outlook calendar in the Wave web app. Choose which meetings get a bot — all of them, only external calls, or schedule recordings one at a time. Our ultimate guide to meeting recording covers every option.

The tradeoff: The bot is visible to everyone in the call. This works best in environments where meeting recording is expected or welcome.

6. Phone Call Recording

Dial out through Wave and every call is recorded.

Place outgoing calls directly from the Wave app — it uses your actual phone number. Got a meeting with a dial-in number? Call it through Wave and the entire conversation is automatically recorded and transcribed. No extra participants, no bots, no setup.

Best for:

• Conference calls with phone dial-in numbers
• Client calls and sales conversations
• Phone interviews
• Any call where you need a record of what was said

How it works: Open the Wave app, go to the phone dialer, enter the number (or paste a meeting dial-in), and call. Wave records both sides of the conversation and processes it just like any other recording — transcript, summary, and all.

7. Web App

Access everything from your browser.

The Wave Web App gives you full access to your entire recording library from any browser — no download required. Search your sessions, read transcripts, review AI summaries, and share recordings with teammates. It's your command center for everything Wave.

Best for:

• Reviewing and searching past recordings from any computer
• Sharing transcripts and summaries with colleagues
• Managing your Wave account and settings
• Quick access when you're on a shared or work computer

Access: Visit app.wave.co and sign in with the same account you use on mobile or desktop. All your recordings, transcripts, and summaries are right there. See the web app guide to get started.

8. Import

Already have a recording? Bring it to Wave.

Wave isn't just for live recording. You can import any existing audio or video file and Wave will transcribe and summarize it automatically. Got a voice memo from another app? A podcast episode you want notes on? A recorded lecture from your university's LMS? Import it and Wave does the rest.

Best for:

• Voice memos recorded in other apps
• Podcast episodes you want transcribed
• Lecture recordings from school or work
• Video files you need a searchable transcript for

Which Method Should You Use?

Here's the quick decision guide:

• In a room with people? Phone app or Apple Watch
• On a video call at your computer? Desktop app or Chrome Extension
• Can't attend the meeting? Meeting Bot
• Dialing into a conference line? Phone Call Recording
• Want to review or share past recordings? Web App
• Have a file from somewhere else? Import
• Phone isn't handy? Apple Watch
• In a browser, no app installed? Chrome Extension

Everything Syncs, Everywhere

No matter how you record, every session lands in the same place — your Wave library. Record on your Apple Watch during a walk, review the transcript on your laptop at your desk, share the summary from your phone over lunch. It's all connected.

Every recording gets:

• Full transcript with speaker labels
• AI-generated summary — customizable by length and format
• Chat with Wave — ask questions about any recording and get instant answers
• Multi-language support — transcription and translation in dozens of languages
• Export options — PDF, email, and more
• Cross-device sync — record anywhere, access everywhere

Getting Started

The fastest way to start is the mobile app. Download Wave for free on iOS or Android, record your first conversation, and see how it works. From there, add the desktop app for virtual meetings, the Chrome extension for browser recording, and the Apple Watch app for hands-free capture. Every piece works on its own, and they're even better together.

172+ million minutes transcribed. 4.9 stars on the App Store. One app, every device, every conversation captured.