TrollRecorder: iOS call recording via TrollStore, with 6 CLI tools and a Pro tier

TrollStore or a compatible jailbreak is the only installation path for iOS call recording

TrollRecorder is a phone call recorder for iPhones that runs on iOS 15.0 through iOS 17.0. Gaining access to the iOS audio stack for call recording requires elevated permissions that a standard App Store install cannot provide. TrollStore, a persistent app signer, is the standard path. Compatible jailbreaks form the alternative: RootHide, Dopamine and palera1n are each listed as supported.

iOS 14 is explicitly excluded. The README contains a notice in bold: 'No iOS 14 support.' Users on firmware older than 15.0 have no workaround described.

The app is distributed through the Havoc package manager. 2 separate packages exist: the TrollStore package at havoc.app/package/trollrecorder, and the jailbreak package (TrollRecorder JB) at havoc.app/package/trollrecorderjb. No standard sideload path and no App Store listing exist.

What the free tier covers and what the Pro purchase adds

Core recording features carry no cost: voice memo recording, basic phone and FaceTime call recording, CallKit-compatible third-party app recording, and WeChat call recording are all in the free tier. Floating indicator, vibration, haptic feedback, push notifications and location tagging also stay free.

The Pro purchase is a one-time payment, valid for a lifetime and usable on up to 5 devices. Over 50 advanced features are behind that purchase. Notable additions include system audio capture (recording what the device speaker plays back), a WeChat contact assistant that retrieves and displays contact notes, stable persistent recording with gap prevention (requires a widget on the lock screen or home screen), iCloud Smart Archive, iCloud Backup, cloud storage for Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox, multiple audio formats (m4a, caf, wav with AAC encoding), custom sample rates, Touch ID and Face ID protection, and a dual-channel mode that keeps speaker and microphone as separate tracks.

1 behavioral difference separates the 2 versions: the jailbreak version starts automatically after a reboot, while the TrollStore version starts after the screen is first accessed post-reboot.

6 CLI tools built with Theos, targeting arm64 on iOS 15.0

The repository's Makefile defines 6 command-line tools built using the Theos jailbreak development toolkit. They target arm64 and iOS 15.0 as the floor.

ARCHS := arm64  # arm64e
TARGET := iphone:clang:latest:15.0

TOOL_NAME += audio-player
TOOL_NAME += audio-recorder
TOOL_NAME += audio-mixer
TOOL_NAME += call-recorder
TOOL_NAME += call-monitor
TOOL_NAME += dtmf-decoder

Each tool installs to /usr/local/bin. The build uses C++17 (std=gnu++17) with the AudioToolbox and AVFAudio frameworks. Source files live under cli/, with call-recorder.mm handling recording and call-monitor.mm handling monitoring. arm64e (the architecture used on newer iPhones with pointer authentication) is commented out in the Makefile and is not built by default.

The repository also contains a requirements.txt listing Python packages including matplotlib 3.9.2, numpy 2.1.3 and pillow 11.0.0. In a project otherwise written in Objective-C++, the purpose of these visualization libraries is not described anywhere in the README.

4 environments TrollRecorder does not support: Bootstrap, NathanLR, eSign and LiveContainer

4 environments are explicitly excluded. Bootstrap (RootHide) and NathanLR users are directed to use the TrollStore version instead of the jailbreak package. eSign and LiveContainer do not work with TrollRecorder due to limitations in those tools; no further explanation is given.

The TrollStore version and the jailbreak version differ in what each can provide. Phone and contact integration (viewing associated recordings in the Recents screen) is available only in the jailbreak version. The TrollStore version starts after the device screen is first accessed post-reboot, while the jailbreak version starts automatically on reboot.

Users on standard iOS have no described installation path. Enterprise distribution and TestFlight are not mentioned as options anywhere in the project documentation.

4 network storage modes with different recovery guarantees

The Pro tier adds network storage connections to Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox, with 4 modes that each carry different recoverability guarantees. Archive mode renames and uploads recordings with custom names, but files transferred through it cannot be restored to TrollRecorder. Upload mode transfers recordings in their original form and metadata, and recovery is possible through bidirectional sync or manual migration. Sync mode adds deletion mirroring: when a local recording is deleted, the cloud copy is deleted or moved to the cloud's trash. Bidirectional Sync extends that further: deleting the cloud copy also deletes the local recording, with no move to a local trash.

For iCloud, 2 distinct approaches exist. Smart Cloud Archive moves recordings from all months except the current one to iCloud Drive, using APFS clones to avoid doubling the storage used. The iCloud Backup option follows the device's standard incremental backup and includes all recordings, using hard links. Both approaches require sufficient iCloud storage and must be enabled separately inside the app's settings.

11 localizations, with DeepSeek v4 generating everything outside English and Simplified Chinese

TrollRecorder ships with multiple localizations. English and Simplified Chinese received native handling. For all other languages, localizations were generated or reviewed by DeepSeek v4. 9 language variants had source text provided by volunteer translators: Spanish (Deci8BelioS), French (DzMoha), Korean (SUB2), Russian (RAYMONCE), Turkish (Altay T.), Uyghur (BlacZhingG), Vietnamese (romlayvn-0411 and 2311WithLuv), Traditional Chinese for Hong Kong (CaslenZ) and Traditional Chinese for Taiwan.

A localization requires at minimum 2 files: Localizable.strings and InfoPlist.strings. Contributors are asked to review the LLM-generated text, since it has not been fully verified by native speakers for all included languages. The loc structure follows standard Apple .lproj directories, with the English example at res/en.lproj/Localizable.strings.

For users outside English and Simplified Chinese, the app interface may contain DeepSeek v4 output that has not been reviewed by a human with the relevant language background.

What the repository publishes and what the commercial tier covers

The README is explicit: only the core CLI tools are published in this repository; the full TrollRecorder app includes a Pro tier that is commercial. A PrivacyPolicy.md and an end-user agreement document both sit at the top level and cover the commercial portion. The devkit/ directory appears alongside the cli/ source files but its contents are not described in any documentation.

The repository metadata labels the CLI tools AGPL-3.0 while the README calls them 'Free Software licensed under the GNU General Public License' without naming a version; the LICENSE file resolves this. The most recent release is v4.7-3658, published on 2026-09-27.

Building the CLI tools requires Theos. No build walkthrough appears in the README beyond the Makefile, and the Havoc packages are the distribution channel for end users.

Editorial conclusion

TrollRecorder suits users on iOS 15.0-17.0 who need call recording and are willing to use TrollStore or a compatible jailbreak. The free tier covers basic phone, FaceTime and WeChat calls. Evaluate the Pro purchase for dual-channel recording, iCloud archiving or cloud storage to Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox. Do not expect iOS 14 support, arm64e builds, or compatibility with Bootstrap (RootHide), NathanLR, eSign or LiveContainer. The TrollStore and jailbreak packages are separate, so install from the correct Havoc URL for your device configuration.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

1. Issues
2. Lessica/TrollRecorder on GitHub
3. License: AGPL-3.0
4. README
5. Releases