What's different on iOS, Android, and web?
Updated 16 Aug 2026 · iOS, Android, Web
The core product is the same everywhere: recording, transcripts, AI notes, chat, search, spaces, sharing, and the meeting notetaker all work on iOS, Android, and the web. The differences are at the edges — system integrations on mobile, and a few extras that exist only on the web.
Capability matrix
| Capability | iOS | Android | Web |
|---|---|---|---|
| Record, transcripts, AI notes, chat, search | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Background recording | Yes | Yes | No — tab must stay open |
| Home-screen widget | Yes | Yes | — |
| Live Activity / Dynamic Island | Yes | — | — |
| Control Center, Lock Screen, Action Button | Yes (iOS 18) | — | — |
| Quick Settings tile | — | Yes | — |
| Import audio from other apps | Share sheet | Share / open-with | Drag and drop |
| Dictation into chat and notes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Notetaker settings and calendar connections | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft sign-in | — | Yes | Yes |
| Insights and Analytics | — | — | Yes |
| Team plan billing | — | — | Yes |
What works everywhere?
Everything your recordings turn into. Transcription, summaries, the four Views, chat on a recording or across your whole library, semantic search, spaces and sharing, and the full notetaker — enabling it, connecting Google or Microsoft calendars, pasting meeting links, choosing the bot name — are identical on all three platforms. Your account keeps them in sync: start on the phone, continue on the web.
What's mobile-only?
System-level ways to start and monitor a recording:
- iOS — a home-screen widget, a Live Activity in the Dynamic Island while recording, and on iOS 18 a Control Center control that also works from the Lock Screen and the Action Button. See Record from iOS widgets and Control Center
- Android — a home-screen widget and a Quick Settings tile. See Record from the Android widget and tile
Mobile also records in the background and survives app crashes mid-recording; the web recorder needs its tab open. See Does Canto record in the background?
What's web-only?
- Insights — a daily digest of what happened across your recordings. See What is Insights?
- Analytics — stats about your recording habits over time. See What is Analytics?
- Team plan billing — creating and paying for a Team plan happens on the web, though everyone on the team uses any platform. See How does the Team plan work?
- Passwordless email-link sign-in. See Download Canto and sign in
Do I have to pick one platform?
No. Accounts are cross-platform, and a Pro subscription bought on any platform applies everywhere. Most people record on the phone and read, organize, and share on the web.