You want to record and save an upcoming essential phone call. On your Android phone, you may record both incoming and outgoing calls using the appropriate software.
It might be difficult to record phone calls on an Android device. Although the Google Phone app has a recording capability, it may not function depending on your carrier, location, and other factors. There are several on-device solutions, like Google Voice and third-party apps, in addition to the possibility of using an external recording device.
Android Recording Limitations
For the most part, Google has never been a fan of third-party call recording applications for Android. The firm made changes to Android 9 that made it impossible for many apps to record phone conversations. The applications appeared to function, but when you played the recording, all that came through was silence or your end of the chat.
With Android 10, Google tightened restrictions on these kinds of applications even more by preventing call recording using the microphone. As a result, a large number of app developers began using Android's Accessibility Service to record phone calls. But in April 2022, Google revised its developer guidelines to indicate that it would not let Play Store apps use the accessibility service for call recording. On May 11, 2022, that rule came into force.
Even further, the business has classified phone recording as a kind of spyware.
In its developer guidelines, Google said that "Behaviors that might be interpreted as spying on the user can likewise be labeled as spyware." For instance, "recording audio, capturing phone calls, or stealing app data."
In the past, individuals were able to circumvent Google's prohibition by altering the audio source or format, amplifying the speaker level, manually instead of automatically recording, and even rooting their phones. Since then, some people have started sideloading call-recording applications using an APK file as opposed to installing them straight from Google Play.
Your phone's Android version also has an impact on all of this. Apps running on Android 9 and older devices should continue to be able to record phone calls without running afoul of Google's most recent limitations. However, apps that attempt to use the accessibility service on phones running Android 10 or higher may violate Google's new guidelines.
A Legality Concern
Can you legally record a phone call, especially if you don't ask the other party for permission? That is, if you can locate a functional call-recording program. Where you reside will determine the response. US federal law and the majority of state laws permit phone recording with the consent of just one party, which may be you. However, some governments need consent from both parties before a recording may be made.
Of course, other nations have their own legal systems. Ask the other party for their consent before recording the call in order to completely protect yourself legally. Here are several programs that could be able to record your Android phone chats despite all of those constraints, limits, and challenges.
Google's Phone
Call recording is a built-in feature of the Google Phone app, however, it is subject to a variety of restrictions. Your phone must come with the most recent version of the app preloaded. Android 9 or a later version must be installed. The requirement that your region, provider, and device all support it is the strictest, ruling out many phones and locales.
Make sure your phone is using the Phone by Google app and not, for example, Samsung's Phone app. Open the appropriate app, and select Settings by tapping the three dots in the top right corner. To specify which calls you to wish to record, tap Call Recording. Your phone cannot record calls using the app if the Call Recording option is hidden.
The next time you are on a call that you want to record, if you have the choice, hit the Record button. Tap the Stop Recording button when finished. The recording is available in the Phone app's Recent section. Select the recording from the list of calls by tapping the name of the caller whose call you captured, and then touch Play.
Google Voice
With Google Voice, you select a specific phone number that receives calls and forwards them to your mobile device. Tap the hamburger button in the upper-left corner of the app after setting up your phone number and Google Voice account. To enable call recording, open Settings and toggle the switch next to Incoming call options.
The restriction, in this case, is that you can only record incoming calls. Press the number 4 on the keyboard as soon as you pick up the phone to start recording the call. Get the other party's consent in advance since the call will be recorded, according to a notice. Press 4 on the keyboard once again to end the recording. You may listen to or download the recording from your email inbox to your computer.
Automatic Call Recorder
An easy-to-use but powerful recording app is Automatic Call Recorder. To record audio, access contacts, make and manage phone calls, and access your images and other media, open the app and provide the required rights. The app then informs you that future updates purchased from the store may no longer allow call recording on this device owing to new Google Play limitations.
You must enable the accessibility service on devices running Android 10 or above. Press the On button. Tap the Call Recorder option under Downloaded applications on the Accessibility settings screen, then toggle the Use Call Recorder switch to on. Give the app complete access to your device, allowing it to observe, control, and execute specified operations as well as view and watch the screen. return to the program after that.
You should set up the app in the Settings menu before beginning any recording. For both incoming and outgoing calls, you may turn on or off automatic recording here. You may decide whether to only record particular contacts. Make sure to turn on the recording volume and raise the loudness in the recording area. If you shake your phone, you may also choose to enable recording.
Every time you place or receive a phone call, recording will start if you leave automatic recording turned on by default. The recording may then be seen by opening the app. You may add call notes, erase the recording, share the conversation via email or social media, or save the call as an audio file to your phone from the settings menu. The $8.49 Pro edition eliminates commercials and unlocks more features compared to the free version, which is ad-supported.
Automatic Call Recorder tested flawlessly on an Android 9 handset right out of the box. The accessibility service had to be enabled for the app to record calls during Android 12 testing.
Call Recorder - Automatic Call Recorder Pro
Automatic Call Recorder Pro A reliable program with many features is Call Recorder. It initially guides you through the prerequisite setup procedures, including turning on accessibility features. The Settings page will then be accessible, where you can select whether to manually or automatically record calls, update the audio source and format, improve the audio quality, turn up the volume, or turn on the feature that starts recording when you shake your phone.
The program will record all incoming and outgoing calls if it is set to automatic recording. When the recording displays onscreen, simply tap it to start listening in the app. You may play the file, save it to your phone, distribute it via email or other services, and remove the recording from the screen where it is being recorded. The app is free and sponsored by adverts, however, you may eliminate the ads for $3.49.
In tests, Call Recorder - Automatic Call Recorder Pro utilized the accessibility service to effectively record calls on an Android 9 mobile and an Android 12 device. However, a future version might not be able to record calls according to Google's new policy because the app made no mention of the most recent Google Play accessibility service limits.
Call Recorder - Cube ACR
A more sophisticated and expensive app is Call Recorder - Cube ACR. The free basic edition comes with advertisements and does not offer cloud-based recording backup. After a free one-week trial, membership will cost you $6.99 for six months or $9.99 for a full year if you want further features. But the free version ought to function adequately.
You must provide Cube ACR permission to utilize the accessibility service with Android 10 or above, just like with the other call-recording apps. You may change the clarity and loudness of conversations, switch on or off automatic recording, block calls from unknown numbers, and, if your phone supports it, allow recording from VoIP applications under the app's settings. To pinpoint the caller's location, you may geotag your recordings.
Call the other party as you normally would to start recording an outgoing call. Incoming calls are automatically recorded in the background if you select AutoStart recording. Open the app to see and listen to the recordings once the call has ended. You have the option to share recordings through email or social media, delete them, examine the caller's location on a map, and mark recordings as important.
During testing, Cube ACR used the accessibility service to record phone calls on two Android devices: an Android 9 device and an Android 12 device. The limitations of the Google Play accessibility service were not mentioned in the app. However, similar to other call recording applications, a future version may have difficulties while attempting to record calls as a result of Google's policy changes.
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