Google is killing call recording apps on Android phones from May 11

For a long time, Google has attempted to limit third-party call recording applications on its Android operating system. The firm disabled the APIs that allowed developers to add call recording features into their apps with Android 6 Marshmallow. And, with Android 10, Google eliminated any workarounds that developers had used to enable the call recording capability in their apps. Furthermore, the business disabled the ability to record calls using the microphone. As a last step, the corporation is removing Android's Accessibility APIs.

"The Accessibility API is not designed and cannot be requested for remote call audio recording," Google stated on a support page explaining the modifications to its Developer Program Policy. This implies that, as of May 11, Google's Android mobile operating system will no longer offer recording features in apps.

The business emphasised in a YouTube webinar that this change will only effect third-party apps.

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"In this context, remote refers to call audio recording in which the person on the other end is unaware that the recording is taking place. As a result, if the app is the phone's default dialer and is also pre-loaded, accessibility capability is not necessary to access the incoming audio stream and so would not be in violation. Because this is a clarification to an existing policy, the new language will be applied to all apps beginning May 11th," Google stated in the webinar.

It is worth noting that this modification will have no effect on in-built apps. This implies that in-built call recording applications included in custom skins provided by businesses like as Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi, and Oppo will be unaffected by this change.

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In terms of the modification, it is unclear how Google intends to execute this policy. Google hasn't said whether it would simply prohibit the phone or urge app developers to delete their apps from the Play Store when the deadline approaches.

• Google
• call recording
• Android
• smartphones
• iOS
• recording