Google: New Play Store policy will block all third-party call recording apps

Google: New Play Store policy will block all third-party call recording apps

Google: New Play Store policy will block all third-party call recording apps

Custom ROMs such as MIUI and ColorOS integrate the call recording function, which can be automatically recorded after being enabled.

But this feature is not common on Android phones due to legal requirements in different markets.

If your phone doesn’t integrate this feature, users can also download and install third-party apps through Google Play to do the job.

But sadly, the upcoming Google Play policy will kill all third-party call recording apps.

Since Android 6.0, Google has shut down the official call recording API, which allows developers to easily incorporate call recording functionality into their applications.

This has prompted app developers to look for unofficial ways to enable call recording.

But again, Google removed some of these workarounds in Android 9.0. And in Android 10, the company completely blocked call recording via the microphone.

As a last resort, developers started using Android’s Accessibility feature service to provide call recording on devices running Android 10 and above.

Google has now announced that it will not allow third-party apps to use the Accessibility API for call recording, which means the end of third-party call recording apps.

Google’s updated Play Store policy lists several upcoming changes to the Accessibility API.

One of the changes will prevent third-party app developers from using the API to implement call recording. This change will take effect from May 11.

During a recent developer webinar, Google clarified that the change will only affect third-party apps. Google says: “Remote here refers to call recording, the person on the other end doesn’t know it’s being recorded. So if the app is the default dialer on the phone , and it’s also pre-installed, there’s no need for accessibility to get it Incoming audio streams, so there is no violation. As this is a clarification of the existing policy, the new language will apply to all applications from May 11.”

Simply put, if your phone comes with call recording pre-installed, you have nothing to worry about — it will continue to work as planned.

This upcoming change will only apply to third-party apps on the Play Store that specifically use the Accessibility API to enable call recording.

The Google Phone app, which offers built-in call recording, is not affected by this change.