Can Cell Phone Services Record Your Phone Calls

Recording phone calls on an Android device can be a challenge. While Google's own Phone app offers a recording characteristic, whether or not information technology works depends on your carrier, region, and other conditions. You can ever use an external recording device, simply there are also several on-device options, from Google Voice to third-party apps.

Recording Limitations on Android

Google has never been peculiarly addicted of call-recording apps for Android, at least not those from tertiary parties. With Android nine, the company added limitations that prevented many apps from recording your phone conversations. The apps seemed to work, but when yous would play the recording, y'all'd hear merely silence or just your stop of the conversation.

With Android x, Google cracked down fifty-fifty further on these types of apps by blocking call recording via the microphone. In response, many app developers started tapping into Android'due south Accessibility Service to tape phone calls. Merely Google then updated its developer policy in April 2022 to state that it would not allow apps in the Play Store to use the accessibility service for call recording. That policy went into effect on May 11, 2022.

The company has even gone so far as to label call recording a type of spyware.

"Behaviors that can be considered as spying on the user can also be flagged as spyware," Google said in its developer policy. "For example, recording audio or recording calls made to the telephone, or stealing app data."

In the past, people were able to notice workarounds to Google's cake, such as changing the audio source or format, turning the speaker volume every bit loud every bit possible, recording manually instead of automatically, and even rooting their phones. Others have since taken to sideloading phone call-recording apps through an APK file rather than downloading them directly from Google Play.

The version of Android installed on your telephone as well plays a role in all this. Apps on devices with Android 9 and earlier should still be able to record phone calls without bumping into Google's latest restrictions. Only apps on phones with Android 10 or higher that endeavour to use the accessibility service may run afoul of Google's new policy.

A Question of Legality

Assuming you're able to find a working call-recording app, tin can y'all legally record a telephone call, especially if you don't inquire the other person for permission? The answer depends on where you alive. US federal and most state laws allow telephone recording if just one party (yes, that tin be you) gives it the okay. Some states, however, require both parties to give permission to exist recorded.

Other countries have their own laws, of course. To fully encompass yourself legally, ask the other person for permission before recording the call. With all of those limitations, restrictions, and obstacles out in the open, hither are some apps that may be able to record your Android telephone conversations one mode or some other.

Phone by Google

Google'south Phone app(Opens in a new window) offers congenital-in call recording, but it's contingent on a number of conditions. The app must be preinstalled on your phone with the latest update. You must be running Android ix or higher. And virtually stringently, your region, carrier, and device must all support it, which leaves a lot of phones and locations out of the running.

Make sure your phone uses the Phone by Google app, and not Samsung's Phone app, for instance. If you have the right app, open it, tap the three-dot icon in the upper right and select Settings. Tap Call Recording to set up what types of calls yous want to tape. If the Call Recording option is not visible, then your telephone can't record calls through the app.

If you practise have the Phone call Recording pick, tap the Tape button the side by side fourth dimension y'all are on a call that you wish to record. When done, tap the Stop Recording button. You can access the recording under the Recents department of the the Telephone app. Tap the proper name of the caller you recorded, select the recording from the list of calls, and then tap Play.

Google Vocalisation

With Google Voice(Opens in a new window), y'all choose a dedicated phone number through which incoming calls are routed to your mobile phone. Afterwards you gear up your phone number and your Google Vocalization account, tap the app's hamburger icon in the upper-left corner. Tap Settings and plow on the switch for Incoming call options to enable call recording.

The limitation here is that you tin can tape merely incoming calls. When you answer your telephone, press the number 4 on the keypad to record the conversation. A message announces that the call is beingness recorded, so exist sure to get the other person'south permission beforehand. To end the recording, printing four on the keypad once more. The recording is saved to your electronic mail inbox, where you can listen to it or download information technology to your computer.

Automatic Call Recorder

Automatic Phone call Recorder(Opens in a new window) is a simple but constructive recording app. Open up the app and grant the necessary permissions to tape audio, access your contacts, make and manage phone calls, and admission your photos and other media. The app so warns you that due to new Google Play restrictions, hereafter versions downloaded from the shop may no longer tape calls on this device.

On devices with Android 10 or higher, you'll need to turn on the accessibility service. Tap the Turn On button. At the Accessibility settings screen, tap the entry for Telephone call Recorder nether Downloaded apps and plough on the switch for Use Call Recorder. Let the app to have total control of your device, pregnant it tin view and control the screen and view and perform certain deportment. Then return to the program.

Automatic Call Recorder accessibility settings

Earlier recording anything, you'll desire to configure the app in the Settings menu. Here, yous can enable or disable automatic recording for incoming and outgoing calls. You can also choose to record only certain contacts. In the Recording section, exist certain to increase the loudness and turn on the recording volume. In that location's too an pick to turn on recording if yous milkshake your phone.

If you leave automated recording on by default, recording will begin any time you lot make or receive a phone call. Yous tin then open the app to view the recording. From the options screen, you can relieve the telephone call as an sound file to your telephone, add call notes, delete the recording, or share information technology via electronic mail or social media. The gratis version is advertisement-supported, just the $viii.49 Pro version(Opens in a new window) removes ads and kicks in other features.

Recommended by Our Editors

In testing, Automated Phone call Recorder worked out of the box on an Android nine device. When testing with Android 12, the accessibility service needed to be enabled for the app to tape calls.

Call Recorder - Automatic Call Recorder Pro

Call Recorder - Automated Telephone call Recorder Pro(Opens in a new window) is a solid app with a variety of options. Information technology first takes you through the necessary setup steps, such equally enabling accessibility settings. You can then admission the Settings screen and cull to automatically or manually tape calls, change the audio source and format, alter the audio quality, increase the volume, or enable an option to starting time recording when yous shake your phone.

If you set the app to automatic, information technology will record incoming and approachable calls from start to stop. Tap the recording when it appears onscreen to mind to it in the app. From the recording screen, you tin play the file, save it to your telephone, share it via e-mail or other services, and delete the recording. The app is free and ad-supported, but you can pay $three.49 to remove the ads.

In testing, Call Recorder - Automated Call Recorder Pro successfully recorded phone calls on an Android 9 device and an Android 12 device with utilise of the accessibility service. The app made no mention of the latest Google Play accessibility service restrictions, but a future version may be unable to record calls due to Google's new policy.

Call Recorder - Automatic Call Recorder Pro recording

Call Recorder - Cube ACR

Call Recorder - Cube ACR(Opens in a new window) is a more avant-garde and premium app. The bones version is free just displays ads and offers no deject-based fill-in for your recordings. If you lot demand the actress features, a subscription will run yous $half-dozen.99 for half-dozen months or $ix.99 for a full year subsequently a free 1-week trial. Yet, the free version should become the job done.

As with the other call-recording apps, you must give Cube ACR permission to use the accessibility service in Android 10 or higher. In the app's settings, you can plow automatic recording on or off, exclude calls from unknown numbers, modify the clarity and volume of calls, and enable recording from VoIP apps if supported on your phone. You lot can even geotag your recordings to identify the caller's location.

To record an outgoing call, just phone call the other political party every bit you normally would. If you lot choose autostart recording, incoming calls are automatically recorded in the background. After the call is finished, open the app to view and play the recordings. Yous can tag recordings as important, delete them, view the caller's location on a map, and share them via electronic mail or social media.

In testing, Cube ACR recorded phone calls on an Android 9 device and an Android 12 device by using the accessibility service. The app didn't mention the Google Play accessibility service restrictions. Just every bit with the other call recording apps, a future version might crash-land into trouble trying to record calls due to Google's policy changes.

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