Recording Phone Calls On Android Is About To Get Much Harder

screenrant.com:

Google is updating its developer policies to stop third-party apps from being able to record phone calls on Android. Call-recording is a much-loved feature on Android, although Google has been deprecating it over the past few Android versions. However, the restrictions only apply to third-party apps, as Google itself offers the feature in its Pixel devices through the Google Phone app.

Google blocked the call recording functionality for good in Android 10, arguing that the ability of third-party apps to record conversations is a threat to user privacy. To get around Google's restrictions, developers started using the Accessibility API to record calls with third-party apps, but this will no longer be possible once the new policies come into effect.

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Google's new Play Store policy, which was spotted by Redditor NLL-APPS, has also been officially confirmed by the company at a developer webinar. According to the official policy, third-party apps on the Play Store are no longer allowed to use the Accessibility API for recording calls on Android phones. The policy will come into effect from May 11 and will likely have far-reaching repercussions for a host of applications, including popular apps like Truecaller. Google, however, is not banning call-recording forthright, as native call-recording features offered by built-in apps from manufacturers will not be affected by the change in policy. That said, not many companies offer native call-recording options due to the privacy concerns. Xiaomi, which used to offer built-in call recording with its Mi Dialer app, has also since withdrawn the feature.

The new policy is quite a change from just a year ago when Google was