Third-party call recording apps for Android are no longer supported as of May 11. Google announced several changes to its Play Store Developer Policy in April. One of the most important changes is that Android’s Accessibility API will no longer be used for remote call recording.
According to a report by The Verge, Google is cracking down on voice call recording apps in the Google Play Store. This ban includes any app that is designed for the sole purpose of recording calls, even if those calls are made through a third-party service like Skype. This decision comes as no surprise, as Google has been warning developers about this policy change since May.
The reports show that the shift is significant and will have an effect on many apps that allow you to record phone calls. This is not the first time Google has targeted Android’s call recording apps. Before version 6.0, Android had an official call recording API. This feature was removed by Google when Android 6.0 was launched. Developers have since come up with other ways to record incoming calls.
Google announced that Android 9.0 will not allow call recording workarounds. This was in response to another Google attack on call recording apps. Many users have now rooted their phones in order to access call recording apps.
Over the years, Google has been slowly closing down APIs used by programmers to record incoming audio. Developers have been able, starting with Android 10, to record calls audio using the AccessibilityAPI. This policy change aims to stop it. Google Play Store isn’t eliminating all call recording apps on Android.
It doesn’t restrict the apps that can use this functionality. In a video presentation, a Google presenter explained the changes. Both the Xiaomi and Google phones have call recording capabilities. This means that you can record calls even after changes have been made.
It’s not clear at this point how Google will implement these rules. We don’t know whether developers will make improvements prior to the policy changes taking effect on May 11, or if Google will simply start removing apps once that date has passed.
While it’s not clear exactly why Google Play Store is making this change, one possibility is that the company doesn’t want users to record calls in order to use them as evidence in legal proceedings. In fact, similar bans have been put into place in other countries, such as Germany and France.
It requires developers to remove any recording features from their apps or face removal from the App Store.
