Google will remove ‘Call Recording Apps’ from Play Store by May 11

Google just updated its Play Store Policy, which will go into effect on May 11th. One of the improvements is aimed at permanently removing call recording apps from Android.

Google Pixel, Motorola, Xiaomi, and a few more models have call recording built-in. The rest of the phones rely on Google Play Store third-party call recording apps. If you’re using one of these apps, we’ve got some terrible news for you. After May 11th, Android call recording apps will no longer work.

“If the app is the default dialer on the phone and also pre-loaded, accessibility feature is not necessary to get access to the incoming audio stream, and hence will not be in violation”, the presenter explained in the developer webinar on the Google Play policy updates,

Over the course of multiple Android releases, Google has been gradually deprecating and eliminating APIs that enable call recording. This is done in the name of privacy and security, as well as the fact that call recording rules vary greatly from country to country. Call recording is disabled by default on Android 10. To get around the ban, Play Store apps began recording calls using the Accessibility API. After Google applies the new adjustments next month, this will no longer be possible.