Google's New Policy Could Spell Doom for Third-Party Call Recording Apps

Google Play Store

(Photo: The Quint)

Search engine giant Google is clamping down on third-party call recording apps on Google Play with a new policy, which will kick in on 11 May 2022.

"The Accessibility API is not designed and cannot be requested for remote call audio recording," the policy says. API is the acronym for Application Programming Interface – a software that allows two applications to talk to each other.

Typically, apps get limited access to things that happen inside your Android smartphone, but Google's Accessibility API can let them access much more information, including call recordings.

There's a catch, though.

As the name suggests, Accessibility API was designed to help assist users with disabilities in using devices and apps, for example, screen readers, braille, and voice-based input systems.

Google does not want this API to be used for other purposes.

Why Is Google Doing This?

Google has been working to stop call recording on Android for some time. With Android 6, it removed the official call-recording API that allowed apps to easily access the call recording function.

With Android 9, it restricted some other workarounds, in response to which apps started using Accessibility Service to record calls. Now Google is restricting apps from doing that too.

Apps using Accessibility API for beyond its intended purpose is just one reason for Google's crackdown. Another is the fact that single-party call recording is illegal in several jurisdictions.

In a webinar on the policy updates, Google said that the new policy applied to apps that record calls without making it explicit to the other person on the line, that is, most third-party apps.

System apps that ship with your phone don't need to use Accessibility API and can provide call recording, depending on the phone that you have and the region you are in.

We tested this with the default dialing apps in OnePlus and Poco phones in India. Both allowed call recording after playing a message informing the other party that they were being recorded.

'Call recording Is a Valid Need'

Google's decision was met with negative reactions from several users who said that there was no need for a blanket ban on third-party call recording apps.

NLL Apps, developer of a call recording app with over a million downloads on the Play store, said it hopes Google "will see the need and implement a better way of call recording on Android. In fact, they had a go in the initial days of Android 11."

The developer said that Google implemented a privacy-respecting functionality, which sent a beep to inform that a call is being recorded, but then decided against adding it to the final version of Android 11.

"Call recording is a valid need for many businesses and people. Banning it from Google Play Store will push people to look elsewhere and start installing apps from unknown or not trusted sources."

NLL Apps on Reddit

Google didn't clarify whether the Accessibility API will still be available to third-party apps that do let the other person know you are recording the call.

The policy also doesn't appear to affect the recording of WiFi calls which use Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). "SIP call recording will continue to work as usual," said developer NLL Apps in an update.