Google just banned call-recording apps from the Play Store

By Ayush Chourasia April 22, 2022

Google will soon ban third-party call-recording apps from the Play Store. First highlighted by a developer of an affected app, Google made the announcement in a Google Play policy update that becomes effective on May 11. Once in force, developers who want to submit apps to the Play Store will no longer be able to use the Android Accessibility API to record calls, killing the utility of call-recording apps on Android.

Google hasn’t allowed third-party call recording on Android officially for years now. It’s no surprise as call recording is a legal minefield, with different countries and even states having their own rules. If you’re using a first-party phone app, you’ll notice that this feature appears or disappears depending on where your phone thinks you are, and third-party recording apps hacking onto the company Accessibility API were one way to get around this.

That won’t be the case anymore. As per Google’s new policy; “The Accessibility API is not designed and cannot be requested for remote call audio recording.”

Google phone call screening — Image used with permission by copyright holder

This won’t affect first-party apps like Google’s own Phone app, which ships on a range of Android phones from Pixels to OnePlus phones to even some Xiaomi phones. These system apps already have elevated permissions, and they won’t need to piggyback onto non-standard APIs to capture call audio.

The rules go into effect on May 11, just as Google I/O kicks into gear. However, with Android being an open operating system, there’s still the possibility that app developers make their apps accessible on third-party app stores or even via direct download to customers. After all, it’s not so devastating if Google bans you from the Play Store as long as the option to go elsewhere remains.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Ayush Chourasia

Mobile Writer

Ayush works as an independent tech journalist. He has been writing since 2018 and has worked with publications like India…

Mobile

Google just launched a new Pixel Tablet … kind of

The Google Pixel Tablet sitting outside with its screen on.

With the excitement of the Google Pixel 8a launch, it might have passed a little unnoticed that Google also launched a new Pixel Tablet — though not exactly. For one thing, the “new” Pixel Tablet is the exact same device as the “old” Pixel Tablet. We mean that literally: same specs, same look, same screen. The only difference with the newly launched Pixel Tablet is that it’ll be sold without its charging/speaker dock, unlike the previous model, which included it.

At $399, the new Pixel Tablet is $100 cheaper than the earlier model, but that’s to be expected — both because it doesn’t come with any hardware refresh and also because it cuts the dock. It's also worth noting that it will not be launched with any new first-party accessories like a keyboard or stylus, which were previously rumored for the tablet.

Mobile

The Google Pixel 8a price just leaked. Here’s how much it’ll cost

A photo of someone holding the mint Google Pixel 8a.

And so concludes the saga of Google Pixel 8a leaks, merely days ahead of its expected unveiling at the I/O developers conference. Earlier today, insider @OnLeaks (in collaboration with Smartprix) shared more marketing renders of the upcoming budget phone, complete with its asking price in tow.

It seems Google is going to charge $499 for its next phone, at least the 128GB base storage variant, that is. For the 256GB storage variant, buyers will have to shell out $599. That’s the same asking price as the Google Pixel 7a, which arrived last year and won plaudits for its terrific mix of raw firepower, camera prowess, and feature-loaded Pixel software experience.

Mobile

Google just released the first Android 15 beta. Here’s what’s new

Google has just released the first public beta build of Android 15, marking an end to the developer-focused test phase. The beta version’s release also means that Android 15 is finally in a state where it can be tried by the masses without people having to worry about too many bugs leaving their phone in a sorry state.

The first beta version of Android 15 doesn’t introduce a ton of new features, as most of the notable additions have already appeared in the Developer Preview builds. Google’s blog post, however, mentions the following features as the key highlights