Google will block all third-party call recording apps in the Play Store from May 11th

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Google will block all third-party call recording apps in the Play Store from May 11th

A new Google Play Store policy coming into force is set to block third party apps for recording calls from the online store front from May 11th.

Changes to the Google Play policy that were originally discovered on Reddit by the user / u / NLL-APPS mean that there will be additional restrictions on access to the Accessibility API by developers. This has been used as a solution to enable remote call audio recording, but Google will not allow apps listed in the Play Store to use the May 11 availability service. In addition, Google has also cleared up any confusion about this policy change in a recent developer webinar (h / t) Android Authority).

Many apps allow the recording of call sounds without the other participant being aware of it. This policy change therefore only affects third party apps in the Play Store. Many standard calling apps like Google Phone, Mi Dialer and more have built-in call recording feature on specific devices. These standard calling apps on devices like Pixel and Xiaomi smartphones will not be affected by the change.

Changes to the Google Accessibility API affecting Play Store call recording apps

Moun Choi, head of Google content management, explained the direct consequences during the dedicated developer webinar: “Remote control in this context refers to call sound recording, where the person at the other end is not aware that the recording is taking place.

“If the app is the default caller on the phone and also preloaded, no availability is required to access the incoming audio stream. Therefore, it would not be in conflict. As this is a clarification of an existing policy, the new language will apply to all apps from 11 May. “

So basically it means that if you can record calls using your pre-installed calling app, you will not lose the functionality. However, if you use an app downloaded from the Google Play Store, it may not be possible to record calls in the future. That said, Google does not make it clear whether existing apps using this Accessibility API will be pulled from the Play Store.

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