Do you know a good call recorder app for android ?

[Martin007]

I tried many in the google store but none of them actually record anything.

 

[Wirko]

See this explanation by Google. Phones may disable call recording for legal reasons, which would differ across the world.

 

[lexluthermiester]

See this explanation by Google. Phones may disable call recording for legal reasons, which would differ across the world.

That didn't really explain much.

 

[LabRat 891]

Short Answer:
You can't, any longer.


Sorry, but I was never able to find a reliable answer to this.
My dad had very poor hearing, and progressively worsening issues with cognition and memory before he passed.
He'd come to rely on call recorder to reference conversations, but the feature was actively blocked several years/android versions-back.

I cannot recall the last version of Android that didn't actively block this capability. -last time I saw any call recorder app work at all, was on an old LG Stylo 2.
Even, on GrapheneOS, the OS (by default) actively tries to prevent call recording, and I wasn't willing to 'break it' further.

Personally, I'd be looking into an external device to accomplish this. If there's a 3.5mm TRRS jack on the phone, it should be easy.
At least back in the landline days, devices to do such were not uncommon. Though (as today) looked at as 'potentially for illicit use'.
Unless law has changed, the devices (and software) themselves were never illegal (in most of the US).

 

[Wirko]

That didn't really explain much.

Not much but it's enough: if you have a phone with Android 9 or newer, recording is built into the Phone app. That's the basic app which comes with every phone, right? Well, I assume the Phone app is the same in all brands of Android phones, and thinking about that again, it may not be true.

Edit A-ha! Found a list of countries where call recording is available. US citizens need to go to Mexico to use it, and EU citizens need to go to Switzerland.

https://support.google.com/phoneapp/thread/117420889/call-recording-availability?hl=en-GB&sjid=614066447718295370-EU

 

[lexluthermiester]

Short Answer:
You can't, any longer.

Sure you can. I do it frequently. I record any call coming from an "unknown" CallerID and from numbers not in my contacts list.

Well, I assume the Phone app is the same in all brands of Android phones

Depends on the device maker and how close to stock they keep things. Some include the stock AOSP Phone app, others use their own special modified version and few use something completely different.

 

[theFOoL]

Aww there you go​

 

[LabRat 891]

Sure you can. I do it frequently. I record any call coming from an "unknown" CallerID and from numbers not in my contacts list.

What phone? I've tried:
-Moto G Stylus 2023
-Moto G Stylus 5G
-Pixel 4a (Graphene OS)
-LG V20
^never worked, IIRC

-LG V10
-LG Stylo 2
-LG Stylo
^Once worked, IIRC

Depends on the device maker and how close to stock they keep things. Some include the stock AOSP Phone app, others use their own special modified version and few use something completely different.

I believe the Play Services 'service' is also involved.
I can remember resetting the Stylo 2 to factory, installing the recorder app, it worked; and then google play/services updated, and it broke.

Perhaps minimalized or stripped-out Gapps works? Or, maybe it really is entirely up to the phone/firmware/OS, and I've had especially bad luck.
(It didn't help that the person I was trying to get this working for, forgot how to operate their own multi-year-owned phone, regularly, either...)

It's a pretty serious sore spot for me, that this feature became actively blocked.
Primary legitimate use for such, was for those with disabilities.

View attachment 390133

Aww there you go​

Now, go actually try to use it, in a call. My experience has been that those will only record one-side of a call.

edit:
Now that I'm thinking about it...
It's not impossible that I live(d) in a state that explicitly has made phone recording (w/o permission) illegal, and may have forced Google to enforce it.

 

[Martin007]

Now, go actually try to use it, in a call. My experience has been that those will only record one-side of a call.

Yes one side or none at all

It is really very important to be able to record calls when working with strangers because it saved me before from a thieve liar

 

[Wirko]

any call coming from an "unknown" CallerID

Oh! Are you getting those? I never answered any but now I'm changing the policy: I will pick up the call, then immediately mute the microphone, until the other party introduces themself.

 

[LabRat 891]

Oh! Are you getting those? I never answered any but now I'm changing the policy: I will pick up the call, then immediately mute the microphone, until the other party introduces themself.

Same.
I used to use a whacky voice (granny, loon, angry old man, etc.) to answer, but realize tech has come along enough, to still scrape something useful from that.

 

[lexluthermiester]

What phone?

I have a phone running LineageOS(Replacement for CyanogenMod). It's really not difficult, it just requires setting up.

It's not impossible that I live(d) in a state that explicitly has made phone recording (w/o permission) illegal, and may have forced Google to enforce it.

That could be a thing. Not sure how they'd do it or enforce it. Where I live, no such limitations exist.

Oh! Are you getting those?

I do from time to time. Sometimes the calls are legit, most are not.

 

[R-T-B]

If you can root and install third party firmware, I believe LineageOS will have this built into its phone app. Beyond that, good luck yeah.

 

[Wirko]

Not sure how they'd do it or enforce it.

The technical part is easily solvable. If Google respects the demands of phone providers, the provider can send some metadata meaning "do not record" when the call is initiated. The phone then disables the APIs necessary for recording, so third-party apps can't get around that.

 

[lexluthermiester]

If you can root and install third party firmware, I believe LineageOS will have this built into its phone app. Beyond that, good luck yeah.

Android X86 can do this as well.

The technical part is easily solvable. If Google respects the demands of phone providers, the provider can send some metadata meaning "do not record" when the call is initiated. The phone then disables the APIs necessary for recording, so third-party apps can't get around that.

Fairly certain it doesn't work that way. Carriers can't control that kind of thing, by law.

 

[ty_ger]

The person with the modded phone saying that stock phone owners are wrong. lol

 

[R-T-B]

The person with the modded phone saying that stock phone owners are wrong. lol

Wrong for modded phones. I mean isn't that obvious?

 

[lexluthermiester]

The person with the modded phone saying that stock phone owners are wrong. lol

Oh, I have an unmodded phone too. It does the same thing in the same way. Got anything useful to say? Or do you want to react with your ego yet again?

 

[ty_ger]

Oh, I have an unmodded phone too. It does the same thing in the same way. Got anything useful to say? Or do you want to react with your ego yet again?

Weird you didn't say that from the start, and instead said that the OP should mod their phone like yours, and it is easy.

Just saying it's pretty funny to argue with all data available and say everyone is wrong because your modded phone lets you. That's all. Can't you appreciate the irony?

 

[lexluthermiester]

Weird you didn't say that from the start, and instead said that the OP should mod their phone like yours, and it is easy.

Just saying it's pretty funny to argue with all data available and say everyone is wrong because your modded phone lets you. That's all. Can't you appreciate the irony?

Your reading skill needs improvement. I did not state things that way.

 

[nageme]

Crucial piece of info to be able to say more: which phone model it is.

For example, as far as I know, Samsung's stock recorder is available depending on the country flavor of the firmware (CSC). And there are ways to tweak that.

 

[Rover4444]

I tried many in the google store but none of them actually record anything.

You're going to need to use a Magisk module for that.

If you can root and install third party firmware, I believe LineageOS will have this built into its phone app.

Would like to see where that option is in the app.

 

[R-T-B]

Would like to see how to do this.

Depends on the phone if its even possible.

 

[Frick]

Oh, I have an unmodded phone too. It does the same thing in the same way. Got anything useful to say? Or do you want to react with your ego yet again?

What phone and what app do you use?

 

[chrcoluk]

Hate that google did this. On a rooted oneplus phone using magisk there is a module that claims to enable call recording, however you have to use the oneplus phone app, and I use the google dialer so I get caller ID.
The only way really now if phone not rooted, is record with a second device, probably would need to use speakerphone for it to pick it up.