Android Pie went official last year, bringing with it a laundry list of new features like new Material Theme UI for many apps, gesture navigation, Digital Balance, and more. All these features are great and will really come in handy in daily use, but there is one important function that has been removed from Android Pie, namely phone call recording.
Google has now made some changes and allowed users to record calls using any third party app without having to root their device. The latest Android update renders non-root call recording apps useless, making it harder for some users to record calls for security or privacy reasons. It could be related to Android Pie security changes that prevent background apps from accessing your microphone and camera.
Rooted apps still work, but if you are afraid of voiding the warranty by rooting your phone, you are not alone. Here are a few nifty solutions to overcome the limitation of Android P and now Android Q in call recording.
a brief overview
Before explaining the workarounds, we recommend checking if your smartphone has a local call log option. As far as I know, OnePlus comes with a native call recorder and you can record calls directly from the dialer app without any setup. It even works on Android 9 and 10.
Similarly, Xiaomi and Realme have built-in call recording options in India and a few other regions.. However, the feature is turned off by default. On Xiaomi phones running MIUI 10, MIUI 11 and older, open the default phone app -> tap the hamburger menu -> Settings -> Call recording -> Enable both buttons. You’re done. Likewise on Realme devices, Settings -> System Apps -> Search -> Call Log -> enable the toggle “Record all calls”. This much. Now, you will find the “Save” button in the dialer app.
On the other hand, SAMSUNG There is also a local call recording option, but recently they have removed this feature from many countries due to legal regulations. However, you can check if the option is available in your area. Open Dialer app -> Tap 3-dot menu -> Settings -> Call Recorder. Here, enable the “Auto-save searches” option. If the custom setting is not visible in your region, you will need to review workarounds. As for devices from other brands, if your smartphone does not come with a built-in call recorder, follow the instructions I have mentioned below.
As an aside, Google recently hinted that they’re bringing call recording functionality to their stock dialer apps as follows: Spotted by XDA on Pixel 4. This means that in the future all smartphones Stock Android will have built-in call recording when the feature becomes available. Also, Xiaomi can ship Stock dialer on MIUI in EU region, so users in that region can enjoy local call recording as well. However, there may be restrictions in certain regions, so keep that in mind.
Now that we’ve gone over the basics, let’s find out how we can record calls on Android Pie and Q devices that don’t have a built-in call recording option.
Record Calls on Android Pie and Q
1. Cube Recorder ACR
In our testing, we learned that Cube Recorder is one of the few call recording apps that don’t have a built-in call recorder and can record calls even on devices running Android Pie or Q. We tested the Cube ACR on it. Pixel 2 XL running Android 10 and it worked fine. Similarly, we Tested on Samsung S10e running Android 1 based One UI 2.00 and recorded calls without any problems. Sure, the sound was a little mushy but still recorded both sides of the call. So you can install Cube ACR on your Xiaomi, Realme, Nokia or any other smartphone and check if it works. For the best recording experience, open Application Settings and select “Voice Recognition Software” as the input option.
Download: Cube Call Recorder ACR from Catalina Group (Free)
2. Call Recorder – ACR
Call Recorder – ACR is another app that seems to work on many devices including Samsung Galaxy devices. However, the Play Store version of this app cannot record calls unless your device is running Android Oreo. So you will have to download chainless Version of this app from APKMirror. Make sure the app is genuine and developed by NLL, the company behind both apps. Due to some Play Store policies, NLL cannot host the app on the official Google Play Store. All I will suggest is download the APK from the link below and install it on your smartphone. After that, check if the app is recording both ends of your call. We tested this app on Mi A1 and Samsung devices running Android Pie and it worked fine.
Download: ACR 32.9-Unchained APK From APKMirror (Free)
3. Call Recorder from Boldbeast
Call Recorder by Boldbeast is the third and final app on this list. It works great on devices from Samsung, LG, Xiaomi, Nokia and other major brands. Especially if you own the Samsung S10, Note 10, S9 and Note 9, this app works out of the box. However, you will need to enable few important permissions for Boldbeast call recorder such as accessibility service and other such settings. Apart from that, the developer claimed that he was able to somehow circumvent the Android Pie and Q restriction and claimed that it would work on most devices. I tested this app on my OnePlus 7T running Android 10 in India and it worked pretty well. So go ahead and install this app and check if the app records calls on your Android 9 or 10 device clearly. In addition, this app also has a root method so if you have root access, give permission so that the app can record the conversation flawlessly.
Download: Call Recorder by Boldbeast (FreeOffers in-app purchases)
Last Resort: Don’t Update to Android Pie or Later
If you are someone who needs to record legal or recording calls and you don’t want to receive calls on speaker, the easiest alternative for you is, Stay connected to a smartphone running an older version of Android. It’s actually pretty easy with the Android ecosystem that is pretty fragmented and only a few select devices will get Android Pie or Q updates.
We hope that at least one of the measures for recording calls will work when using Android Pie or Q. Did you find any other working solution for call recording on Android 9 or 10? Let us know how it works in the comments below and we’ll definitely add it as an update to this story.
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