Google is working on an option to record phone calls directly from the Phone app. The company has launched a test among some Indian users, and has also set up a support page for it since Friday.
XDA Developers already scoffed last week that Google had started a pilot among some users in India. They can record incoming and outgoing calls with the Phone app. The Phone app is the standard application for calling on devices with stock Android. Some makers such as Samsung or Huawei have their own calling apps. Google is testing the function among other Nokia users.
Google now seems to want to roll out the test more widely. The company has put a support page online with information on how to record conversations. The company warns that the recording feature is not available in every country. Users must also have a supported device with Android 9 or higher, although Google does not say which devices are all supported.
The recording feature allows callers to start recording during a call. You can do this via a new button at the bottom right of the call menu. You can only start recording after a call has been started. The interlocutor is then informed that the call is being recorded. There will also be a notification when a recording stops. Afterwards, the recording can be found in the call history. Calls cannot be recorded if a user initiates a group call, if a call is on hold , and if the recorder has its microphone turned off.
Google warns on the support page that call recordings are not legal everywhere. For many regions it is mandatory to inform a conversation partner about a recording beforehand. Google removed the ability to record calls by third-party apps in 2018 due to privacy concerns. The company said it was already working on a function to periodically sound a warning tone during recording if there was recording.