Google is ready to remove an entire category of apps — call recorders — from the Play Store.
Reddit user “NLL-APPS” posted a thread(Opens in a new window) on April 21, revealed Google’s plans to update its policy regarding the accessibility APIs that Android developers used in their call recording apps.
“Accessibility API was not designed and cannot be required for remote call recording,” said Google(Opens in a new window), which may surprise all the developers who use it for that purpose. The company explained its reasoning in a webinar published as a non-public YouTube video.
In the video, Google says the call recording feature can be provided by the built-in dialer app on Android phones. However, any software downloaded from the Play Store cannot provide recording capabilities if anyone on the call may not know their conversation is being recorded.
NLL-APPS states that “only [the] However, the phone app that came with your phone or was created by Google may access the call audio” and third-party apps don’t have the same access. If so, replace it. Changing this policy may end the app call recording in the Play Store.
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Google was set to restrict developers’ access to the Accessibility API on May 11. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the implications of this change for apps. call recording or the accuracy of that third statement by NLL-APPS. -Party apps cannot access call audio.
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