Older Pixel Devices Can Now Record Calls Directly in the Phone App.
Good news for Android users: it no longer matters whether you’re using one of Google’s latest and greatest devices, at least when it comes to recording calls in the Phone app. As spotted by 9to5Google , Google has just opened up call recording in its app for Pixel 6 and newer devices. You won’t get access to the latest AI features in the Phone app, but if you just need a reliable way to record phone calls, you’ll be fine.
Google announced this new feature back in September , calling the ability to record calls a “fundamentally useful feature,” even without transcription or automated note-taking. This is certainly true: while the very idea of recording phone calls may seem repugnant to some, there are many legitimate uses for recording phone calls, from journalists wanting a transcript of a phone interview to patients calling their doctors to ensure they’re following all medical recommendations and instructions.
Call recording on Android, especially on Google’s Pixel devices, has had a turbulent past. While it was once possible to download a third-party call recording app without issue, Google began gradually stripping developers of key features, such as blocking access to microphone recordings. In 2022, the company announced it would block access to the Android Accessibility API, a key workaround developers had been using in their apps, effectively killing the market for third-party call recording apps. If your phone manufacturer supported call recording in its main app, that was fine, but if not, you effectively lost the feature.
In the Pixel 9 and Pixel 10, Google offers a “Call Notes” feature that transcribes and summarizes your calls using Gemini. However, beyond these AI enhancements, you still get a call recording, making these two Pixel series the only ones to support this feature. That’s why this call recording extension is so essential.
Call recording on the Pixel isn’t perfect.
However, there are two important points to keep in mind when using this feature. First, don’t count on recording a conversation without the other person’s permission. Even if you live in a region with one-party consent (meaning you don’t need both parties to record), Google Voice Recorder will notify you when recording begins. Unless the other person is distracted, they’ll know you’re recording the conversation and can hang up if they feel uncomfortable.
Secondly, this feature won’t be available to all Pixel users, even if you own a Pixel device. It will only work in regions where call recording is legal, and Google says it will roll it out to all supported countries by the end of this year. At the time of writing, it appears to be available in the US and Canada, but not in many other countries. If you live in a country where call recording is legal but don’t see this feature yet, don’t rush—it’s likely coming soon.
How to set up call recording on Pixel
First, make sure you’re using a Pixel 6 or newer running Android 14 or later, or a non-Pixel device running Android 9 or later. Then, update the Phone app to the latest version.
Now, open the Phone app’s settings and go to “Call Assistance” > “Call Recording .” Here, you can toggle the switch next to “Turn on call recording.” You can also enable “Automatically record calls with non-contacts” if you want the app to start recording when someone not in your contacts calls, or “Automatically record calls with these numbers” to manually select the contacts whose conversations you want the Phone app to record. You can choose to automatically delete these recordings after seven, 14, or 30 days, or keep them on your phone forever.
However, you can skip the last two options if you prefer to record each call individually. In this case, during a call, you can tap the “Call Assistance” button and select “Record Calls.” (If this is your first recording, you’ll need to upload several audio files before you can record calls.) The Phone app will then ask if you want to record the call, which you can agree to. After a short countdown, the system will notify all participants that recording has started. You can stop recording at any time in the “Call Assistance” menu. The new recording will be available in the “Home” tab.