Google to block third-party call recording apps on Play Store soon

Google appears to be making several rapid policy changes for its Play Store in recent days. This time it has formulated a ban on third-party call recording apps on the Play Store.

Following Google’s new policy effective May 11, 2022, all third-party call recording apps on Play Store will be removed by the company. As the company stated, the primary reason for this ban is the fact that many apps allow for the recording of call audio without the other participant being aware.

This policy change only affects third-party apps on the Play Store. Many default dialler apps like the Google Phone, Mi Dialler, and other native call recording functionality built-in on specific devices will not be affected, said the company. For example, default dialler apps on devices such as Pixel and Xiaomi smartphones, where users can record calls without downloading an additional app, will not be affected by this change.

Moun Choi, Content Operations Lead, Google, explained the direct impact of the move during the dedicated developer webinar. He described the potential harm of such technology and the impact it can have. However, when it comes to in-built call recording apps, there is no gap in accessibility protocols; hence it will not be violating the new policies that will be in effect soon.

Consequently, this means if you can record calls using your pre-installed dialler app, you won’t lose functionality. However, if you use an app downloaded from the Google Play Store, call recording may not be possible going forward.

However, Google has not made it clear if existing apps using this Accessibility API will be pulled off its Play Store. Most big tech companies are constantly endeavoring to protect customer data, and this is a step in a similar direction.