Google is removing all call recording apps on May 11

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This affects all call recording apps that tap into the Accessibility API

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Do you use a third-party call recording app? Your time is about to run out. Google will kill all of these apps on May 11 with an update to its developer policies. Ever since Android 10, call recording apps have used a workaround that involved hooking into the Accessibility API. Google has finally decided to crack down on this.

Reddit user NLL Apps (via Android Authority) noted the policy change, elaborating on the current situation. Google has made call recording steadily more difficult for several years now, but the company created an especially annoying restriction for users starting in Android 10. This is why third-party apps started to use the Accessibility service workaround.

We can't honestly say if this policy change is a good or bad thing. On the one hand, Android has a reputation for openness. But on the other, call recording is such a murky topic that it makes sense for Google to clamp down on it.

If you're using a third-party call recording app, we're not entirely sure how your experience will change come May 11. It's possible that Google will give developers a chance to update their app in accordance with the new policy (essentially hamstringing them) or if the company will flat out remove them from the Play Store on the 11th.

Jordan Palmer
Jordan Palmer
Phones Editor

Jordan is the Phones Editor for Tom's Guide, covering all things phone-related. He's written about phones for over six years and plans to continue for a long while to come. He loves nothing more than relaxing in his home with a book, game, or his latest personal writing project. Jordan likes finding new things to dive into, from books and games to new mechanical keyboard switches and fun keycap sets. Outside of work, you can find him poring over open-source software and his studies.