Custom OEM skins like MIUI and ColorOS provide a built-in call recorder as a standard feature. It's also pre-installed on Google Pixel phones as part of the Phone app. However, due to regional laws, it is not uniformly available on Android phones. If your phone lacks the necessary capabilities, you may always download a third-party software from the Google Play Store to complete the task. However, a future Google Play Policy change would effectively eliminate all third-party call recording apps.
Over the years, Google has actively discouraged call recording on Android. Google dropped the official call-recording API in Android 6.0, which allowed developers to simply embed call recording into their apps. App developers were forced to hunt for unapproved ways to enable call recording as a result of this. However, in Android 9.0, Google removed several of these workarounds. With Android 10, the firm has fully removed the ability to record calls via the microphone.
Developers have started exploiting Android's Accessibility Service to allow call recording on devices running Android 10 and higher as a last option. Google has announced that third-party apps would no longer be able to use the Accessibility API for call audio recording, therefore putting an end to third-party call recording apps.
Several modifications to the Accessibility API are outlined in Google's new Play Store policy. One of these modifications will make it impossible for third-party app developers to use the API to enable call recording. The new policy will take effect on May 11th.
[The Accessibility API is not meant for remote call audio recording and cannot be requested.]
Google confirmed in a recent developer webinar that this change will only effect third-party apps:
"In this sense, remote refers to a call audio recording in which the person on the other end is unaware that it is being recorded. So, if the app is the phone's default dialer and comes pre-loaded, accessibility isn't required to access the incoming audio stream, and the app isn't in breach. Because this is a clarification of an existing policy, the new language will take effect on May 11th for all apps."
To put it another way, if your phone comes preloaded with the call recording feature, you don't have to worry about it not working. Only third-party apps on the Play Store that use the Accessibility API to enable call recording will be affected by the future change. The update does not affect the Google Phone app, which has built-in call recording.
Google has not stated how it will enforce the anticipated policy change. It's unclear whether Google would remove non-compliant third-party apps from the Play Store after the May deadline or not.
Read the policy here: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/11899428#accessibility_preview
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