Google's Phone app may finally get a much-requested feature

What you need to know

• User reports suggest Google is starting to move forward with native Call Recording in its Phone app on Pixel phones.
• One user with a Pixel 9a has spotted Call Recording appear, but others with a Pixel 8a and Pixel 10 have not seen it.
• Google's support page for Call Recording has been updated, and it now states the feature works on Pixel 6 models and newer.

Google might have an answer for users' long-awaited call recording feature on its phones, but its availability is incredibly sparse.

Recently, this week, a user on the PixelUsersIndia subreddit posted a screenshot of a "Call Recording" setting on their phone (via Android Authority). The setting, captured on a Pixel 9a, shows a toggleable option for Call Recording, Manage Recordings, and Automatic Call Recording options. For the latter, the user notes the ability to have their Pixel automatically "record calls with non-contacts," or they can write in which numbers they'd like their device to record.

The "manage" side is simply a way for users to delete stored recordings or have their Pixel do it for them.

Google provides a little explainer about Call Recording, which states the feature will activate when on a call (if it's enabled). The company states your recorded calls will remain on your device, and it reiterates the user's ability to enable or disable the feature at any time. The interesting thing about this is that Google Pixel phones have previously lacked a Call Recording feature, which the publication points out.

However, it also picked up on an updated Google support page about Call Recording, which now fully details steps for "Always Record," "start a recording," and more. It looks like Google is truly starting to move toward a Call Recording future for its Pixel phones, but only for Pixel 6 and newer phones running Android 9 or higher.

Is it truly on the way?

Finally call recording from r/PixelUsersIndia

Unfortunately, the user on Reddit seems to be the only one who's received this Call Recording feature on their Pixel. It is strangely appearing on the Pixel 9a first, which one would think Google would drop this on their Pixel 10 series first. Regardless, if Google is actually bringing this to users more consistently, maybe we'll have a more concrete announcement for it. Right now, Pixel 8a and Pixel 10 users on Reddit running Phone app v191.0.805002009 (public beta) don't see it.

It's been a while, but we were talking about Call Recording on Pixel devices five years ago, but there were some serious issues Google ran into. The legality is the feature was called into question, as government and State laws were brought forward. These State laws, such as "All Party" and "One Party" States, require citizens to abide by a different set of rules. For the former, both parties on the call must recognize and be okay with the call being recorded. However, a one-party state only requires one person to know the call's going on record.

Of course, one of the ways users could keep tabs on a call and its contents is with Call Notes. A recent APK teardown reports that Google could remove its audio disclaimer that the call is being recorded to help users remain a little stealthy. It seems that, instead of a vocal disclaimer, Call Notes could play a soft chime to let users know the call's being recorded.