Recording calls with the device itself is becoming an impossible mission also on Android and it is Google’s thing. As a consequence, fewer and fewer applications for recording calls survive and their installation is not a piece of cake. However, there is still some competent and free application to record calls that I have in the bedroom for when I may need it.
What happens with call recording in Spain? In a summarized and simplified way, it is legal although the problematic thing is those calls in which you do not participate and the diffusion. Thus, although there are brands and models with call recording as standard such as Google Pixel, Samsung or Huawei (which implies that the file is saved with the phone’s internal audio and perfect quality) these manufacturers do not have it activated in Spain.
The most complex thing about ACR Cube: installation
In my case I have not rooted my phone and I have managed with a call recording app that is still alive under certain subterfuges that I will explain later. This is Cube ACR and like most remaining apps that do not require root, it records incoming sound using accessibility services and using the phone’s built-in microphone.
Without intending to dwell on how Google has been putting obstacles until reaching the current situation, I make a brief summary to understand the installation: first, third-party apps resorted to tricks in the form of unofficial APIs to capture the audio with the risk that it can pose in the wrong hands. Later, they went on to capture the sound with the microphone and accessibility, but since this is also a trick, Google was blunt: accessibility services are for accessibility and not for recording calls.
The result? That the few applications that remain in the Google Play Store, as with Cube ACR, are closed. In fact, to be able to truly record calls it takes you to its assistant, the Cube ACR Helper APK, which you have to install from an alternative app storeFor example from Aptoide either from Galaxy Storewhich is the one I have used, since I have a Samsung.
The first thing you see when installing Cube ACR is that it needs storage, microphone, phone, contacts and Bluetooth permissions, which constitutes a true gateway to personal and sensitive information, which makes applications of this type have to be thought twice. However, it makes sense: it is necessary for them to pick up sound, save the recording, identify the call in your phonebook or work with headphones.
However, others, such as the location that appears throughout the installation, can be said no and work just the same. An advice: In general, when installing any app I always do the same thing, saying no if I’m not sure and if necessary, it will ask me later. Thus, others such as energy optimization I initially rejected, but it was necessary for the recording to work.
At this point it is time to install the auxiliary and repeat the granting of permissions, to finally enable the essential accessibility options so that it fulfills its purpose. The installer guides step by step, but as you see, It is much more than just a standard installation.
After the bad drink: an easy-to-use and compliant application
The installation is long and so many steps may be overwhelming, but then everything goes downhill because You don’t have to do anything anymore, the app records calls for you. On the main screen, in addition to having a pink button to record at any time, calls are stored with their date and time, duration, the space they occupy and the possibility of playing them.
Taking into account the way the audio is obtained, spectacular quality cannot be expected, but I can tell you that It works well, the sound is clear and everything is understood, It has an adequate volume and there are no special noises or lags. In addition, it has settings to tweak some parameters so that something better is recorded. Thus, you can deactivate the automatic recording function, exclude certain contacts, improve the clarity of both standard and VoIP calls or uncheck applications with which it works.
I have always used the free version, more than enough if we only want to have call recording and other services such as WhatsApp or Telegram, although in exchange for having ads. Likewise, the paid version has extra functions such as a PIN lock and cloud backup.
Cover | Eva RodrÃguez de Luis with Microsoft Copilot Designer
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