Google just lately up to date its Play Store coverage to limit third-party functions from offering the flexibility to report calls on latest variations of Android. The Android maker had beforehand blocked apps from recording calls by way of the microphone with the launch of Android 10 in September 2019. Google is now reducing off one other avenue utilized by builders — the Accessibility API, from getting used for name recording on Android. First occasion dialler apps and the Google Dialer pre-installed on telephones will nonetheless have the ability to report telephone calls, relying on the area and producer.

In a submit to the Google Play Console assist web site, the corporate just lately announced it was updating numerous insurance policies, together with using the Accessibility API, or utility programming interface. Utilised by apps designed to assist customers with disabilities on Android, the Accessibility API can be utilized by many in style apps on the Play Store, together with ACR Phone and Truecaller, to supply name recording performance. “The Accessibility API is not designed and cannot be requested for remote call audio recording,” the corporate explains within the submit, a degree reiterated in a webinar. The new coverage will go into impact on May 11.

The developer of ACR Phone, one of many apps that makes use of the Accessibility API to offer name recording performance for calls on Android telephones, took to Reddit to elucidate how the adjustments would have an effect on third-party name recording apps. With the discharge of Android 10, Google blocked all functions (together with name recording apps) from accessing the system’s microphone to report audio throughout calls, in an effort to defend person privateness and to adjust to name recording legal guidelines the world over. Developers started to request the Accessibility API in an effort to proceed providing name recording performance on telephones working Android 10 or later.

Apps that request the Accessibility API to report calls should cease doing so by May 11, in keeping with Google’s up to date coverage. This signifies that customers who’re working on Android 10 or newer variations of Google’s working system will not have the ability to report apps utilizing third-party apps. However, customers on particular gadgets and in particular areas might be able to report calls utilizing the built-in dialler app. According to a comment from the ACR Phone developer, it’s because system apps or Google apps can entry the VOICE_CALL audio supply on Android telephones — this isn’t accessible to 3rd occasion apps, in keeping with the developer.

With the May 11 deadline approaching, customers might quickly must resort to sideloading, or putting in apps from third-party sources, in an effort to proceed recording calls utilizing third-party apps on Android — a dangerous course of that might end result within the set up of unvetted or maliciously modified functions downloaded from third-party web sites on the Internet. Google is but to specify whether or not current name recording apps who proceed to request the Accessibility API can be faraway from the Play Store when the brand new coverage goes into impact.