Google Phone will soon be able to record all calls from unknown numbers

The Google Phone app that comes pre-installed on Pixels and some other smartphones is a real blessing for people constantly annoyed by automatic calls, as it is able to block them automatically. But the company has expanded its calling app with other features as well: it recently added call recording, launched for selected phones and regions since early 2020. It appears that developers are now working on automatic recordings if you receive calls from unknown numbers that are not in your contacts.

In a disassembly, XDA developers found strings that show evidence that Google is currently working on automatic call recordings. If you activated the live feature, you would see a disclaimer that warns you of the legal consequences depending on your jurisdiction and that an audible warning is sent to everyone on the line before the recording starts. Other strings point to a confirmation dialog, where you can choose “Always save” or “Cancel” if you change your mind. There should also be an alternation in the settings.

<string name="non_contact_always_record_dialog_message">"You or the other person in your call might be somewhere that requires everyone to consent to being recorded. Everyone will be notified ahead of time that the call is being recorded. It's up to you to follow laws about recording conversations. Recordings are stored only on your phone."string>

<string name="non_contact_always_record_dialog_title">Always record calls with numbers not in your contacts?string>

<string name="non_contact_always_record_negative_button_label">Cancelstring>

<string name="non_contact_always_record_positive_button_label">Always recordstring>

<string name="non_contact_toggle_key">non_contact_toggle_keystring>

<string name="non_contact_toggle_label">Numbers not in your contactsstring>

As with any feature discovered by deactivating an application, automatic call recording can change substantially before going live, or it can be dropped altogether without warning. Google has not yet announced or officially recognized the functionality.