Google has started rolling out Call Recording for Pixel models starting with the Pixel 6 series and including later models. The feature is being pushed out to phones that don’t include the AI-powered Call Notes feature. Open the Phone app, tap the hamburger icon on the left side of the search field at the top of the screen. Under the Call Assist heading, tap Call Recording and you’ll have some toggles to turn on.
How to enable Call Recording for Pixel and non-Pixel phones
If you enable the first toggle, which says “Turn on Call Recording,” you will be asked with every incoming or outgoing call whether you want it to be recorded. You can also have recorded calls automatically deleted after 7 days, after 14 days, after 30 days, or never. If you want, stored recordings can be erased instantly.
If you’d like to have incoming and outgoing calls recorded without being asked, enabling a couple of toggles will have calls to and from those not on your contacts list automatically recorded. Or go through your contacts list and select those contacts whose incoming calls and outgoing calls you want automatically recorded.
Setting up the Call Recording feature. | Image credit-PhoneArena
If you have a manual recording set up, once the person you call picks up the phone, or once you pick up an incoming call, press the Call Assist button next to the Audio Emoji Button. Tap on Call Recording or Take Notes (if you have the newer Call Notes feature). When the recording is about to start, there is a countdown and a message that informs everyone on the call that you’re recording it. On automatic calls, the recording starts without requiring any manual action on your part.
Pixel phones with this feature must run Android 14 or later
I can inform you that the Call Recording feature does appear on my Pixel 6 Pro running Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3.3. I received a prompt yesterday when I made a call on my Pixel asking if I wanted the call recorded. For many, this will be a fantastic way to verify that someone said something to you that you need to prove. You do need to remember that the feature is available only in regions where it is legal to record calls. More on that later.
Screenshot received when you are manually recording a conversation using Call Recording. | Image credit-PhoneArena
We should point out that Call Recording is available on Pixel phones and non-Pixel phones using the Phone by Google app. Non-Pixel phones must be running Android 9 and higher while Pixel phones must be powered by Android 14 or higher. If you don’t have the latest version of the Phone by Google app installed on your handset, tap on this link to install it from the Play Store.
Here is a quick rundown on starting a Call Recording on non-Pixel and from Pixel models:
For non-Pixel devices:
- Open the Phone app .
- Make or receive a call.
- To record your call, on the ongoing call screen, tap Record.
- To stop recording, tap Stop recording.
For Pixel devices:
- Open the Phone app .
- Make or receive a call.
- To record your call, tap Call Assist and then Call Recording.
- To stop recording, tap Call Assist and then Stop.
The countries where AI Call Notes and Call Recording are okay to use
Now we do need to warn you that Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 series devices support AI Call Notes, which will deliver transcriptions and a summary of your calls. This feature is allowed in:
- United States (U.S.)
- Canada
- United Kingdom (U.K.)
- Ireland
- Australia
- Japan
- India (Rolling out to India as a beta preview)
Pixel 6 and later models using the basic call recording (manual and automatic) are limited to:
- India (where it was one of the first countries to get it)
- Canada
- Other regions that allow one-party consent recording.
Will Google be able to backport AI Call Notes to Pixel 6-8 series models? At this point, it seems that the Tensor application processor (AP) used on those phones cannot handle it. But with Google, you never know what features it can backport to older Pixel models.
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