Google disabling API's for call records

[Nahkuri]

Hi

I just read Google is going to disable API that is commonly used to record your calls. That wouldn't be a problem normally with Samsung phones, unless you happen to live in region where Samsung has disabled call recording from their Phone-app.

Legally you can record your calls you call or receive for your own use in Finland, but Samsung has disabled that option on all of my 3 different phones.

Since Google says it's API will be disabled 11th of May, my phone will be useless for work since I want to record my calls with any sales-person(s) I have to contact.

https://www.sammobile.com/news/android-call-recording-apps-wont-work-galaxy-phone-may-11

How can I make Samsung to fix it's policy to provide call recordings for it's own app, when it's legally ok, but Samsung don't care?

Pixel has working call recorder, now I have to check if other companies have that option too. Feels like this was my last Samsung phone if this can't be fixed. Policies hardly ever change so I'm not optimistic about that.

[Levar]

Another BUMP, late replay I cant understand why Samsung cant let grown up customers/buyers of Samsung phones themself take responsibility for their use of the self owned phone?
I can buy wine and I could drive drunk.
But as a grown up responsible Swedish citizen I dont drive drunk.
And as earlier told in Sweden and all other nordic countries its o.k to record phone calls when you yourself participate in the call.
And I can record my calls on my Samsung with Xiadous earbuds/app but its clumsier and more expensive than using ACR.

[Emmi S]

Hello all!

I have taken this further internally and the answer I got was this for Nordics (Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark):

"Third party call recording apps are permitted in accordance with local regulations and Google’s security policy."

Google took away the recording function for Android a couple of years ago, and we share the same software in all Nordic countries. If its illegal with recording in Finland for example, it is not possible for other Nordic countries either. Hope this helps to understand why the function is not available!

[Nahkuri]

That is hardly a good answer since it's legal on all those countries to record your calls as long as you are one of the participants. So Samsung is too lazy to contact their legal department and ask from them? 

[Emmi S]

Hi,

To inform further regarding this, I have got it wrong so sorry for the confusion, but it still not available due to similar reasons:

"This limitation has been implemented by Google, supplier of the operating system, based on their security criteria and the local laws of each country starting from Android 9, removing support for functions capable of recording voice during calls from branded smartphones Samsung.’’

The recording function is not available because of safety reasons and legal issues and it should be the same in whole Europe and North America, so the recording should not only be limited in Scandinavia. Some countries allow secret recording under certain conditions and others do not, but since the same software is used in Europe/USA, it is not possible to make individual changes for separate countries, and it has therefore been chosen to turn off the function for the entire region.

[Nahkuri]

So, Scandinavian region is a separate marketing region, but we don't get any offers like what other Europe and USA gets but we are also limited by European and USA's restrictions. Sounds like Samsung don't care about Scandinavian regions at all.

Marketing is somehow able to make offers available to other countries all the time but we don't get even one software that has been made available to somewhere else by Samsung and is legal in our region. Talking about bad PR and worse decisions... 

There are only roughly 28 million people in this region but even OnePlus has been able to provide call recording for us. I guess same is true with other Android vendors too. Not to mention what Apple has to offer.

Now I know why other companies have chosen other vendors over Samsung. Since this has been going on for years, we can't expect anything to change. Now  I have to say to our customers and to our company that Samsung is no longer supported vendor since they lack options for business and there will be no change to that.

Too bad since I liked Samsung devices but it's not up to me anymore. Thank you for clarifying why we have to let go of Samsung.

As I work as a consultant for one of those global multi-billion companies for time being, I was expecting little more from big company like Samsung. I dont have time to make "partner deals" or something like that, I just choose another vendor that has working policy for Nordic region.