What you need to know
- Google could make Call Notes recording more stealthy with a future update, as hinted by an APK teardown.
- The latest Phone by Google app beta includes a toggle that lets users disable the spoken audio disclaimer that a call is being recorded.
- Instead of the spoken disclaimer, users might be able to use subtle chimes to signal Call Notes is active.
Call Notes is a handy feature available on Google Pixel phones that lets users record and transcribe the contents of a phone call, but it has built-in transparency protections. Currently, Call Notes will automatically play a spoken message explaining to the person on the other end of the call that it is being recording. Soon, that might change, as Android Authority reports users could be able to turn off this spoken message in a future update.
The team at Android Authority tore down version 178.0.765584175-publicbeta-pixel2024 of the Phone by Google app and found references to a toggle that would effectively disable the spoken Call Notes message. It’s called Play audio tone instead of disclaimer, and the feature appears to work exactly like you’d expect based on its name.
Within the latest Phone by Google version APK, there are two new audio files that presumably relate to this feature. Android Authority surmises that they may be different tones for the beginning and ending of a recording session.
A chime or tone would make it harder for the average person to discern whether their call is being recorded with Call Notes. Unless you’re a Pixel user with access to the feature, it’s unlikely that you’d know these new Call Notes sounds are really disclaimers that a conversation is being recorded.
Of course, there is a clear benefit to people recording who want to be subtle, as this feature could remove the awkwardness that the current level of transparency can create.
At the moment, it’s unclear when, or if, this feature will arrive in the stable Phone by Google app. The fact that it is visible in the Phone by Google app beta signals that this is something Google is toying with, but it’s not a confirmation that a change will certainly be made. If you’re new to Call Notes on the Google Pixel 9 series entirely, we have a complete guide to help you catch up.
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