From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Hi,

In Spain it is legal to record your own phone call, but Android doesn't
allow it. There are apps, but they try to capture the other side of the conversation via the microphone, and they don't work well.

But I wonder about something.

The conversation could be a device connected to the earphone+mic plug,
and then provide another connector at the device for the actual
earphone. That device could do the recording autonomously. With cables.

Alternatively, it could be done via BT. Maybe an earphone could also do
the recording internally.

Has anyone seen these devices?
--
Cheers, Carlos.
ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On Mon, 8 Sep 2025 23:30:43 +0200, Carlos E.R. wrote :

In Spain it is legal to record your own phone call, but Android doesn't allow it. There are apps, but they try to capture the other side of the conversation via the microphone, and they don't work well.

But I wonder about something.

The conversation could be a device connected to the earphone+mic plug,
and then provide another connector at the device for the actual
earphone. That device could do the recording autonomously. With cables.

Alternatively, it could be done via BT. Maybe an earphone could also do
the recording internally.

Has anyone seen these devices?

I'm born to be purposefully helpful and fact based, so I looked up the answer to Carlos' question, which needs to be tested for accuracy for us to be sure.

I've written tutorials on call recording, but over time, both Google and Apple have changed how call recording works, so I'm behind the times.

In the United States, federal law allows one-party consent for call recording. However, individual states may impose stricter rules.

Two-party (all-party) consent states:
1. California
2. Connecticut (telephone calls only)
3. Delaware
4. Florida
5. Illinois
6. Maryland
7. Massachusetts
8. Michigan (ambiguous, often treated as two-party)
9. Montana
10. New Hampshire
11. Oregon (telephone calls only)
12. Pennsylvania
13. Washington

In these states, all parties must consent to the recording if there's a reasonable expectation of privacy.

One-party consent states (all others):
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii (in-person),
Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota,
Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey (with exceptions),
New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma,
Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah,
Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Note: If a call crosses state lines, the stricter law usually applies.
<https://recordinglaw.com/party-two-party-consent-states/>

Back to Carlos' question, which is coming from across the Pond...

Paradoxically,
a. Apple finally added it native in iOS18 in some regions
b. While Google made it harder and harder over time on Android

a. Apple introduced native call recording in iOS 18, but only in select
regions and languages. It requires both parties to hear an audio notice
during recording, and recordings are saved to the Notes app. Transcripts
are also available in supported languages.

b. Google, on the other hand, has progressively restricted call recording
on Android. Since Android 10, apps can no longer use the call audio
stream directly. By Android 11, Google blocked the accessibility API
workaround that many third-party apps relied on. Some OEMs like Samsung
and Xiaomi still offer native recording in their dialers, but only in
regions where it's legal. In the USA, legality depends on the state.

So while Apple added a controlled, privacy-compliant native feature,
Google tightened restrictions in their classic sophomoric over response.

The result, as Carlos is alluding to, is that Android users often need external hardware or region-specific dialers to record calls reliably.
<https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/record-and-transcribe-a-call-iph57c6590e9/ios>
<https://www.gizchina.com/phones/ios-18-native-call-recording-and-the-challenges-android-faces>

Googling for the answer to Carlos' question, apparently such devices exist.

One example is the RecorderGear PR200, which is a Bluetooth-enabled
call recording device that works with both the Android and iPhone.
<https://www.amazon.com/RecorderGear-PR200-Bluetooth-Recording-Recorder/dp/B01CIATFB4>

It connects wirelessly and records both sides of the conversation. It also functions as a standalone voice recorder and includes built-in storage,
USB transfer, and playback features.
<https://recordergear.com/products/pr200-cell-phone-call-recorder>

Another category includes wired call recorders that connect via the
headphone jack or audio splitter. These devices route audio through a
recording module and provide a pass-through for headphones. Some models
also support landline RJ11 connections and offer SD card storage and
noise cancellation features.
<https://mashtips.com/call-recorder-devices-iphone-android/>

These devices apparently bypass Android's software restrictions by capturing audio externally, either through Bluetooth routing or via analog signal tapping.

Based on my lookup, they're seemingly legal to use in Spain for personal call recording, provided one party consents (which is how some US states work).




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From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

Hi,

In Spain it is legal to record your own phone call, but Android doesn't allow it. There are apps, but they try to capture the other side of the conversation via the microphone, and they don't work well.

But I wonder about something.

The conversation could be a device connected to the earphone+mic plug,
and then provide another connector at the device for the actual
earphone. That device could do the recording autonomously. With cables.

Alternatively, it could be done via BT. Maybe an earphone could also do
the recording internally.

Has anyone seen these devices?

Search 'bluetooth call recorder' and a number of devices pop up. eg: https://www.spyequipmentuk.co.uk/bluetooth-call-recorder/ https://www.detective-store.com/phone-call-recorder-dvr-188-with-bluetooth-technology-22.html

I assume they're all Chinese products sold by stores with 'detective' in the name for double the price, and indeed if you search on Aliexpress many turn
up in the $25 ballpark.

Theo
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On 2025-09-09 01:41, Marion wrote:

On Mon, 8 Sep 2025 23:30:43 +0200, Carlos E.R. wrote :

In Spain it is legal to record your own phone call, but Android doesn't
allow it. There are apps, but they try to capture the other side of the
conversation via the microphone, and they don't work well.

But I wonder about something.

The conversation could be a device connected to the earphone+mic plug,
and then provide another connector at the device for the actual
earphone. That device could do the recording autonomously. With cables.

Alternatively, it could be done via BT. Maybe an earphone could also do
the recording internally.

Has anyone seen these devices?

I'm born to be purposefully helpful and fact based, so I looked up the answer to Carlos' question, which needs to be tested for accuracy for us to be sure.

I've written tutorials on call recording, but over time, both Google and Apple
have changed how call recording works, so I'm behind the times.

...

The result, as Carlos is alluding to, is that Android users often need external hardware or region-specific dialers to record calls reliably.
<https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/record-and-transcribe-a-call-iph57c6590e9/ios>
<https://www.gizchina.com/phones/ios-18-native-call-recording-and-the-challenges-android-faces>

Googling for the answer to Carlos' question, apparently such devices exist.

One example is the RecorderGear PR200, which is a Bluetooth-enabled
call recording device that works with both the Android and iPhone.
<https://www.amazon.com/RecorderGear-PR200-Bluetooth-Recording-Recorder/dp/B01CIATFB4>

$109. Amazingly expensive. It should be half that, at least.

I looked at more devices on Amazon, similar prices. No one has the
simple headphone type, by cable. Many spy devices.

It connects wirelessly and records both sides of the conversation. It also functions as a standalone voice recorder and includes built-in storage,
USB transfer, and playback features.
<https://recordergear.com/products/pr200-cell-phone-call-recorder>

Another category includes wired call recorders that connect via the
headphone jack or audio splitter. These devices route audio through a recording module and provide a pass-through for headphones. Some models
also support landline RJ11 connections and offer SD card storage and
noise cancellation features.
<https://mashtips.com/call-recorder-devices-iphone-android/>

These devices apparently bypass Android's software restrictions by capturing audio externally, either through Bluetooth routing or via analog signal tapping.

Based on my lookup, they're seemingly legal to use in Spain for personal call recording, provided one party consents (which is how some US states work).

One party obviously consents.

I was thinking of recording business calls, when the other side says
they are recording the call for legal reasons. Sometimes I'd like to
have that recording or make my own.
--
Cheers, Carlos.
ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On 2025-09-09 13:56, Theo wrote:

Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

Hi,

In Spain it is legal to record your own phone call, but Android doesn't
allow it. There are apps, but they try to capture the other side of the
conversation via the microphone, and they don't work well.

But I wonder about something.

The conversation could be a device connected to the earphone+mic plug,
and then provide another connector at the device for the actual
earphone. That device could do the recording autonomously. With cables.

Alternatively, it could be done via BT. Maybe an earphone could also do
the recording internally.

Has anyone seen these devices?

Search 'bluetooth call recorder' and a number of devices pop up. eg: https://www.spyequipmentuk.co.uk/bluetooth-call-recorder/ https://www.detective-store.com/phone-call-recorder-dvr-188-with-bluetooth-technology-22.html

I assume they're all Chinese products sold by stores with 'detective' in the name for double the price, and indeed if you search on Aliexpress many turn up in the $25 ballpark.

https://www.amazon.es//dp/B01CIATFB4
PR200 225€. :-/
3 weeks delivery time.

On Aliexpress there is a lot of garbage that is not what I want, maybe
after browsing a dozen pages I find it.

Using the translated string (Aliexpress here is in Spanish), and the
first hit is a device that captures the sound via the vibrations on the
phone case. The search machine is awful. I said BT.

I would welcome a good search AI on Amazon and similar places :-/
--
Cheers, Carlos.
ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

On 2025-09-09 13:56, Theo wrote:

Search 'bluetooth call recorder' and a number of devices pop up. eg: https://www.spyequipmentuk.co.uk/bluetooth-call-recorder/ https://www.detective-store.com/phone-call-recorder-dvr-188-with-bluetooth-technology-22.html

I assume they're all Chinese products sold by stores with 'detective' in the
name for double the price, and indeed if you search on Aliexpress many turn up in the $25 ballpark.

https://www.amazon.es//dp/B01CIATFB4
PR200 225€. :-/
3 weeks delivery time.

On Aliexpress there is a lot of garbage that is not what I want, maybe
after browsing a dozen pages I find it.

Using the translated string (Aliexpress here is in Spanish), and the
first hit is a device that captures the sound via the vibrations on the phone case. The search machine is awful. I said BT.

I would welcome a good search AI on Amazon and similar places :-/

Not a recommendation, but for me it comes up with things like: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006202828262.html (EUR29) https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006902624374.html (EUR16) https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005089442257.html (EUR32)
etc

You may have more luck flipping the language (flag icon top right) to
English and then searching that way - I don't know how well it does translations.

(although I suppose all the listings originate in Chinese and are auto-translated?)

Theo
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On Tue, 9 Sep 2025 14:01:41 +0200, Carlos E.R. wrote :

One example is the RecorderGear PR200, which is a Bluetooth-enabled
call recording device that works with both the Android and iPhone.
<https://www.amazon.com/RecorderGear-PR200-Bluetooth-Recording-Recorder/dp/B01CIATFB4>

$109. Amazingly expensive. It should be half that, at least.

I looked at more devices on Amazon, similar prices. No one has the
simple headphone type, by cable. Many spy devices.

Oh. I didn't even look at the price. Yeah, that seems outrageous.

If we look harder, we might find much cheaper devices, as I only ran a
cursory search to find out the basic fundamentals of the answer.

I see Theo found 30-euro devices; but I know nothing about any of these.

Based on my lookup, they're seemingly legal to use in Spain for personal call
recording, provided one party consents (which is how some US states work).

One party obviously consents.

I completely understood. You are the first party and all you need is one
party to consent. It's how the law works. It outlaws 3rd-party spying.

Many USA states are one-party states as Spain apparently is.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On 09 Sep 2025 14:22:55 +0100 (BST), Theo wrote :

Search 'bluetooth call recorder' and a number of devices pop up. eg:
https://www.spyequipmentuk.co.uk/bluetooth-call-recorder/
https://www.detective-store.com/phone-call-recorder-dvr-188-with-bluetooth-technology-22.html

I assume they're all Chinese products sold by stores with 'detective' in the
name for double the price, and indeed if you search on Aliexpress many turn >>> up in the $25 ballpark.

https://www.amazon.es//dp/B01CIATFB4
PR200 225euro :-/
3 weeks delivery time.

On Aliexpress there is a lot of garbage that is not what I want, maybe
after browsing a dozen pages I find it.

Using the translated string (Aliexpress here is in Spanish), and the
first hit is a device that captures the sound via the vibrations on the
phone case. The search machine is awful. I said BT.

I would welcome a good search AI on Amazon and similar places :-/

Not a recommendation, but for me it comes up with things like: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006202828262.html (EUR29) https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006902624374.html (EUR16) https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005089442257.html (EUR32)
etc

You may have more luck flipping the language (flag icon top right) to
English and then searching that way - I don't know how well it does translations.

(although I suppose all the listings originate in Chinese and are auto-translated?)

I'm on Amazon Vine where I get tens of thousands of dollars of "free stuff" every year, and unfortunately, almost everything is from China these days.
<https://amazon.com/vine/about>

I have an old thread on the topic of call recording from way back on XDA.
*3rd-party call recording (ACR) apps after May 11th, 2022*
<xdaforums.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-get-3rd-party-call-recording-acr-apps-working-after-tomorrow-may-11th-2022.4444061/>

I'll add whatever useful solution Carlos and the others on the team learn.
That way, everyone benefits from every action we take on Usenet.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On 2025-09-09 15:22, Theo wrote:

Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

On 2025-09-09 13:56, Theo wrote:

Search 'bluetooth call recorder' and a number of devices pop up. eg:
https://www.spyequipmentuk.co.uk/bluetooth-call-recorder/
https://www.detective-store.com/phone-call-recorder-dvr-188-with-bluetooth-technology-22.html

I assume they're all Chinese products sold by stores with 'detective' in the
name for double the price, and indeed if you search on Aliexpress many turn >>> up in the $25 ballpark.

https://www.amazon.es//dp/B01CIATFB4
PR200 225€. :-/
3 weeks delivery time.

On Aliexpress there is a lot of garbage that is not what I want, maybe
after browsing a dozen pages I find it.

Using the translated string (Aliexpress here is in Spanish), and the
first hit is a device that captures the sound via the vibrations on the
phone case. The search machine is awful. I said BT.

I would welcome a good search AI on Amazon and similar places :-/

Not a recommendation, but for me it comes up with things like: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006202828262.html (EUR29) https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006902624374.html (EUR16) https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005089442257.html (EUR32)
etc

Yes, specially the 1st and 3rd seem to be it. The descriptions seem to
be much limited compared to Amazon, though.


#3 has a video in Chinese, they use it as a hands free device.
#1 says in description that can be connected to phone via BT and also to earphones.

You may have more luck flipping the language (flag icon top right) to
English and then searching that way - I don't know how well it does translations.

That's an idea.

(although I suppose all the listings originate in Chinese and are auto-translated?)

Quite possibly. Maybe they have some real translations ready, and if
not, they auto-translates.


I found this one:

https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0BV1WS1NT

72€

which are headphones connected by cable to a little box, that seems (not clear) to connect to the phone via BT.

When I search on Amazon for "recording headphone" it yields headphones
for use in recording studio. Sigh.

<https://www.amazon.com/recording-headset/s?k=recording+headset&_x_tr_hist=true&_x_tr_hl=es&_x_tr_pto=rq&_x_tr_sl=en&_x_tr_tl=es>

Similar stupid results if I search for "headset that records"


The closest seems to be link #1 you posted, so thanks :-)
--
Cheers, Carlos.
ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2