From May 11, 2022, app developers will not be able to provide the call recording feature through third-party apps on Google. The tech giant has updated its policies to enhance security and privacy for android phones.
Google has been making efforts to eradicate call recording on Android, majorly due to privacy concerns. It was blocked on Android 6, and the application of the microphones for call recording was eliminated in Android 10. The only method for call recording apps was by using the Accessibility API.
Google acknowledged the concern in a webinar video and remarked that “”remote in this context refers to call audio recording where the person on the other end is unaware of the recording is taking place.” It informed that dialer apps such as Google Phone and Mi Dialer with native call recording functionality will not be impacted by the change.
“If the app is the default dialer on the phone and also pre-loaded, accessibility capability is not required to get access to the incoming audio stream,” said Google content global operations lead Moun Choi.
In another instance, Apple announced eliminating the outdated apps. While Apple will eradicate the outdated apps from the App Store, previously downloaded apps are likely to remain on the device.
Various app makers such as Protopop Games developer Robert Kabwe have expressed their concerns about the announcement.
Kabwe remarked on Twitter that Apple is warning him to remove his functioning game, Motivoto since it has not been updated since 2019.
Kosta Eleftheriou, the developer of FlickType Apple Keyboard, said that Apple shut down a version of its app designed especially for the visually impaired since it has not been updated in the last 2 years.
In 2016, Apple announced that it would remove discontinued apps from the App Store. It also warned developers that they had 30 days to update their apps before it would discontinue those apps from its platform.
The announcement has gained significant criticism and it is being argued that apps should remain available irrespective of their age. Some critics say that politics is unnecessarily harsh on developers, and claim Apple does not respect the work that goes into indie games.