Google Explores Automatic Call Recording for US Pixel Users via Call Notes

04/24/2025 Mobile

The Google Phone app, a standard application on numerous Android flagship devices, currently offers call recording functionality in several regions worldwide. However, this feature remains conspicuously absent in the US market, despite the legality of call recording in most states with informed consent. US users are currently limited to the Pixel 9's Call Notes feature for call recording purposes.

Call Notes: A Manual Process

The existing Call Notes feature on Pixel 9 devices requires manual activation for each call. This involves tapping the Call Notes button during a call to initiate recording, transcription, and AI-generated summarization. This per-call activation can be cumbersome for users who frequently require call recording.

Automatic Call Recording: A Potential Development

Recent discoveries within the Phone by Google app suggest that Google is exploring the possibility of automatic call recording. The initial exploration of this concept, dating back to August 2024, involved settings to automatically start Call Notes for various phone calls. At the time, Google indicated that the code related to automatic activation was intended for internal testing only and not for public release.

From Call Notes to Call Recording

Despite the initial statement, the options for automatic activation persist within the Phone by Google app. In the latest Phone v172.0 beta, the automatic Call Notes option has been tweaked to Automatic Call Recording, shifting the focus from automatic summarization to automatic recording. The options have also been refined to include only these two functionalities.

Implications for US Users

The absence of the standard Call Recording feature in the US version of the Phone by Google app makes this development particularly significant. The introduction of automatic call recording via Call Notes could provide a workaround to deliver this functionality to US users. While the revised settings do not guarantee automatic summarization or transcription of the recordings, users can still opt to generate summaries and transcriptions for specific calls as needed.

Future Outlook

The question remains whether Google will ultimately enable US users to automatically record calls and leverage the AI-powered Call Notes features. Currently, US users are restricted to the manual process of initiating Call Notes for each call they wish to record, transcribe, and summarize. Given the demonstrated utility of the feature and the progress made in its development, there is optimism that a public release is forthcoming.