We need to reclaim Android from Google. Until we do, they will keep doing things like this.
All this could have been avoided if Google made a permission for it.
Okay, I want to tell something here. Closely read what they say, they are getting rid of call record apps from Play Store, and that Accessibility API is not meant to do this task.
- ACR is deploying their app via their own website and Samsung Galaxy Store.
- There are precisely 3 OEMs I know that provide 2 party native call recording – Huawei (no GMS), Xiaomi and Samsung.
- There is Call Recorder by skvalex on F-Droid. White circle with black dialer logo.
We do have options.
Well it’s their store, we can’t expect them to follow any other rule than theirs. No one is forced to use it.
Nice thing to say when you’re a monopoly :)
Well that’s the same for other big centralized platforms, people need to start to use alternatives if the easiest/default one does not suit their needs.
I don’t see how Google play is a monopoly, you can use many other application stores, that’s simply not the definition of a monopoly. It would be a problem if it was the only available store, as it is the case with apple (correct me if I’m wrong, I’m not sure about that), but you can use for example F-droid and install your call-recording app from it.
The real issue would be if the API to record calls becomes unavailable to any app, regardless of the store (or any other origin since you can install apk from any source) it was installed from but from what I understand that’s not the case. In fact this should encourage people to use other application stores.
Other thing, when I say that we can’t expect them to follow any other rule than theirs, of course I would like them to do the good thing here but I’ve given up a long time ago on google doing the right thing for the customer and thus I think we can’t imagine a world where Google would go back to the old “Don’t be evil” era.
It’s not just the Play Store, but also Play Services. Google’s monopoly on Android is holding back progress.
