Google Phone App to Replace Call Recording Announcement with Beep Sound: App Teardown

AI

📝 Key Points of This Article

• The biggest downside of the “Call Recording” and “Call Notes” features in the default “Google Phone” app for Pixel devices is the loud voice announcement stating, “This call is now being recorded,” when recording starts.
• However, it appears that a future update will add a setting to change this announcement to a simple beep.
• An analysis of the app files for the “Google Phone” version v212.0 update confirms the addition of descriptions regarding a setting to switch the recording start notification to a sound signal.

The default “Google Phone” app, pre-installed on Google Pixel devices from the “Pixel 6” onwards, includes a “Call Recording” feature.

Additionally, Google Pixel devices from the “Pixel 9” onwards (excluding the “Pixel 9a”) feature ” Call Notes,” an evolution of the call recording feature that includes AI summarization powered by Google’s “Gemini Nano” model. For the record, the “Call Recording” feature had been restricted in Japan for a long time, but it recently made headlines when it was finally unlocked.

関連記事

Pixel 9a以下。Google の電話アプリ「通話の録音」ついに日本解禁

「Google の電話アプリ」の「通話の録音」が、ついに日本国内で解禁された模様。「通話の録音」を利…

jetstream.blog

While the “Call Recording” and “Call Notes” features in the Google Phone app are useful, their biggest disadvantage is the loud voice announcement that declares, “This call is now being recorded,” as soon as recording begins. However, it seems that a setting will soon be added to replace this voice announcement with a simple beep as a signal for the start of recording.

After analyzing the app files from the “Google Phone” version v212.0 update, released around March 6, 2026 (Friday), I confirmed that descriptions for a setting to change the audio announcement to a notification sound have been added. The discovered description indicates that this will be implemented as a “Recording Consent” setting, allowing users to switch to a short beep instead of the voice message (“This call is now being recorded”). However, the feature has not yet been rolled out to the public.

<string name="use_beep_sound_terms_dialog_title">Recording Consent</string>
<string name="use_beep_sound_terms_dialog_summary">Play a short beep instead of a voice message when call recording starts and stops. By enabling this, you agree to comply with local laws.</string>
<string name="action_turn_on_beep">Turn on beep</string>

<string name="use_beep_sound_terms_dialog_title">録音の同意</string>
<string name="use_beep_sound_terms_dialog_summary">通話録音の開始時と終了時に、音声メッセージの代わりに短いビープ音を鳴らします。これを有効にすることで、現地の法律を遵守することに同意するものとします。</string>
<string name="action_turn_on_beep">ビープ音をオンにする</string>

Although many users are happy that “Call Recording” is finally available, many have been put off by the loud voice announcement. The introduction of this “Recording Consent” setting should make the feature much easier to use. While the setting is not yet available, I will provide an update as soon as there is further progress.

“Google Phone” App Link