A new Google Play Store policy will remove applications that perform call recording from the store. As of May 11, anyone using Android’s accessibility tool that lets you record phone calls will be against Play Store policies.
The changes could be even bigger for developers using the Accessibility API, according to a discussion on reddit. The API was a way to enable recording that had been all but eliminated by privacy concerns.
Google Play Store will only let recording on dials
In Android 6 the ability to record was blocked and the use of the microphone to record was eliminated in Android 10. Google explained the decision at a developer seminar stating that calls cannot be recorded when the caller does not know they are being recorded.
You can still record calls apps that act as dialers like Google Phone and Mi Dialer. Smartphones that already come with their dialer like Pixel and Xiaomi will not be affected by the change.
“Dialer apps that come preloaded on the smartphone do not need the accessibility function to access the incoming audio stream,” said Moun Choi, head of content operations at the Google Play Store.
Outdated apps will be pulled from the store soon
Starting November 1st, the Google Play Store will no longer allow users to download apps that are out of date.
As such, “existing applications that do not reach an API level within two years of the last major Android version will no longer be available for search or installation for new users with devices running Android versions higher than the target API level of the applications. As new versions of the operating system are released in the future, the requirements window will adjust accordingly.
The “Target API”, in this case, refers to the API of the oldest supported version. That is, it is the acceptable limit within the security and functionality requirements that Google requires so that the app can be distributed within its app store.
Store will have a payment system
Image: daily_creativity/shutterstock.com
Another new feature of the Play Store is the test of payment options. When downloading an application on Android that offers the option of having a subscription, users would have to make their payment through Google Play. Now, in a first test between Google and Spotify, users will have more freedom to choose other means of payment – which opens the door for other services to also offer alternative means of charging to the official app store.
On its official website, Spotify explained that it is working together with Google Play, when its app is downloaded on Android, so that its users can choose to pay for their subscription with third-party services for the first time. Not only that, without going into details, the announcement also addresses which developers will be able to benefit from the novelty – that’s where the great “trump card” of this story lies.
Thus, thanks to this partnership, it is also expected that services and applications from other developers will be able to offer more payment options when downloaded through Google Play. The new payment option is still in the development phase, which should last a few more months. However, the novelty should be made available by the end of the year.
The announcement that Spotify has such a partnership with Google may even come as a surprise. Recently, companies complained about Google and Apple because of the monopoly made in their stores, which did not allow them to offer payments through third-party services.
More news should arrive at Google I/O, an event that will be in May.
