Google makes it possible to record phone calls on the Pixel 9 series using the Call Notes feature

The Google Pixel 9 series has finally added a feature that many users have been eagerly waiting for: the ability to record phone calls. Not only can you record calls, but you can also transcribe and summarize them, making it easier than ever to keep track of important information.

Recording phone calls may seem like a simple task, but due to legal regulations, it’s not always straightforward on Android devices. Android only allows the pre-installed system dialer app to record calls, which is why many third-party call recorder apps use workarounds that may not always be reliable.

Google does offer a call recording feature in its Phone by Google app, but it has been blocked on Pixel phones in certain regions, including the US. This is despite the fact that the app notifies call participants that the call is being recorded, which satisfies the two-party consent requirement of many US states.

However, with the release of the Pixel 9 series, Google has finally changed its stance on call recording. The new Call Notes feature allows you to record, transcribe, and summarize your phone calls using its on-device AI model — Gemini Nano with multimodality. This upgraded version of Google’s mobile-optimized Gemini Nano large language model can handle audio, speech, and image inputs in addition to text.

As many that pre-ordered a Pixel 9 are beginning to receive their brand-new devices today, here are some quick instructions on how to enable the feature:

Using Call Notes to record a phone call on the Pixel 9 series | Image credit — PhoneArena

Once the feature is activated, Call Notes can be easily enabled from the overflow menu during a phone call. The first time you place or receive a call after activating Call Notes, a message asking you to try out the feature may appear.

When Call Notes is enabled during a call, the Phone app plays an audio message on the call informing all participants that the call is being recorded. A red dot also appears next to the call duration to indicate that the call is being recorded.
After finishing a phone call, you can access the recording, transcript, and summary by navigating to the “Recents” tab in the Phone by Google app. You may need to wait a bit for the Call Notes feature to finish processing your call, and in cases where the phone call was too brief, you may receive a message that it could not be summarized.

The addition of Call Notes to the Pixel 9 series is a welcome feature for many users. It provides a convenient and secure way to record, transcribe, and summarize phone calls. While it’s disappointing that the feature is not available on older Pixel devices, it’s still a significant step forward for Google’s smartphone lineup.