Pixel Phones Can Now Record Calls—No AI Needed

Google has made a groundbreaking move by unveiling a built-in call recording feature that works on Pixel smartphones, and the feature is now available for those devices where the AI-powered Call Notes were not supported. The update empowers the users of Pixel 6 and later models to set Call Recording directly from the settings of the Phone app. Most importantly, the recordings are saved locally on the device and thus no data is sent to Google’s servers.

When the call is in progress, the users will see a button labeled “Call Recording” added to the Call Assist panel right next to the Audio Emoji feature. Pressing the button starts a short countdown followed by an announcement to all participants via a voice alert that recording has started. Also, a little red dot will be placed next to the call timer as a sign that recording is in progress.

When the call is over, the recording can be found on the Home tab of the Phone app with the microphone icon. Recordings can be managed using Google’s M3 Expressive audio player which gives easy and systematic access without the burden of manual file searching.

The settings menu allows the user to make choices that suit them best, such as setting a certain time limit for the recordings: 7, 14 or 30 days, or keeping them forever. The user is also able to delete all recordings in one go, set calls from unknown numbers to be recorded automatically, or make a list of contacts whose calls should always be recorded.

Call Recording works only on devices running Android 14 and is available on Pixel 6, Pixel 7, Pixel 8, Pixel 9, and newer phones. In a different context, Google’s AI-enabled Call Notes, which can transcribe and summarize calls, is still expanding its reach. With the Feature Drop in November 2025, Call Notes will be released in more countries like India, Canada, Japan, Australia, and Ireland along with others.