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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11That announcement usually means a recording feature has started—not that your phone has been secretly hacked. In Phone by Google, both participants hear a disclosure when recording begins and another when it stops. The cause may be ordinary call recording, automatic recording, Pixel Call Notes, or Google Voice’s AI note-taking feature.
Check which calling app you used, then review its recording settings. The announcement alone is not evidence of spyware.
What “This call is being recorded” means
The message is a privacy disclosure generated by the calling service. In Phone by Google, it can refer to standard call recording or, on eligible Pixel phones, Call Notes, which records, transcribes, and summarizes the conversation.
In Google Voice, the announcement may indicate standard call recording or Gemini “take notes for me.” When AI notes are active, the default wording is “This call is being recorded and captured by AI.”
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The announcement alone is not evidence that someone tapped your phone or installed spyware. Google documents these built-in recording features as ordinary explanations.
Why recording may have started automatically
Phone by Google can be configured to record certain calls without requiring you to tap the recording button during every conversation.
| Possible cause | What it records | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown-number recording | Calls with numbers that are not saved in your contacts | Phone → More options → Settings → Call recording |
| Selected-number recording | Calls with specific contacts | Phone → More options → Settings → Call recording → Selected numbers |
| Pixel Call Recording | The live phone call after recording is activated | During a call: Call Assist → Call Recording |
| Call Notes | Audio, a transcript, and an AI-generated summary | Phone → More → Settings → Call Notes |
| Google Voice recording | Calls recorded under a Voice account or Workspace policy | Google Voice settings or your Workspace administrator |
Check whether automatic call recording is enabled
On phones that use Phone by Google, inspect the call-recording settings:
- Open the Phone app.
- Tap More options (the three-dot menu).
- Tap Settings → Call recording.
- Look under Always record.
To stop recording unknown numbers, turn off Numbers not in your contacts. To check selected contacts, open Selected numbers and turn off Always record selected numbers or remove individual contacts.
You can also check a particular contact directly: open the contact card, tap Edit contact, and look for Always record calls.
Check Call Assist and Call Notes on a Pixel
On supported Pixel phones, recording can be started from the call screen through Call Assist. It is not necessarily the same control as the standard Record button found on other Android phones.
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To check the Call Notes setting:
- Open Phone.
- Tap More → Settings → Call Notes.
- Check whether Call Notes is enabled.
- Review the automatic options for selected contacts and non-contact calls.
During a call, activate Call Notes with Call Assist → Call Notes. To configure automatic notes for selected contacts, go to Call Notes → Automatically take Call Notes for calls with these numbers and enable the selected-number option. For unknown callers, check Automatically take Call Notes for non-contacts calls.
Call Notes is more restricted than ordinary recording. Google lists support for Pixel 9 and later, excluding Pixel A-series models, in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States in English; in Japan in Japanese; and on Pixel 10 series devices in India in Hindi and English. The phone needs a SIM from the country or region where it is being used and the latest Phone app. Call summaries are currently available only in English.
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How to start or stop ordinary call recording
On a non-Pixel Android phone
- Open Phone and make or answer a call.
- On the call screen, tap Record.
- To finish, tap Stop recording.
On a Pixel phone
- Open Phone and make or answer a call.
- Tap Call Assist.
- Tap Call Recording.
- To stop it, tap Call Assist → Stop.
Recording cannot begin until the other person answers. It also cannot be started while the call is on hold or during a conference call.
Why you may not see a recording option
Call recording is not available on every Android phone or in every country. Google lists these requirements for Phone by Google:
- Non-Pixel phones must run Android 9 or later.
- Pixel phones must be Pixel 6 or later and run Android 14 or later.
- The latest version of the Phone app is required.
- The phone, carrier, country, or region must support call recording.
Automatic recording and automatic deletion are also unavailable in some markets. A missing button therefore does not necessarily indicate a fault with the phone.
Where Phone by Google saves recordings
Phone by Google stores recordings on the device. Google says they are not saved or backed up off-device automatically.
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To play a recent recording:
- Open Phone.
- Tap Home.
- Tap the caller.
- Tap Play.
For an older call, open the caller, tap History, and select the recording. Use Share if you need to send the file elsewhere.
Deleting call history also deletes its associated recording. To set recordings to expire automatically, go to Phone → More options → Settings → Call recording → Delete recordings, choose a retention period, and tap Confirm. To remove everything immediately, choose Delete all recordings now → Delete.
Google Voice has separate recording controls
If the announcement came from Google Voice, especially a work or school account, the cause may be an administrator policy rather than a setting on your handset.
For Google Workspace Voice, an administrator can inspect and change the policy:
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- Go to Menu → Apps → Google Workspace → Google Voice.
- Click Settings → Policies.
- Choose On-demand or Automatic call recording and review the recording policy.
- Review the Gemini Notes setting.
- Under Announcements, select the default announcement, create a custom message, or use the options to upload audio, use text-to-speech, or delete the announcement. Save the policy.
A custom announcement applies to ordinary call recording and Gemini AI notes, so changing or deleting the wording does not necessarily disable recording.
Gemini notes require Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, or Enterprise Plus, plus a supported Voice add-on: Google Voice Standard or Premier, or Google Voice SIP Link Standard or Premier. The feature is available on the web, Android, and iOS, currently in English and with one language per call.
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Does the announcement mean the recording is illegal?
Not automatically. Recording laws differ by jurisdiction. Some places require consent from every participant, while others have different consent rules. Google advises users to comply with the law that applies to the call and notify participants as required.
The disclosure is designed to make the recording apparent, but hearing it does not settle the legal question for every location. If the call involves different countries or states, check the relevant local rules before recording or sharing it.
Can you turn off the announcement?
For Phone by Google, Google’s current documentation describes the disclosure as part of recording behavior and does not provide a setting for suppressing it. Both parties are notified when recording starts and stops.
Google Voice is different. A Workspace administrator can customize or delete its announcement from the Voice policy settings, although recording and AI notes may still be active. If this is a work account and you cannot change the policy, contact the administrator.
What to do if you did not activate recording
- Check automatic recording: inspect unknown numbers and selected contacts in Phone → Settings → Call recording.
- Check Call Notes: review Phone → Settings → Call Notes and its automatic-call options.
- Check the app: determine whether the call was made in Phone by Google or Google Voice.
- Review the call history: open the caller entry and look for Play or a transcript or summary.
- Update the app: install the latest Phone app from Google Play if controls do not match the documentation.
- Ask an administrator: for Google Voice work accounts, recording may be controlled centrally.
If none of these explanations fits, review recently installed calling, accessibility, or phone-management apps and secure your Google account. However, the announcement by itself is not proof of surveillance.
FAQ
Does “This call is being recorded” mean someone hacked my phone?
Usually not. On Google phones and Google Voice, the message is normally produced by a built-in recording, Call Notes, or AI note-taking feature. Check automatic recording settings and the calling app before investigating malware.
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Will the other person know that the call is recorded?
With Phone by Google, both parties hear a disclosure when recording starts and another when it stops. Google Voice also uses an announcement for recording and Gemini notes.
Are Google phone recordings stored in the cloud?
Phone by Google stores call recordings on the device and says they are not saved or backed up off-device. Deleting the associated call log also deletes the recording.
Why did my phone record one contact but not others?
The contact may be listed under Phone → Settings → Call recording → Selected numbers, or that contact may have the Always record calls option enabled on their contact card.
Can Call Notes record and summarize a call automatically?
Yes, on eligible Pixel phones. Call Notes records the call and creates a transcript and summary. Automatic behavior can be configured for selected contacts or non-contact calls.
Can I disable the recording announcement in Phone by Google?
Google’s current Phone documentation does not list a control for suppressing the announcement. Google Voice administrators have separate controls for customizing or deleting its announcement.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: the message means a recording feature has been activated. Check automatic recording, Pixel Call Assist and Call Notes, or Google Voice policies. It does not by itself indicate hacking, and recording laws depend on the jurisdictions that apply to the call.
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