Calling Recording? Requires a kernel patch to use microphone?

[frozenthorn]

I'd like to use a Call Recorder that saves incoming/outgoing on my DroidX, I've heard it requires a kernal patch to enable though. Can someone tell me more about this? Is this something you need to flash a new rom for or might it be something you can patch with your existing rom? I'm running a rooted .621 already, but it doesn't appear the patch was done. I'm not entirely opposed to flashing something different but it would be great if its something that can be changed on what i'm already using.

[Ads]

[Goose306]

I'd like to use a Call Recorder that saves incoming/outgoing on my DroidX, I've heard it requires a kernal patch to enable though. Can someone tell me more about this? Is this something you need to flash a new rom for or might it be something you can patch with your existing rom? I'm running a rooted .621 already, but it doesn't appear the patch was done. I'm not entirely opposed to flashing something different but it would be great if its something that can be changed on what i'm already using.

This discussion crops up every couple months. To be honest, here's the situation:

Its not really just a kernel patch. Google doesn't include the necessary APIs for call recording in AOSP code as well which most everyone is forked off of. They have been built and can be added but its a secondary feature; and having an Android phone that supports call recording is actually a fairly rare phenonemon.

The DX (and by extension most any Motorola phone) will likely never get call recording, unless Motorola includes it natively. Locked bootloader = no custom kernels. Its also a legal gray area. Call recording is legal or illegal dependant on the state you are in; its not by federal law. Thus stock phones will not be released with call recording as they aren't going to modify the firmware for each state. We can flash updates as kernel modules, this is how we overclock and obtain other functions. But to keep it short and simple call recording would probably just be way too much work in native calls using the native mic, so you will probably never find it. Currently there is no ROMs that support it nor any flashes for stock that support it. Sorry.

There is a Google code issue raised about call recording:
Issue 2117 - android - Enhancement: Call Recorder - Android - An Open Handset Alliance Project - Google Project Hosting

It has been open since 2009 so I doubt Google cares too highly about it, likely due to the legal rammifications.

The more open and friendly to hacking devices some have call recording, for example some of my GSIII ROMs do have the ability to pull call recording. But there is none for the DX.

Let you know two there is effectively two ways around it without what you are requesting, but its not native, mic based call recording. They both require various call recording apps you can find in the Play Store. You can find some that place calls over VOIP (like Skype in a way) that can allow call recording as all the supported modules are in the app. There is also some that are loopback recorders - basically the phone can record mic in but not speaker out. So you put the phone on speaker and then talk to people and record and it picks up both as it picks up the sound coming from the speaker from the other person through the speaking mic.

[frozenthorn]

Thanks Goose, very informative