[criddell]

My Google annoyance is that they don't build call recording into the phone. I know they probably do it to avoid their customers getting into trouble using it where they shouldn't but there are lots of illegal things I can do with my phone that they don't try to police.

[magduf]

The problem is that feature would constitute something made explicitly for illegal uses, much like drug paraphernalia, so would expose them to huge liability.

Of course, it's only in some states (like Maryland) where recording conversations without permission is illegal, but that's enough.

[MrStonedOne]

No.

Google already has this, with google voice, press 4 during a call to start recording it. (only on originally incoming calls.)

One: most laws do not require permission or consent per say, simply having the feature also pimp out a recording that says "Call is now being recorded" like the google voice feature already does is enough to keep it legal.

Two: "Made explicitly for illegal uses" is a wide stretch for a call recording feature.

[criddell]

I don't use Google Voice anymore but I was never able to get call recording to work. For one, I think it only worked on incoming calls which is pretty useless.

[criddell]

They could leave hooks in there and let third parties build out the apps that do the recording.