Question / Feature: Use multiple call recorders at the same time

[ElsAr4e]

If you are using a rooted device is it possible that you use multiple call recorders at the same time to record one call?

For example:

• Basic Call Recorder + Samsung phone built in call recorder (Maybe after you've changed the SCS)
• Basic Call Recorder + ACR phone with ACR Phone Helper (APH) Magisk Module
• Basic Call Recorder + Screen recorder with root access that records internal audio

or other combinations like Basic Call Recorder + Samsung phone built in call recorder (Maybe after you've changed the SCS) + Screen recorder with root access that records internal audio

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If it's possible did you test such scenarios (different Android versions)?

If it's not possible will the OS and/or Basic Call Recorder display an error message (if the Basic Call Recorder tries to record a call that is already recorded by another app or if the Basic Call Recorder records a call and another app tries to record the same call as well)?

[chenxiaolong]

This will depend on the specific device you're using. You'll have to try it to see how your device will behave.

In general, I'd expect it to not work properly. In the devices I've owned since I initially wrote BCR, I've seen:

• it work fine (rarely)
• one recording has only one side of the audio and the other recording has no audio
• both recordings only have one side of the audio
• no audio in either recording
• the audio driver failing with an error in both recordings

Basic Call Recorder + Screen recorder with root access that records internal audio

I'm not aware of any screen recorders that record the VOICE_CALL audio stream. It's only when two apps try to record VOICE_CALL at the same time that you'll run into issues.

[ElsAr4e]

Is it technically possible that an app checks (rooted vs. non-rooted) if another app already records one call?

If yes - for example can / should Basic Call Recorder display a warning message that another app already records the call and ask the user if the user really wants that Basic Call Recorder records the call too?

[chenxiaolong]

No, as far as I'm aware, there's no way to detect if another app is already recording VOICE_CALL.

[ElsAr4e]

Can you use the Basic Call Recorder (on a rooted device) together with a screen recorded (for rooted / non-rooted devices) that captures the internal sound?

For example if you want to record a phone call and at the same time a meeting of Jitsi-Meet (or BraveTalk) or YouTube video using a screen recorder this should be possible?

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And what if you use ACR Phone app and the rooted option ACR Phone Helper (APH) Magisk Module to record a voip call like WhatsApp?

Can you use Basic Call Recorder at the same time to record a GSM call?

[chenxiaolong]

Only regular (cellular) phone calls use VOICE_CALL. All other audio (VOIP, audio playback, etc.) use different audio streams. Recording those with a different app while BCR is recording a regular phone call should be fine.

[ElsAr4e]

Even if ACR-Phone app requires Android Connection Service API to be used by WhatsApp etc. (VOICE_CALL is NOT needed)? https://nllapps.com/apps/cb/voip-call-recording.htm

Capturing a WhatsApp call using ACR-Phone and a regular cellular phone call at the same time using BCR should be no problem (no errors)?

-- And if you use the Boldbeast Android VoIP Call Recorder https://www.boldbeast.com/android/voip_call_recorder.html (other technology) still no issue if you record a regular phone call and a voip app like WhatsApp at the same time?

[chenxiaolong]

Regular calls use the VOICE_CALL stream and VOIP apps use either the VOICE_COMMUNICATION or MIC streams. Two recordings at the same time should be fine as long as they're recording two different streams.

(Android's connection service APIs aren't relevant to this question. That API is only used for detecting when a call starts and stops. Recording happens via the AudioRecord APIs.)

[ElsAr4e]

Thanks for all these answers.

So the only thing you can do is to display a message the first time BCR is installed like "Keep in mind BCR should not be used with other regular cellular phone call recorders to record the same call at the same time"?

Would such a notification make sense?

[chenxiaolong]

No problem!

I'd prefer not to add another notification, but I do think it's good to mention. I'll make a note of it in the installation instructions.