Call Recorder - SKVALEX (Pie Update)

[Nickerz]

This app has worked great since I've been using it on my Note8. There have been some glitches over the past year or so but when all worked perfect - I disabled the auto update in Play Store (if it ain't broke...don't fix it, right?).

So up until now I was using version 3.0 (beta 10) on Oreo but when I updated to Pie I couldn't hear the other person in the recording. I updated to Pie on 4/6 so I started checking all my recordings and sure enough, all of them before 4/6 work perfect - records both sides of the conversation and both sides are crystal clear. I even use a headset most of the time and no issues at all until now.

So now I'm using the latest version on Pie and I have nothing but issues. ARG! I really think I'm beginning to hate these updates as it completely turns my world upside down for about 1-2 weeks to sort all the issues out and get my phone working like it did before the update. So here we go again...time I don't have trying to figure numerous things out. Just frustrated!

Sorry for my rant but can anyone using this app please confirm...

1. If you can hear BOTH sides of the conversation in your recordings?
2. If yes, what is your recording setting?

Open app > Settings > Recording > Device (at the top)

My default was "Qualcomm MSM89xx" and I noticed there is no longer an option for Note8 - it only goes to "Note 7 (Exynos)"

I did find a setting called "Samsung Note 8 (Exynos)" but still couldn't hear the other person.

Here is are some screenshots of the settings...

 

[donm527]

Yes, I can hear both sides of the call. Note 8 on AT&T with Pie and latest version of Call Recorder. All settings identical to your screenshot.

You are now using the latest version of Call Recorder correct? You're post said that you disabled auto-update on Google. With Pie I would suggest you not use an older version of Call Recorder and older versions may have bugs with Pie.

Email the developer. I've emailed him before and he's responded quickly and helped.

 

[Nickerz]

Yes, I can hear both sides of the call. Note 8 on AT&T with Pie and latest version of Call Recorder. All settings identical to your screenshot.

You are now using the latest version of Call Recorder correct? You're post said that you disabled auto-update on Google. With Pie I would suggest you not use an older version of Call Recorder and older versions may have bugs with Pie.

Email the developer. I've emailed him before and he's responded quickly and helped.

Thanks for confirming!

I'm on AT&T too which is nice to compare apples to apples.

Just to clarify, I'm having issues with the latest version I installed yesterday (3.1.3). I ended up installing this b/c Pie ruined the last version I was running which was 3.0 (Beta 10) so I had to update.

BUT - and this is important...

I believe there are technically 2 versions of this app right now b/c Play Store has a new policy...

1. 3.1.3 lite (via Play Store)
2. 3.1.3 (via apk file downloaded from XDA forums)

I have #2 installed on mine b/c the version from the Play Store has a new policy preventing us from knowing which phone # called you. I have no idea why this is. So if you open your recordings there is no way of searching for a specific recording. So to find one from last week or a month ago, you have to listen to each one or narrow it down by the day that you happen to remember making the call. It's just getting harder to use this great app as more regulation keeps hindering it.

I'll contact the developer to see if he can help. Would you or anyone else mind confirming if your recordings have a naming convention like a phone number or do they all just say Outgoing or Incoming?

 

[donm527]

Yes, there are two versions. Google/Google Play new rules won't allow linking Caller ID linking which is irritating. I emailed the developer and he gave me the link to the unrestricted version that can be sideloaded. The developer is pretty cool in that he responded to my email back and forth within the hour. So I am using the side loaded 3.1.3 also.

 

[Nickerz]

Yes, there are two versions. Google/Google Play new rules won't allow linking Caller ID linking which is irritating. I emailed the developer and he gave me the link to the unrestricted version that can be sideloaded. The developer is pretty cool in that he responded to my email back and forth within the hour. So I am using the side loaded 3.1.3 also.

Ok, so it's still apples to apples. The only difference then is when I use a headset, which is most of the time. I hear nothing from the other caller when I do. This was never an issue before but then I tested the headset on my wife's Note8 (she's using the same app version as us) and it works PERFECT - but she's using Nougat. So I don't feel it's the headset although it clearly is worse when I do - at least on my phone.

When I don't use the headset, the other person can barely be heard. It's really bad and pretty much can't be heard. So I tried uninstalling the app and reinstalling it but still have the same problem.

I guess I'll have to do a factory reset but before I do - especially since you and I have the same phone, network and app version...can you please plug in a headset to see if both sides of the conversation can be heard? Mine is a wired headset btw. If you have no issues after that, then I'll know for sure and happily do the factory reset. Otherwise, a reset like this takes long for me to have to set everything back up.

Thanks for the replies!!!

I did email the dev earlier today but I'm still waiting to hear back from him...

 

[donm527]

I've never listened/played back recordings through headset... so I plugged in my daughters beats headsets into my phone and played back my last call and heard both sides of the call.

I noticed my last two calls recorded, the other side comes in loud and clear. I can hear my side, hearing myself talking, but it does sound lower and like its muffled but it's clear. Sounds the same too with the headphones but since the headphones are on-ear it blocks outside noise and my side sounds clearer with headsets.

There are times that recordings can sound weak and I think I have had a recording where I heard only one side on a recording but that usually never happens. I wonder when those calls are recording, if quality is affected if you have many apps in background and could be a resource issue. But because I basically it works as intended almost all the time for me at least with the calls I need to pull up when the moment arises I haven't delved into those times the calls sound on the weak side.

I guess I'll have to do a factory reset but before I do - especially since you and I have the same phone, network and app version...can you please plug in a headset to see if both sides of the conversation can be heard? Mine is a wired headset btw. If you have no issues after that, then I'll know for sure and happily do the factory reset. Otherwise, a reset like this takes long for me to have to set everything back up.

 

[Nickerz]

I've never listened/played back recordings through headset... so I plugged in my daughters beats headsets into my phone and played back my last call and heard both sides of the call.

I noticed my last two calls recorded, the other side comes in loud and clear. I can hear my side, hearing myself talking, but it does sound lower and like its muffled but it's clear. Sounds the same too with the headphones but since the headphones are on-ear it blocks outside noise and my side sounds clearer with headsets.

There are times that recordings can sound weak and I think I have had a recording where I heard only one side on a recording but that usually never happens. I wonder when those calls are recording, if quality is affected if you have many apps in background and could be a resource issue. But because I basically it works as intended almost all the time for me at least with the calls I need to pull up when the moment arises I haven't delved into those times the calls sound on the weak side.

Thanks again for helping me out with this!

I did a factory reset and the first app I installed was SKVALEX. It does work better when I make calls but the issue is still there when I make calls with my headset. The recording of the other person can barely be heard. When I don't use my headset it sounds fine - although the recording for both sides, myself and the other side is crackling and doesn't sound good at all.

This update ruined my phone. I can't say that exactly as it's only affecting this app which is really important to me.

I think I'm going to see if I can go back to Oreo and wait for the devs to figure this all out. After all, I can do without the different colored apps.

I'm going to post on youtube my recordings from 4/5 and then from 4/6 and today. Just to show this was obviously an issue with Pie. I really hate going through this. My phone worked perfect, nothing wrong and now I've spent all day today trying to figure this out and got nowhere. Just a complete waste of time. I HATE IT!

Thanks so much for helping me!

By the way, when I use my headset, I'm using it to make calls and I plug it into my phone and then listen to the recording of the call. This is my issue...I can't hear the other side or if I do it's really, really low and the quality is horrible. But the live call at the time sounds perfect - just the playback of the recording can't be heard very well or not at all. So I assumed it was my headset but when I plug it into my wife's Note8 to make calls, the recordings are crystal clear, loud as can be, both sides. That's how mine sounded last week before the Pie update. But she is using Nougat and I WAS using Oreo. So maybe a coincidence or my phone just didn't handle the update and the mic crapped out? But then I'd be hearing people say they can't hear me and that's not the case. So I dunno......

 

[Nickerz]

Reply From Developer...

After doing a factory reset last night and testing more calls this morning I emailed the developer some of my recordings to show the issue I'm still having. The app technically works when I don't use a headset but when I do use a headset (which is what I need for work) I can't hear the other conversation. Plus the quality is really poor and it's very inconsistent. Some calls are better and most calls are not.

The developer emailed me back and confirmed that there isn't much that he can do to fix the issue as PIE is the cause of this. He suggested I downgrade the OS to get it to work like it did. He also included this link...

https://skvalex.org/help/android-9-pie

 

[srvctec]

Wait a second. I thought you said Call Recorder by SKVALEX was working fine after you changed a setting.

https://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?t=831738

So, now it's not working or at least not very well?

 

[Nickerz]

Wait a second. I thought you said Call Recorder by SKVALEX was working fine after you changed a setting.

https://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?t=831738



So, now it's not working or at least not very well?

Sorry for the confusion, actually in that thread the "setting" I was referring to was the one found in (Settings>Recording>After-call actions dialog) and I simply figured out I could uncheck the box to stop a popup window.

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Sorry for the long post. I did this for anyone else going through this thread so hopefully it helps someone.

So here is my update with this app... (see below for my permanent fix - in bold)...

ARG! It's been a lot of frustration and time wasted but the developer is helpful and to me, it seems like call recording is going away. This is apparently why it's been difficult to get these apps to work. Some are better than others but the new Pie OS and Play Store seemed to have put the smack down on call recording in general. They "can" work but how effective and consistent - that seems to be another story. Hopefully the devs can come up with something or the xda community.

Then there seems to be the issue with plugging in a headset. For some reason this completely killed the other side of my recordings. Even after a factory reset! I emailed the dev sample recordings using a headset and not using a headset. I can't confirm if the headset issue is isolated to just me. So if anyone else can test theirs and report back, that would be nice! Just plug in a wired headset (or even try a bluetooth headset) and make calls with it and listen to the recording to see if both sides of the call can be heard loud and clear.

To compare apples to apples here was my phone setup with a wired headset (Plantronics MX500C plugged into a Verizon adaptor)...

1. AT&T
2. Note8
3. Pie 9
4. SKVALEX App version 3.1.3 (I also tried the lite version but same issue)

It's worth noting

Not using a headset, sounded much better but the quality was inconsistent. Some calls sounded loud and clear, others were crackly and hard to hear but I use a headset during my calls so I can type and use my PC for reports, etc. so this is a must for me.

It's worth pointing out that my wife's Note8 running 7.1.1 Nougat (that's right...I explain below why) and running SKVALEX 3.1.1 has no issues with using a headset. Both sides of the recordings are loud and crystal, crystal clear.

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MY PERSONAL FIX!
This is so unique, so sorry I don't think this is going to help anyone unless you're running an older OS but it 100% fixed my issue and I have 100% perfect recordings now - with or without a headset!

I simply swapped SIM cards with my wife's Note8. Problem solved! Again, her Note8 is stuck on Nougat b/c it NEVER received any of the over-the-air updates. Just a weird glitch. My Note did. So when I looked at her phone the other day it was stuck at 7.1.1 Nougat!? Samsung said to bring it in to a store or AT&T to have the Pie update pushed through manually. So I asked, "if I swap the SIM cards will it do anything bad to our phones?" they said nope and that's what I did. Done and done.

---

I don't need the fancy updates. I don't have time to fool around with changes that I personally don't like or affect apps that disrupt my work routine. I just want a phone that works and is setup up how I set it up. Pie is nothing to brag about imo so I'm good with Nougat. Btw...Nougat's phone screen doesn't timeout while you're on a call! I know -this isn't a deal breaker for me either but I love it. Especially when having to wait for long automated prompts (i.e., press 1 for dept. press 6 for dept. etc.) and then your screen times out, have to turn it back on, then the automated system says sorry we didn't get a response from you, good bye! And then repeat...ARG!

So now...no guessing. My phone works, this app works 100% perfect!

I'll also point out, Oreo worked with this app 100% but I was using SKVALEX 3.0 (beta 10) and I disabled the auto update in Play Store a long time ago - and this was flawless before Pie came along and ruined it. I'm going to see if I can get the dev to send me the apk file for version 3.0 (beta 10).

One minor glitch I noticed today that I have that I didn't have in Oreo using SKVALEX 3.0 is if I press the mute button on a call (I have long meetings where I don't have to say anything so I press mute so others in the same teleconference don't hear my background noise), the app kills the other side of the conversation. It's still recording but you hear dead air. So I tested it some more today and when I press mute, you can't hear anything in the recording, when I unmute it you can hear it crystal clear. This was an issue with the app before but running Oreo and SKVALEX 3.0 (beta 10), I didn't have this issue which is why I disabled the auto update. But this isn't a big part of what I need. This issue is inconsistent as well so maybe I'll foward the dev those recordings from today but I found a work-around for it. I simply plug in my headset adaptor (not the headset) and it mutes the call since there is nothing connected to the adaptor and it still records fine. So I can listen to the entire teleconference later so I'm good for now.

My wife using Pie doesn't need a headset and so far her recordings (both sides) sound good. So that works for her but I wonder how much longer until another update and this app along with other call recording apps are dead. I can't see that being 100% true as long as there are interested devs willing to work on this as just about anything can be hacked, right?

Again, sorry for the long post...hope this helps someone!

 

[Nickerz]

2020 Update: Re: Call Recorder - SKVALEX (Pie Update)

Here's an update on using the Call Recorder - SKVALEX app since I swapped SIM cards with my wife and started using her Note 8...

It's almost the middle of September in 2020 and I'm still using Android version 7.1.1 (Nougat). It's probably been a long time since you've heard Nougat, huh!?

My phone still records both sides of the conversation perfectly but I was wanting to know if any of you have had any good experiences with other call recording apps using the latest Android OS?

By the way, Oreo 8.0... worked with this app perfectly too but since my wife's phone never receives OTA updates, it's been stuck at 7.1.1 and I don't want to mess anything up trying to get to Oreo and then this app won't work for some reason.

Like I said before, I really don't think I need a new phone as my hardware suits me just fine and all the apps update themselves. Oh yeah, my battery life still rocks all day long! My wife still hates me for making her switch phones since she has my old Note 8 running the latest OS and horrible battery life...