Confirmed! iOS 14 will support “call recording”, can Apple phones finally use it?

In less than a month, Apple's WWDC 2020 Global Developers Conference will be held. Among the many software and hardware updates, the focus of Apple fans is probably still iOS 14.

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If you have been following Apple news for the past few months, you may have discovered a fact: the feature leaks for iOS 14 were earlier than any previous generation of iOS, with related screenshots uploaded to the Internet in February. The desktop organization and Apple's new headphones mentioned by Xiao Lei before all came from the "official leak" of iOS 14.

Recently, a hacker in the jailbreak community revealed the truth: an Apple supplier got a development prototype of iOS 14 and sold it to hackers, who unpacked iOS 14, which led to rumors of "new features in iOS 14." However, in April and May, Apple stepped up its crackdown on leaks, and leaks about iOS 14 dropped sharply.

But the devil is always more powerful than the saint. Just yesterday, someone posted a screenshot of the latest iOS feature on Twitter, which is the call recording feature that domestic Android users are already tired of.

iOS’s “plagiarism” path

In recent years, iOS has been "copying" Android with all its might. The revised cellular data switch and screen recording in iOS 11, and the app time management and "student mode" in iOS 12 are all features that Android users have already achieved through built-in system or third-party applications.

Moreover, the management mode of iOS is still "weird" for some updated functions. For example, the cellular data switch in iOS 11, you still cannot completely turn off Bluetooth or cellular data. You can only temporarily disconnect. If you want to turn it off completely, you can only enter the system settings.

Another example is the file management function of iOS 12. The sharing of new files generated within the application is also cumbersome. Only basic file exports can be performed through application linkage. It is far inferior to the Android system that can directly access and edit folders in different applications.

Of course, Apple still has some commendable aspects in updating some features, such as a more reasonable media volume control mechanism when recording screen and relatively complete adaptation of dark mode, which all reflect the complete ecosystem management of iOS.

As an iPhone user, Xiao Lei believes that it is a good thing that iOS can "copy" the excellent features of Android. In the face of numerous user needs, what iOS needs is perfect norms and ecological control, rather than Jobs-style paranoia. Since iOS 8, the trend of iOS standardization and platformization has become more obvious, which is a good development.

However, the current iOS is still far from perfect. Apple fans have been waiting for features like vibration for answering calls, app clones, and split-screen apps, while the call recording function is the collective call of Chinese users.

Delayed call recording

Why do we need to record phone calls? From Xiaolei's work experience, call recording plays a big role in improving work efficiency. The records and discussions of relevant meetings can be reviewed later through recording, without the need to record in a hurry during the meeting.

More importantly, call recordings can be used as evidence for rights protection in some scenarios. In 2015, my country's Supreme Court stipulated that information formed or stored in electronic media such as emails, chat records, and text messages can be used as evidence. In divorce, labor disputes, and private lending cases, call recordings are submitted as valid evidence many times.

In our country, recording a phone call is not the same as "wiretapping recording". The recording itself has legal effect, and does not require the consent of others when recording. As long as it can be proved that both parties made the call out of their own will and the recording is clear without malicious editing, it can be submitted to the court.

At present, mainstream mobile phones in China all support the call recording function, while foreign manufacturers such as Apple and Sony have not designed this function in their native systems. Google has even removed the call recording API from Android 5.0.

Although you can find software related to phone recording on the domestic App Store, these software are paid by the minute and are in no way as practical as system-level functions.

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Readers may say: The fundamental reason why foreign companies do not record calls is legal issues. This seems to be true. Australia and India have explicitly prohibited individual users from recording calls. Some states in the UK and the US also require that "confidential" call recordings can only be made when a crime is involved. Otherwise, the other party must be informed when recording.

It seems that the reason why Apple does not have a recording function is due to obstacles from foreign laws. But is this really the case?

The law is not a shield for laziness

In fact, there are only a few countries in the world that have explicitly ruled that call recording is illegal. The vast majority of developed countries, including the United States, allow users to record phone calls with the other party's consent.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the United States has made a clear definition: as long as the other party is informed before recording, or there is a sound prompt for recording during the call, phone recording is legal.

But even if the federal government rules on the legality of phone recording, different rules and regulations between states blur the line of "legality". Eleven states in the United States believe that it is legal only if "all persons involved in the recording agree". California, where Apple is located, also adopts this relatively strict regulation. The remaining states are more relaxed and believe that it is legal if one party in the recording agrees.

So how to deal with the "permission" for interstate calls seems to be a legal issue. Because California's regulations are stricter and the regulations between states are different, Apple cannot include call recording.

But is this really the case?

No, the laws enacted by each state are all stipulated in multi-person scenarios using devices such as recorders, and most phone recordings are made between two people. As long as the other party is informed, the legal requirements can be met.

If Apple wants to avoid risks, it can simply turn off the feature when there are multiple people talking, and turn it on when there are only two people talking. This is enough to cover the recording needs of most people.

In fact, in the newly added "Call Recording" function, Apple wrote in the notes: You need to obtain the consent of all call members and cannot share the device with others while on a call.

Obviously, the call function is not a complicated legal issue, and Apple can get away with it as long as it makes a good statement in advance. In addition, related recording apps have always existed in European and American stores, and there is no risk of being removed from the shelves.

Xiao Lei believes that the reason why iOS has not had a call recording function is essentially because of laziness. Call recording is not a rigid demand for the general public. Instead of working hard to adapt to the standard, it is better to just cut it off.

On the other hand, the charging standards, network standards, photo-taking sounds, etc. stipulated by various countries are more complicated than phone recording, and Apple has also adapted to them. Only when the core functions of the phone are closely related will Apple optimize each version of the iPhone.

The delay in call recording is more a question of Apple’s attitude than a legal issue.

Get rid of arrogance to survive better

Frankly speaking, China's telephone recordings also have the risk of leaking privacy. For example, in the Bao Yuming case that caused a lot of controversy a month ago, the media released unauthorized telephone recordings, which was questioned whether it would cause secondary harm to the victim. How to strike a balance between privacy and convenience is still a task that governments around the world have to explore.

However, how to legally use call recording is a question for the regulators. As service providers, Apple and Google should provide better services to the public, rather than circumventing the law on the grounds of "complex laws." Call recording is just a tool, and how to use it is entirely up to the user. As long as the obligation to inform is fulfilled, legal risks can be completely avoided. Apple's indifference to non-core functions is disappointing.

Xiaolei hopes that the addition of "call recording" is a reflection of iOS's move toward openness and gradual listening to user opinions. Since Apple claims to "give users the best tools for creation", it should comprehensively examine user needs and make improvements based on local conditions, rather than repeatedly delaying the update of basic functions under the pretext of foreign laws and regulations. This is really unacceptable.