Why your call recorder only records your voice
A recording with only your side, or with no sound at all, usually doesn’t mean the app is broken. Android limits what apps can hear during a call.
The short answer
During a call, Android gives the call’s sound to the call itself. On current versions, an app you installed can’t listen to the phone line, and its microphone can be blocked too. So a recorder may save silence, or only what a microphone picks up: your voice, close to the phone, and little of the other person’s.
- Earphones and Bluetooth make it harder, because the other person’s voice goes to your ears and the microphone can’t hear it.
- The result depends on your phone, your Android version and the calling app.
- No app can promise both voices on every phone. That includes Tencia.
Why it happens
The phone line is closed to the apps you install. On current Android versions, the sound of the call itself is for preinstalled apps with a special permission. An app from a store can’t get that permission.
The microphone is often closed too. While a call is on, Android’s rules let the call use the microphone, along with accessibility services. Other apps can end up saving silence.
A microphone hears the room, not the line. Even an app that’s allowed to use the microphone hears your voice up close. It catches the other person only if their voice comes out of the phone loud enough to reach it.
What to check
- Take the earphones offDisconnect Bluetooth too, then talk on the phone itself, or turn on the speaker on the call screen. That gives the microphone a chance to hear the other person.
- Turn off other recordersTwo call recorders can get in each other’s way, and the recording may end up with no sound. Keep one on.
- Check the microphoneCheck that the recorder has the microphone permission and that Microphone access is on in Quick Settings. Another app using the microphone can also leave you with silence.
- Try both kinds of callMake a short test call and listen to it, once on a phone call and once in an app like WhatsApp. The two can behave differently, so one test doesn’t tell you about the other.
- Look in your Phone appOn some phones, the built-in Phone app can record calls. Preinstalled apps have access that others don’t, so it’s worth trying if yours has it.
How Tencia handles it
Tencia Helper does the recording. During a call, Android blocks Tencia’s own microphone too. So a free companion app, Tencia Helper, records the call and hands it to Tencia on the same phone. It uses Accessibility, which Android allows during a call. It comes from outside Google Play, so your phone warns you first. Here’s what it reads and why Android warns.
It’s still a microphone. Tencia Helper records through the microphone, so with earphones or Bluetooth the other person is hard to catch. Talk on the phone itself or use the speaker. If they still sound quiet, turn up “Clearer voices” in Settings.
It tells you when there’s no sound. If the phone blocks the sound, you get a notification during the call, and silent recordings are marked in your list. “Test recording” in Settings records 4 seconds with no call needed, so you can find out before a call that matters.
Your Phone app’s recordings. From November 6, 2026, if your phone’s own Phone app already records calls, Tencia can use those recordings for phone calls without Tencia Helper. Calls in apps like WhatsApp still need Tencia Helper.
Where the law asks for consent, tell the other person at the start of the call. Here are the rules by country.
Common questions
Is my phone broken?
Probably not. A recording with one voice or no sound usually comes from how Android limits apps during a call, not from a fault in the phone.
Will a different call recorder fix it?
It might on some phones, but Android’s limits apply to every app you install. Test any recorder, Tencia included, with a short call before you rely on it.
Why did it work on my old phone?
Android’s limits have become stricter over the years, and each phone maker sets things up differently. A new Android version or a new phone can change what a recorder can hear.
The other person is there, but very quiet. What helps?
Use the speaker on the call screen and raise the call volume. In Tencia, you can also turn up “Clearer voices” in Settings.
Is it legal to record calls?
Call-recording laws differ by country. Some require the other person’s consent, and others allow recording if you’re part of the call. Before you record, check the law where you live and get any consent you need yourself. This page isn’t legal advice.
Where to get it
Get Tencia from Google Play and Tencia Helper from the Tencia Helper page. Recording is free, with no ads.
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WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, Viber, Signal, LINE, WeChat, imo, BOTIM, KakaoTalk, Zalo, CUBE ACR, Samsung, Galaxy, Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO, vivo, iQOO, OPPO, realme and OnePlus are trademarks of their owners. Tencia isn’t affiliated with them. Google Play is a trademark of Google LLC.