NLLAPPS
missing .apk?
Is there a chance you can put the .apk somewhere we can install it from? If this isn't possible - maybe explain what's needed?
Your website says "You should only use our official website www.acr.app to download ACR Phone Helper (APH)" but every link on it goes to some other website, every one of which wants us to install 3 or more additional (probably unwanted) things at the same time?
Could you perhaps explain what we're supposed to be installing to get this to work? In my case, I'm using a Ulefone 18T running Android 12. The links seems to want me to install a whole new store (either NLL or Huawei), both of which seem to come with extra things I don't think I need or want?
Hi, we provide links to official stores on https://acr.app for couple of devices. For example, if you have a Samsung Phone you should download it from Galaxy Store.
Since you do not have any of the phones listed there, you can install NLL Store first, open it and then install APH from there.
Reason for it is explained on https://acr.app. Here is the copy of it.
Direct download no longer available Google seems to be committed to stop call recording. They have restricted Accessibility Service usage on Google Play Store and placed it behind an install time permission called "android.permission.ACCESS_RESTRICTED_SETTINGS" for sideloaded apps on Android 13. To overcome this restriction, we created APH and published it with ACCESS_RESTRICTED_SETTINGS permission. However, it appears that this workaround is no longer effective on Android 14, as side-loaded apps are unable to activate Accessibility Service at all. On Android 14, in order to use Accessibility Service, apps must be installed from a store that utilizes a specific Android API called PackageInstaller.Session. Therefore, we had to create our own app store, allowing users to download and sideload it, then install APH through NLL Store. While this process may seem cumbersome, it is currently the only way.
Ahh - OK, now I (half) understand. I'm on Android 12 though - can't the .apk work for me?
The main problem is this:-
https://nllapps.com/store/
conflicting with this:-
You should only use our official website www.acr.app to download ACR Phone Helper (APH)
which makes the entire situation sound really sketchy. It's bad enough installing a random .apk after deciding to trust you guys, but when it's an entire store ecosystem in direct contradiction to what you just told us... makes everything really uncomfortable !
I suppose wording could be clearer. What wording there means is that you should only download from sites/pages listed at https://acr.app
You are indeed installing a random apk but the culprit is not us but Google preventing call recording. By open sourcing APH, we hope to remove the question of "random apk".
Thanks for the amazing support! I successfully installed everything, but the other party on calls remains silent - only my own voice gets recorded (both speaker, and without - including when not holding the phone to my ear). Android's ability to cancel-out its own sounds is remarkable... and incredibly unwanted (Where I live, recording yourself [without telling the other person] is 100% allowed, and using those recording in court is well established). I wonder if there's some way to trick the audio subsystems into thinking it's talking bluetooth (or USB), and then hook the audio that way? Possibly with developer-permissions and debugging enabled for that channel maybe? It's a no-brainer to do that in hardware, but I want an in-phone solution...
Hi, your phone seem to have Mediatek CPU/SoC. Currently devices with Mediatek CPU/SoC cannot record other party even on speaker mode. All call recording apps will be same.
Hello,
I just discovered this app and it seems better than the one i am currently using https://cubeacr.app/
The problem they have is the same as you: accessibility services cannot be requested on the Play Store. However, their apk file for their secondary app can be found on the website directly, and it can use accessibility services. They don't even offer an app store. I have used it successfully for a few years without ever installing an extra app store.
To be honest, having to install an app store just for one app is an overhead and feels like it goes against the Android security model. Is there any chance the requirement for a dedicated app store is no longer relevant, and you could publish the apk directly on your website or GitHub?
Hi, you can remove NLL Store once APH is installed.
Google Play forbids developers to publish non compliant version of their Google Play Published app on websites accessible via Google Play listing or app.
As we have explained at https://nllapps.com/apps/cb/accessibility.htm, using Accessibility Service is for call recording is against Google Play Store polices hence it makes APH non compliant.
This is how we understand the policy. Other developers may interpreted it differently.
Relevance of dedicated app store also explained at https://acr.app. Your phone may allow activating Accessibility Service of directly installed APKs but most phones above certain Android version do not.
In order for user to activate accessibility service of an app, app must be installed via a specific way. You can check details at https://github.com/NLLAPPS/NLLStore
Your phone may allow activating Accessibility Service of directly installed APKs but most phones above certain Android version do not.
Damn! That's a big information I was lacking, thanks for explaining. I have had a few Androids but never had that problem, so I wasn't aware of this.
you can remove NLL Store once APH is installed
Fair, but that means I would not easily get updates, or the app would need to update itself which is almost equivalent to having an additional app store.
Ideally, if you provide the raw APK, I can install it with https://github.com/ImranR98/Obtainium/ as I do with many other APKs, which lets me have one centralized store that provides updates to most of my apps. Is there any chance you could release the APK somewhere (e.g. on GitHub) for people like me who prefer to minimize app stores and don't have a problem granting Accessibility services?