Recording your calls
CallVault has a pluggable capture engine with two "tracks". The rest of the app — the list, search, backup, sync — is identical whichever track you use. Only how the audio is captured differs.
Why capture is device-dependent
Android reserves the actual call-audio stream (both uplink and downlink) for system-privileged apps. A normal sideloaded app can never hold that permission, no matter what it prompts for. So a stock, non-rooted phone can capture your side clearly and the other party only as much as the phone's speaker emits. This is the honest ceiling, and CallVault says so during onboarding rather than pretending otherwise.
Track B — microphone (default, no root)
Works on any supported phone, including stock Samsung. When a call starts, a foreground service records from the microphone and stops when the call ends.
- Your voice: captured clearly.
- The other party: best on speakerphone; muffled or absent otherwise. CallVault can auto-enable speakerphone at call start (a setting) to improve this, though some devices block that.
- Automatic, no announcement, no root.
This is the recommended default for most people.
Tracks C and D — folder watch (optional, rooted)
If you run a dedicated recorder such as BCR (Basic Call Recorder) — which on a rooted device can capture both sides at full fidelity with no announcement — CallVault can watch that recorder's output folder and import each new recording, reading its metadata for number, direction, timestamps, and SIM slot.
- Track D consumes another recorder's output; CallVault itself needs no microphone permission at all — the cleanest privacy footprint.
- Set it up under Settings → connect a recordings folder and grant read access to the folder your recorder writes to.
CallVault reads those files; it does not modify or replace your recorder.
What gets captured for each call
Every completed recording is stored with its number, direction (incoming/outgoing), contact name (if available), SIM slot, start time, duration, size, and audio format. From there it enters the sync pipeline for optional backup.
| Requirement | Microphone (Track B) | Folder watch, rooted (Track D) |
|---|---|---|
| Records every call automatically | Yes | Yes |
| Your side captured | Yes | Yes |
| Other party captured | Speaker only | Yes |
| No announcement | Yes | Yes |
| Needs root | No | Yes (for the recorder) |