The Google Recorder will head to older Pixel devices in future software update

Damien Wilde | Nov 1 2019 - 5:50 am PT

The fantastic Google Recorder app that utilizes AI and language processing is heading to older Pixel phones officially with a “future update.”

Google unveiled the voice recording app at the Made by Google event last month, but failed to share any details on whether it would officially come to older devices. At present, you can sideload an APK file to get the Recorder on just about any Android phone.

In a Q&A session on Reddit, a commenter asked why they are not currently able to use the Recorder on their Pixel 3 XL. Almost 24 hours later, an official response from the PixelCommunity poster confirmed that the Recorder will come to older Pixel phones with a future update (h/t Android Police).

No further details of when the rollout might come or which Pixel models will get the feature. We’d be surprised if it didn’t include all Pixels, though, as we have mentioned, older Pixel models can sideload the APK file and use the new Google Recorder already.

Even without any sort of concrete information on the release date, this is still great news for anyone with an older Pixel phone, as it’s another Pixel 4 feature coming to previous generations. If you didn’t already know, the Astrophotography mode is also set to head to the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3 soon, too. In yet more good news, you don’t even have to wait: The APK file is available from APK mirror.

Be sure to check out our hands-on video showcasing just how nifty the Google Recorder actually is. If you’re a student or even a budding journalist, the voice-to-text transcription is worth taking a look at alone.