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Google’s impressive Recorder app is coming to older Pixel phones
July 16, 2025
Google’s Pixel series is a showcase for the company’s machine learning prowess, and thePixel 4is no different. Betweendual exposure controlsandLive Caption, it’s clear that Google is flexing its muscles.
TheRecorderapp is another impressivePixel 4feature, using on-device machine learning to transcribe people speaking. Fortunately, Google has now confirmed that this feature is coming to older Pixel devices too.
The officialPixelCommunity reddit accounttold a reddit user (h/t:Android Police) that Google plans to bring the Recorder app to “older Pixel phones” in a future software update.
There’s no word on a launch date or specific Pixel models that will receive the app, but the Pixel 3 series seems like a no-brainer. In fact, two users in the thread noted that a side-loaded version of the Recorder app works on thePixel 3 XLandPixel 2.
It’s not the first time that we’ve seen a recorder app capable of transcribing speech, as we’ve previously seenSamsungoffer this feature as well. But Samsung’s implementation relies on an internet connection, while Google uses on-device machine learning to enable offline transcriptions.
Google has also confirmed that itsastrophotography modeis coming to the Pixel 3 andPixel 3a, as well as the Live Caption capability. So you don’t necessarily have to buy a Pixel 4 to get some of its coolest features.
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