Most Android smartphones support call recording, however, this feature is hidden on some phones. In this post, I’ll show you how to enable call recording on Samsung Galaxy S5 without installing any third-party call recording apps. While installing apps from the Play Store might be easier than enabling the hidden call recording feature on the Galaxy S5, you might not be comfortable with third-party apps due to privacy issues and because some of them are not that easy to use.
Benefits Of Call Recording
Call recording might not be useful to some individuals, but this feature can be crucial for many Android users. Here are the reasons why you should enable call recording on your Galaxy S5.
Listen to conversations with your family and loves ones to bring back old memories. Use recorded calls as evidence against people denying something that they said. It can be easy for people to deny things they said in an one on one conversation, but they can’t deny their own words captured in a recorded call. If you’re using your Galaxy S5 as a business phone, call recording can be extremely useful in customer services, specially when you want to ensure maximum customer satisfaction. Finally, recorded calls can work as great reminders and instead of writing things down from the phone call, you can directly refer to the recorded call when needed.
Prerequisite
All the methods mentioned below require root access on your Galaxy S5. Rooting is a risky process which is why you should only attempt it at your own responsibility. Rooting will also void your manufacturer’s warranty. You can check out our guide on rooting the Galaxy S5. If you’re not comfortable with rooting your phone, then you won’t be able to use any of the methods listed below. However, you can still record phone calls using third-party apps. Feel free to read our post on recording phone calls on Android.
Method 1: Manually Editing The feature.xml File
The first method uses a third-party root enabled file manager in order to manually edit the feature.xml file. You don’t need to flash anything through recovery and the entire process will only take a couple of minutes.
Step 1
Download and install Root Browser on your Samsung Galaxy S5. You can download it using the Google Play Store button below.
Step 2
Launch Root Browser and grant it root access if you get any popup asking for root access.
Step 3
Go to the /system/csc directory and search for the feature.xml file. Press and hold on the feature.xml file and tap on Open with. If you can’t find the feature.xml file, then use the others.xml file.
Step 4
Select RB Text Editor from the list of options in order to open up the text editor.
Step 5
Insert the follow text anywhere in the text file, but between
Step 6
Tap on the Save button once you have entered the text line.
Step 7
Reboot your phone. That’s it! You have successfully enabled call recorder on your Samsung Galaxy S5. If the process was successful, you’ll see a Record button when on a call. To start recording, simply tap on the Record button.
Step 8
In order to end recording, tap on the Stop button.
Method 2: Mobile ODIN Pro
Method 2 focuses on using an app from the Google Play Store in order to enable call recording on the Samsung Galaxy S5. Basically, this method is an easy way of performing Method 1 and modifying the text file automatically. While this method is really easy, Mobile ODIN Pro is a paid app and you’ll need to purchase it from the Google Play Store.
Step 1
Download and install the Mobile ODIN Pro app on your Samsung Galaxy S5. You can get it using the Google Play button below.
Step 2
Download this zip file and transfer it to your Galaxy S5 without extracting it.
Step 3
Open Mobile ODIN Pro, tap on OTA/Update ZIP and select the zip file that you transferred to your phone earlier.
Step 4
Disable the Enable EverRoot option and select Flash firmware. That’s it! After rebooting your Galaxy S5, you’ll have the Record option in your phone.
Method 3: Flashing Through Custom Recovery
The final method flashes the zip file through custom recovery and this method also modifies the feature.xml file. If you don’t want to purchase Mobile ODIN Pro and you have CWM or TWRP recovery installed on your Galaxy S5, then you should use this method. If you’re using TWRP recovery, you might not find the exact same options mentioned below as these steps are for CWM recovery. However, it shouldn’t be a problem as you’ll find similar options in TWRP recovery as well.
Step 1
Download this zip file and transfer it to your phone without extracting it.
Step 2
Switch off your Samsung Galaxy S5 and boot into your custom recovery.
Step 3
Go to the Install Zip option using the Volume buttons and select it using the Power button. Select the zip file that you transferred to your phone earlier.
Step 4
Select Yes if you get any confirmation popup and wait for your phone to flash the zip file.
Step 5
Once the file is flashed, select the Reboot System Now option. That’s it! You have successfully enabled call recording on your Samsung Galaxy S5 and your phone will now reboot.
Conclusion
While call recording is an extremely useful feature for lots of Android users, you can’t find this feature on many Android devices. The Samsung Galaxy S5 is one such smartphone. That being said, you can easily enable this feature using any of the methods mentioned above. While the methods mentioned above should work with most Samsung Galaxy S5 devices, they are still risky as you’re modifying a system file. Therefore, make sure that you follow all the instructions carefully. If you have any questions on how to enable call recording on Samsung Galaxy S5, feel free to drop them in the comments area below. You might also be interested in reading about the best tips and tricks for the Samsung Galaxy S5.
