When Google unveiled its voice recording app aptly called Recorder at its Pixel event last month, we were impressed by its capabilities. Unlike standard run-of-the-mill recording apps that simply make and store audio files, Google's version uses its AI smarts to perform real-time voice transcription into text, and it can locate music and specific words inside the audio file — all without a cloud connection. Initially announced as a Pixel 4-exclusive, a Google employee has confirmed on Reddit that Recorder will be made backward-compatible with older Pixel devices.

It all started with member Valendr0s voicing his frustration on Reddit that the Recorder app wasn't compatible with his Pixel 3 XL and his wife's Pixel 2 phones, stating how useful the app would be during visits to his wife's doctor. A day later, a Googler with the handle PixelCommunity responded back on Reddit, affirming Recorder's upcoming compatibility with older Pixel phones.



Google's response was posted to Reddit on October 31, 2019 at 10:48am PT.

As is usual with such informal announcements, no additional details were shared, such as specific Pixel phone models or the date of the rollout. If Google's Recorder app can work just as well on older Pixel phones as it does on a Pixel 4 (as demonstrated in the video below), it'll surely please a lot of people.

In the same thread, a member stated that Recorder was already working for him when he sideloaded the APK file onto his Pixel 3 XL. If you'd like to try it out yourself, then you can download the file from APK Mirror.