[Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Questions & Answers] IT_Architect:
Hi John, let me perfect some things first.

1. This is where I am so far: I flashed back to Oreo 8.1, and side loaded the APK of an earlier version of Automatic Call Recorder by Appliqato. Unlike cow Pie, Oreo will record conversations. However, during the end of the install, it appears the play store app pops up and says due to a policy change it will deny access to the call log. The call log is where the labeling for your recordings comes from so the recordings only say incoming or outgoing on them. However, the apk didn't come from the play store. Moreover, the latest version of Oreo is before the play store policy change. This is leading me to believe that the play store app itself might also be one of the viruses messing us up. I'm going to do a flash without the SIM, turn off any play store updates, then side load the call recording APK, and report my results.

2. Our accountant, not as into technology, has a Note 4, which is not rooted, on Lollipop, and his is the only one where recording works perfectly. He hit one of the guys that his Signal app said it would no longer work because it was out of date, and noticed that his phone was setup from the get-go to not update applications. He updated his Signal app, but this lends support to the theory that the Google Store app may be part of the problem.

3. One of the things we discussed in our last meeting was the advantages of making VOIP our PSTN interface rather than the wireless provider. The following is a list that we came up with off the top of our heads.

A. It removes the ability of Google, Android, Apple, and wireless carriers to cause business automation disruptions or dictate how we run our business (or life) because they become irrelevant. It also removes any reason to become dependent.

B. You can easily download your call logs, automatic call recordings. For accounting to invoice this is actually easier. This enables professionals to stay focused on their work instead of tracking time on their phone and taking notes. It's safer because they are not taking notes and tracking time while driving. Communication involves more than words. Team members can forward them to other team members for error-free delegation and coordination, and it enhances customer relations because it can resolve the source of any misunderstandings of what was asked for and received.

C. If a phone fails or is stolen with no recent backup, we haven't lost much because the most significant data was never stored on it in the first place.

D. We no longer have to be concerned with carrier features. VoLTE becomes irrelevant because VOIP is used and you still have HD voice. You have Wi-Fi calling because cellular data and Wi-Fi are simply become two different ISPs for your VOIP connection. The only drawback TODAY is that cellphone companies can pass between the two without dropping the call, but offhand I don't foresee any great technical hurdles to achieve the same result with VOIP. With regard to video calling, users can get sms, mms, chat, and video calling with the Signal app that exceeds what carriers offer. Because in many countries it is significantly cheaper to use Signal than to make a call over the PSTN, it is the first thing installed on phones, and it is totally secure. In any case, do not worry about VoLTE, Wi-Fi calling, or carrier banding with your non-carrier-specific phones. That will be short lived. There is a limited prime frequency range for cellular communications, and carriers are not in a position to deny you those services without shooting themselves in the foot to do it, and the FCC won't even allow them to do that. Since May 2019 you cannot register ANY cell phone on Verizon's network that won't do VoLTE. (LTE-A)

E. Better privacy. Your e-mail, texts, and calls are cash cows for Google, the phone manufacturer, and the wireless provider. They don't give you free stuff because you are customer. The product they are selling to pay for that is you.

F. With VOIP as your interface to the PSTN, the only service required is an Internet connection via a data plan and/or Wi-Fi. You can use SoftPhone clients on phones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers, or a regular SIP desk phone. People are free to choose a device as a matter of convenience at that time. SoftPhone clients require very few rights because the device no longer hosts the data the the VOIP client uses. It doesn't matter if employees want an iPhone, Android, or something else.

G. You can change wireless providers without having to port or lose your number.

H. Your number works world-wide with no long distance charges for calls local to the number's region, and you can host numbers from multiple regions, and you don't need to swap SIMs because the SIM does not contain the numbers you use.
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The accountant will look into what's available and the cost trade-offs. I'll let you know how that shakes out too so us and a lot of others can get from under this.