Klear vs ACR Phone
A powerful dialer + recorder — but good recording can mean three apps, and the best features are premium.
ACR Phone (by NLL) is a full dialer with recording, SIP, and spam blocking. For reliable recording it uses the accessibility service or a Shizuku-based method — which means installing Shizuku plus its helper, up to three apps in total. Klear does the same privileged recording inside one helper, and keeps automatic recording, per-number rules, and HD audio free.
| Feature | Klear | ACR Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Records without the accessibility service | ✓ | Accessibility or Shizuku |
| Apps needed to record well | Klear + Hust (2) | ACR + Shizuku + helper (3) |
| Automatic call recording | Free | Premium |
| Record / exclude specific numbers | Free | Premium |
| HD call recording | Free | Premium |
| On-device transcription | Free | Cloud-based |
| Ad-free | ✓ | Premium only |
| Caller ID & community spam signal | ✓ | Offline blocklist |
| Call-recording-laws checker built in | ✓ | ✗ |
| Price of automatic + HD recording | Free | Subscription |
Where ACR Phone is good
ACR Phone is a genuinely powerful dialer — SIP/VOIP support, a flexible offline blocklist, and a modern Shizuku recording path that does true two-way audio. If you want an all-in-one dialer with SIP, it’s strong.
Where Klear is different
Klear gets the same privileged recording without a separate Shizuku install — the Hust helper handles it, so it’s two apps instead of three. And the features ACR charges for — automatic recording, per-number rules, HD audio — are free in Klear, alongside caller ID and a recording-laws checker.
No accessibility service
Android’s accessibility APIs exist for screen readers and assistive tech — granting one lets an app read everything on your screen and watch every tap. In May 2022 Google banned using the accessibility service to record calls, so apps built on it lost recording on their Play Store versions and now rely on side-loaded helpers anyway. Klear never asks for accessibility access: the Hust helper opens a privileged audio path over wireless debugging, so you get reliable recording without handing an app the keys to your whole screen.
Questions
Do I really need three apps for ACR Phone?
For its best recording path, ACR Phone uses Shizuku — which is a separate app — plus ACR Phone Helper, on top of ACR Phone itself. Klear bundles the privileged path into one helper (Hust), so it’s just two apps.
Which recording features does Klear give away for free?
Automatic call recording, recording or excluding specific numbers, and HD audio are all free in Klear. In ACR Phone they’re part of the paid tier.
Switch to Klear — free.
Call recorder, caller ID, and a recording-laws checker, with no paywall on the basics.
Get KlearComparison based on publicly available information and hands-on use, current as of June 2026. ACR Phone and its features are trademarks of their respective owners; details may change — check their listing for the latest.