i have never owned a "rooted" android phone, but i am pretty sure that if you buy a phone that is already rooted OR you know how to "root" your phone, i am pretty sure that you can run some phone recorder software.

with a phone that is not rooted, the cell phone company configures your phone and you are unable to modify many of their factory settings.

with a rooted phone, you can change that phone up to do anything you want it to do.

also, there are "de-googled" phones that have all traces of google removed from them.. you may want to look into this.

there is a phone called a "pine phone" that they speak very highly of, but i have never used a pine phone.

be careful about recording people, if you are in the united states for example, do some research on what is meant by a "one party state" and a "two party state" before you make any of those recordings public... you could end up with some kind of "wire tapping charge"... i think that can be a fairly serious crime.

some states in the united states are considered to be one party and some are considered to be two party states..

where i live is a "one party" state, which means that as long as at least one person involved in the conversation is aware that the recording is being made, it is lega.

in a two party state, ALL PARTIES THAT ARE BEING RECORDED must be aware that the recording is being made and they must all agree to be recorded.

now here is the weird thing... if i am in a one party state and i call someone in a two party state, the two party rule becomes the rule...

https://www.rev.com/blog/phone-call-recording-laws-state

video: pine phone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCKMxzz9cjs