Xiaomi smartphones have long proven to offer a great balance between price and functionality. The Redmi 5, released in late 2017, is still widely used by many subscribers due to its reliability and availability. One of the most popular features for business people and ordinary users is the ability to record telephone conversations. This can be necessary to store important information, confirm agreements or just for a personal archive. However, depending on the version of the MIUI operating system and regional firmware, the process of activating this option can vary significantly.
Redmi 5 owners often face a situation where the usual way to turn on a record is missing or not working correctly, due to changes in Android security policies and legal regulations in different countries. In newer versions of the MIUI shell, the company could change the standard application Phone to the same one from Google, which completely changes the algorithm of user actions. Understanding which version of the system is installed on your device is the first and critical step to successfully configuring the recording function.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all possible ways to activate the recording of conversations on Xiaomi Redmi 5. We will consider the standard system tools, features of working with the Google Phone application, and also discuss third-party solutions for cases where standard methods are not available. You will learn how to avoid common mistakes, such as the lack of voice voice in the recording, and how to properly manage stored audio files.
Features of recording calls in MIUI on Redmi 5
The MIUI shell installed on Redmi 5 originally has powerful built-in functionality for working with telephony. In early firmware versions based on Android 7 Nougat or 8 Oreo, the recording function was integrated directly into the standard dialer. The user could activate it by simply switching the slider into the call settings menu. Automatic writing in these versions worked steadily, saving files to the device's internal memory without losing sound quality.
However, with the upgrade to newer versions of MIUI 9 and MIUI 10, and the transition to Google services in some regions, the firmware region is a key factor: in European (EU) and global (Global) versions, recording features are often hidden or deleted due to strict data privacy laws, while in Chinese (CN) or Russian (RU) versions, this functionality is often preserved in full.
If you own Redmi 5, you need to first determine which app is being used to make calls, which can be either a proprietary MIUI call or a standard Google Phone application, which determines the algorithm for your actions, in the first case, the settings are deep in the system menu, in the second - the interface can be stripped down or require additional manipulation to activate hidden functions.
Setup of the built-in voice recorder in the MIUI application
If your Redmi 5 has a standard Xiaomi app installed (usually seen by the red handset icon), the setup process is as simple as possible and does not require additional software. First, open the Phone app and go to the settings menu, which is usually hidden behind the three-dot icon or gear at the top of the screen.
In the menu that opens, you'll see the AutoWrite switch, which you activate, you'll automatically save every incoming and outgoing conversation, and you can also have a flexible filter setting, which allows you to record only unknown numbers, only contacts from the phone book, or all calls without exception, which is convenient for saving space on the drive and allows you to not clog up the memory with unnecessary files.
- 📁 Memory: Records are saved in a folder MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec internal storage.
- 🔔 Notification: During a conversation, a voice recorder icon appears on the screen, and the interlocutor can hear a characteristic click or voice warning.
- 🗑️ Cleanup: Old records can be deleted automatically after a predetermined period of time (e.g., after 30 days).
It is important to note that some versions of MIUI include a feature called "Hide Record Icon." If activated, the recording timer will not appear on the screen during the conversation, which ensures complete confidentiality of the process for the smartphone owner. Files continue to be created and stored in the specified directory.
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Use the “Record Only Certain Numbers” feature to automatically save conversations with important customers or support services, ignoring personal spam.
Solving problems with the Google Phone app
This is a big change if your Redmi 5 uses Google Phone as its primary calling app (usually a blue or white icon), a common feature on MIUI Global’s global firmware, and the problem is that Google’s policy prohibits third-party and system apps from recording conversations without using special, often paid, APIs or crutches that Android blocks at the kernel level.
In the standard Google Phone interface, the recording button may be missing or inactive. However, there is a method of activating the hidden function by changing the regional settings of the application itself, although this may not work stable on Redmi 5 with its version of Android. Try going to the settings of the Phone -> Call Record application. If there is one, turn it on.
⚠️ Note: In the new versions of Google Phone, when the recording is turned on, the interlocutor will hear a loud voice notification: "This call is being recorded." It is impossible to turn off this warning by regular means due to Android restrictions.
If standard settings don’t work, you can try changing the region in the settings of the app itself (if this option is available in your version) or using third-party launchers emulating the Chinese version of the system. However, the most reliable way for Google Phone owners is to use third-party recorder apps, which will be discussed below, or reflash the device to the version with a native MIUI call.
☑️ Checking the settings of Google Phone
Third-party applications for recording conversations
When Xiaomi Redmi 5’s built-in tools fail or are missing, third-party developments come to the rescue. The market offers a variety of applications that can bypass system constraints. Some of the most popular and time-tested are Call Recorder – ACR, Cube ACR and TapCall. These applications require deep integration into the system, so they will request a number of special permissions when they first run.
Android above version 9 often requires permissions via ADB (Android Debug Bridge) or availability services. For example, Cube ACR may require the Cube ACR App Connector service to be enabled in the special features settings. Without this, the app will only record your voice, and the interlocutor will be heard extremely quietly or not at all.
| Annex | Pluses | Cons | Root is required. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Call Recorder - ACR | Flexible settings, cloud | Advertising in the free version | No (preferably) |
| Cube ACR | Recording of messengers (Viber, WhatsApp) | Complicated setup on new Android | No. |
| TapCall | Simple interface, cloud | Paid subscription for all functions | No. |
When using third-party software on Redmi 5, it is important to add the app to the battery exception list. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Application Management, find your recorder and select No Limits mode. This will prevent the MIUI energy saving system from closing the recording process during the conversation.
Why do third-party apps sometimes not work?
Where to find and how to manage saved records
After successfully setting up a conversation record on Xiaomi Redmi 5, The user is faced with the question of data storage. Audio files take up space in the internal memory, and with active use of the phone, the place can quickly run out. MIUI It looks like this: internal memory, folder MIUI, later sound_recorder finally call_rec.
For easy recording management, the smartphone has a special application called "Dictophon" that sorts records by date and contact. You can listen to a conversation, rename a file, add it to your favorites or send it via messenger. Favorites allows you to save important conversations even when you automatically clean old records.
- 📤 Export: Files can be copied to a computer via USB-cable or upload to cloud storage.
- ✂️ Editing: The basic app doesn't know how to edit audio, a third-party editor will be required to crop.
- 🔒 Security: Hide records from outsiders using the Hide File function or by moving them to a secure folder.
It is recommended to periodically check the folder with records and delete unnecessary files. Files are written in.m4a or.mp3 format, which ensures good quality at a relatively small size. If you use a third-party application, the path to files may differ, usually this is the CallRecordings folder at the root of the memory or in the folder of the application itself.
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Regular backup of important conversations to a cloud drive or computer will protect you from losing information in the event of a reset or breakage of your smartphone.