Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face the need to keep an important conversation going. However, after updating the MIUI operating system or switching to HyperOS, the standard file layout may have changed. Many users are lost in understanding where audio is now stored and how to quickly access it without third-party programs. Finding the right track can be a problem if you do not know the exact path to the system folders.
In this article, we will take a closer look at all the possible ways in which Xiomy records calls, and explain the differences between firmware versions. You will learn not only to find files that have already been saved, but also to properly configure the automatic recording function for future dialogues.
And we'll also look at some common mistakes that might make it impossible to record at all, and understanding the structure of the Android file system on the MIUI shell will allow you to manage your library more efficiently, and let's look at where your phone is hiding audio recordings of conversations.
Standard location in the phone application
The most obvious and quick way to find a recording of a conversation is to use the built-in functionality of the Phone app. In the latest versions of the MIUI and HyperOS shells, developers have integrated access to the audio archive directly into the call history, which eliminates the need to dig deep into the file system directories every time you need to listen to a dialogue.
To do this, open a standard call and go to the History tab. Find the contact you were talking to, and click on the arrow to the right of the number or name. If you've recorded it, you'll see the voice recorder icon or the Listen button. When you click on it, you'll play it right in the call interface.
However, if you need to copy a file or transfer it, playback alone is not enough. The call details menu that opens often has a separate tab or Record button, and that's where you store a list of all the saved audio files for a particular subscriber, and from there you can send the file via messenger or save it to your favorites.
⚠️ Note: If you clear your call history completely, the records associated with them may disappear from quick access, although the files themselves will remain in the phone’s memory.
Importantly, this method only works for calls recorded through a system voice recorder, and third-party applications can save data to their own isolated folders, ignoring the standard call gallery.
File Search through File Manager and File Explorer
If the call interface doesn't display the information you want, or if you want to access the original file directly, you'll have to use System Explorer. In Xiaomi smartphones, the path to recording is standardized, but it may vary slightly depending on the Android version. Usually, audio files are in internal memory, not on the SD card, unless you change the default settings.
Open the Explorer (or File Manager) app and go to the Internal Drive section: MIUI → sound_recorder → call_rec. In the file. call_rec All phone records made by standard system tools are stored.m4a or.mp3 and named by the date and time of the call.
Some older versions of firmware may have looked different, such as through the Record root folder. However, Google and Xiaomi's current security policy has unified data storage. If you can't see the MIUI folder, check the settings for displaying hidden files in the Explorer menu (three dots in the corner).
What to do if the folder call_rec idle?
If you've logged into the folder but there are no files, check if the record was automatically recorded. It's also possible that the records are saved to the Mi Cloud cloud if the voice recorder has been activated.> For ease of search, you can use the sorting function. In the conductor, click on three dots and select Sort → By date. This will help you quickly find the most recent records if there are many of them. You can also use the file extension search by typing into the search bar.m4a. To set up an automatic conversation record in the future, you need to save the top of the phone from the right button. Find the Call Record section, and you'll have some important options available to you, and first, you'll need to activate the Auto Shooting Tumbler. ☑️ Setup Auto Shooting Open App Phone:Push Three Dots (Menu):Select Settings:Go to Call Record:Enable Car Shooting Completed: 0 / 1 Next, you can select a recording mode. All numbers (writes everything), Selected numbers (only contacts from the list), or Numbers not saved in contacts (only unknowns), Choosing the right mode is critical to saving space and maintaining privacy. You can also set the format of the record in this menu. MP3 You are not satisfied or take up a lot of space, you can switch to more compressed formats if they are supported by your version. MIUI. Make sure to check if the recording notification is enabled so that the interlocutor hears the warning signal (required by law in many countries). Using Google Phone to record In global versions of Xiaomi smartphones, as well as in models certified for work with Google services, the standard call is often replaced with the Phone app from Google. In this case, the logic of searching and setting up records changes dramatically, as a different engine is used. To find records in Google Phone, open the application and go to the Recent tab. Under the contact name or number with which the recording was spoken, a special label will appear. To enable the function, go to Settings (three points) → Call recording. You can turn on Automatic Recording of Selected Numbers or Automatic Recording of Unknown Numbers. The peculiarity of Google Dialer is that when you turn on a record, the system can loudly announce this to both interlocutors, and you can not turn off this warning using standard methods. MIUI Dialer (China)/Global) Google Phone File Location MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec Phone Recordings (Internal Memory) File Format.m4a /.mp3.m4a Warning Silent or no sound Loud voice notification Auto Shooting Only selected or unknown Access and permission rights issues Often users are faced with a situation where the recording seemed to be conducted (there was a corresponding signal), but the file is nowhere. In 90% of cases, the problem lies in the missing permissions for the Phone or Recorder app. Android system strictly controls access to the microphone and memory. → Annexes → All applications. Find the phone (or MIUI Dialer. Go to Application Permissions. Make sure that access to Microphone and Memory (or Files and Media Content) is allowed. If you are prohibited, the recording cannot be physically saved to disk. Another reason may be a crowded cache. Sometimes temporary files block the creation of new records. Try clearing the cache of the Phone app through the Warehouse menu in the app settings. This won't delete your contacts or history, but will reset temporary data. ⚠️ Note: If you use third-party recording apps (such as Call Recorder), they may conflict with the system record. It is recommended to disable one of the functions to avoid data loss. It is also worth checking whether the power saving mode is turned on, which can aggressively unload background processes. For the recording application, it is better to set the background activity restriction in No Limits mode. Recovery of deleted records Accidentally deleting an important conversation is an unpleasant situation, but in some cases the data can be returned. If you deleted a file recently, the first thing to do is check the Recycle Bin folder in the Files or Gallery application (if the recording is classified as audio). Deleted files are stored there usually for 30 days. If you have Mi or Mi-only enabled, you have a copy of their account in the cloud storage, often you can find a copy from the storage. For more complex cases, there are scanners like Dr.Fone or DiskDigger that can find file remnants in memory, but they often require root rights to work, which new Xiaomi models may make it difficult or impossible to obtain without unlocking the bootloader. Remember, overwriting memory sectors with new data reduces your chances of recovery. If the file is critical, stop using your smartphone as soon as you find it missing (FAQ) Why do call records take up so much space on a phone? Audio files, especially in high quality, can accumulate quickly. One hour of conversation in a format without compression can weigh tens of megabytes. Check the folder regularly call_rec And delete old, unnecessary dialogs, or transfer them to an external medium, so can you set up a record for just one particular contact? Yes, in the call recording settings (in the Phone section), select Selected Numbers. After that, you will be asked to add contacts from the phone book, conversations with which you need to record automatically. The rest of the calls will not be written. Does the interlocutor hear that the conversation is being recorded? It depends on the firmware version and the region. MIUI Global versions with Google Dialer or countries with strict privacy laws (e.g., some states in the U.S., EU) may have a loud voice alert that cannot be turned off software. Where did the records go after the Android update? When you upgrade the system, the folder structure may have changed.m4a. Also check if the MIUI folder has moved to the root of the new storage if you have changed your account or reset your settings.