How to disable recording of conversations on Xiaomi: all ways (including hidden)

Recording phone calls on Xiaomi smartphones can be a useful feature for business correspondence or recording important agreements, but many users face a situation where the system saves all calls automatically - even those that were not required to be recorded. This not only takes up the memory of the device, but also creates risks of leakage of confidential information, especially for owners of Redmi Note models. 12, POCO X5 and flagship Xiaomi 13/14, where the recording function is integrated at the firmware level MIUI 14/15.

In this article, you will find all the current ways to turn off recording conversations, from standard settings to hidden options of the engineering menu, we will also discuss why the function can turn on itself after updates, and what to do if the recording button disappeared from the call interface.

Why does Xiaomi record conversations automatically?

The automatic call recording feature is activated on Xiaomi devices for several reasons:

• 🔄 Update MIUI: After installing a new firmware version (especially the transition from the MIUI 13 on 14/15) settings are reset to default values where the record can be enabled.
• 📱 Phone app: The standard Xiaomi dialer has a hidden auto-record option for all incoming/outgoing calls.
• 🤖 Google Services: On some models (e.g., Google Services, POCO F5) The recording is managed via Google Phone, where the logic of the work is different.
• 🔧 Engineering menu: Manufacturer can force the function through service commands (often found on Chinese versions of smartphones).

It is important to understand that even after manually disabling the recording in the settings, the feature may be activated again after rebooting or updating the Phone app. This is due to Xiaomi's policy of collecting analytical data (as specified in the user agreement).

Method 1: Disabling the recording in the standard MIUI settings

On most Xiaomi smartphones (except for Google Phone models), recording is managed through the built-in Phone app. MIUI 14/15:

1. Open the phone application (pipe icon).
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner → select Settings.
3. Go to the section Record conversations (on some models – Record calls).
4. Turn off the automatic recording slider.
5. Make sure that the list below does not contain any active rules for specific contacts (e.g., “Write down all inboxes”).

If you don't have a Record Conversations menu, you're using an alternative dialer on your device.

• 📌 com.android.dialer – Xiaomi standard dialer (supports recording).
• 📌 com.google.android.dialer – Google Phone (record settings other than Google Phone).

Make sure you have a standard Xiaomi dialer.|Check the version. MIUI phone-setting|Make a backup of important records|Turn off sync with Mi Cloud for records-->

Method 2: Disable recordings in Google Phone (for POCO and global versions)

POCO smartphones and some global versions of Xiaomi (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Lite) use the Google Phone app instead of the standard dialer.

1. Open the phone (the icon with the Google logo).
2. Slip on your avatar in the upper right corner → Call settings.
3. Select Call Record.
4. Turn off the option to always record.
5. In the Records Management section, click Delete Everything if you want to clear the archive.

One important caveat: Google Phone can automatically turn on the logs for numbers that are not saved in the contacts, to fix this:

1. Go to Settings → Calls → Spam and Call Filtering.
2. Turn off Call Recording from unknown numbers.

Method 3: Hidden settings through the engineering menu (for the experienced)

If call recording is not disabled by standard methods, the reason may be forced activation via the engineering menu (#4636##), which is suitable for advanced users and requires caution.

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the code: ##4636###
2. In the menu that opens, select Phone Information (or Phone Information).
3. Scroll down to the Audio or Sound section.
4. Find the settings associated with the recording (Call Recording, Voice Recorder).
5. Turn off all sliders associated with Auto Record or Force Record.

⚠️ Warning: Changing the settings in the engineering menu can cause the communication module to malfunction. Do not edit other settings unless you are sure of their purpose.

For Xiaomi 12T and Redmi K50 models, additional code may be required:

##847##

It opens the recording testing menu where you can reset to factory settings.

💡

If the engineering menu doesn’t open after you enter the code, try using the MTK Engineering Mode app (for MediaTek processors) or Qualcomm Service Menu (for Snapdragon).

Method 4: Disconnect via ADB (to remove system triggers)

On some MIUI firmware, call recording is controlled by system triggers that are not visible in the interface. To turn them off, you will need an ADB (Android Debug Bridge) method, which is suitable for users familiar with the command line.

Instructions:

1. Enable USB Debugging in the Developer Settings (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version – Press 7 times, then return to Additional → For Developers).
2. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell settings put global call_recording_enabled 0
3. To completely remove the triggers of the record, type: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.server.telecom/com.android.server.telecom.settings.CallRecordingSettingsActivity
4. Reset the device.

After this, the system record service will be deactivated. To return the function, use:

adb shell settings put global call_recording_enabled 1

💡

Using ADB is the most reliable way to disable recording permanently, but requires developer rights and can void warranty on some models.

Method 5: Delete records and clean the cache

Even after the function is disabled, the old records can remain in the device's memory to delete:

1. Open the Files app (or any file manager).
2. Go to the folder: /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/ or for Google Phone: /storage/emulated/0/Recordings/Call/
3. Delete all files with the.amr or.mp3 extension.
4. Clear the cache of the Phone app: Settings → Apps → Phone → Memory → Clear the cache.

If the folder call_rec missing, check other paths:

• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/Recordings/ — for global versions.
• 📁 /data/com.android.providers.media/ — System records (requires root).

⚠️ Note: Delete files from the folder /data/ root-free can cause the media scanner to crash. Use only verified file managers (e.g. MiXplorer).

What if the recording is turned on by itself?

If the recording function is periodically activated again after disabling, the reasons may be as follows:

• 🔄 Auto-Update of the Phone App: After Updating via Play Market or MIUI Updater settings are reset.
• 📲 Mi Cloud Sync: Cloud Backup Can Restore Old Settings.
• 🤖 Google Services: On devices with Google Phone, recording can be managed by Google Play services.
• 🛠️ Customized firmware: On informal builds (e.g. Xiaomi.eu), the recording logic may differ.

Decisions:

1. Turn off auto-update for the Phone app in the Play Market.
2. Stop syncing records in Settings → Accounts → Mi Cloud → Synchronization → Call records.
3. Install an alternative dialer (such as Simple Dialer) where there is no default recording function.
4. Check the application rights: Go to Settings → Apps → Permissions → Microphone and turn off access for Phone.

On some firmware MIUI 15 call recording is linked to com.miui.voiceassist service - its disabling via ADB help:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.voiceassist

FAQ: Frequent questions about recording conversations on Xiaomi