Modern smartphones like the Redmi Note 7 offer users a wide range of productivity features, including automatic phone recording, which allows you to save the history of important conversations without having to keep your finger on the screen while you call. However, not all users need to constantly archive conversations, as this can quickly fill up internal storage or violate privacy.
With MIUI, which is installed on Xiaomi devices, the audio and call logging settings are put into a separate menu, hidden from view the first time you meet them. To stop saving audio files automatically, you need to take several steps in the caller interface. Understanding the logic of this section will help you flexibly manage which contacts will be recorded and which will be left unattended by the system.
Next, we will take a closer look at the algorithm to disable this feature, and also look at the related settings that affect the quality and availability of records, learn how to distinguish between the modes of operation of the recorder and understand where the received files are physically stored if they still need to be deleted manually.
The interface of the application “Phone” and access to settings
To get started with the call configuration, you'll need to run a standard application that makes calls. On the Redmi Note 7, it has a green icon with a handset and is the default system, so it's impossible to delete it, but deep tuning is available to everyone, and that's where all the levers of incoming and outgoing connections are hidden.
When you open the app, look at the top of the screen, where the keys, contacts and logs are usually located. In the upper or lower right corner (depending on the version of MIUI), there is a menu button, presented as three horizontal bars or three dots. Clicking on this element reveals the drop-down list where we are interested in Settings.
⚠️ Note: If you use a third-party “caller” (e.g. from Google), the path to settings may be different, as the method described is relevant for the native application. MIUI Dialer.
Once you're in the settings menu, you'll see a list of parameters divided into logical groups, and we're interested in the section that's related to recording conversations, and in different firmware localizations, it can be called Call Recording or Call Recording, and here are all the switches that are responsible for activating the recorder.
Algorithm of disabling automatic recording
When you go into the call record subsection, you find the main switch that activates or deactivates the function as a whole. If it's on blue or green, it's constantly recording. To completely stop saving the dialogs, you just need to put the switch in an inactive position.
However, if your goal is not to shut down completely, but to record selectively, the system offers more flexible scenarios: you can set up automatic recording only for certain numbers, or, conversely, exclude specific contacts from the list of tracked, which saves space and preserves privacy in private conversations.
☑️ Checking the recording settings
Let’s look at the main parameters that are found in this menu:
- 📞 Automatic Recording: A global switch that triggers the process of saving audio every time you call.
- 📝 Record only selected numbers: a mode in which the recorder is turned on only for contacts from a special list.
- 🔇 Warn about recording: an option that adds a voice notification to the interlocutor that the conversation is being recorded.
Once you make the changes, just go back to the home screen. Android saves the settings instantly, you don't need to reboot the device. You can check the result by making a test call to another number - during the conversation, the voice recorder icon should not appear or flash if the function is disabled correctly.
Set up exceptions and selective contacts
Redmi Note 7 allows you to create exception lists, which is a convenient tool for separating work and personal contacts. If you have disabled a global record, but want to save conversations with couriers or customers, use the “Write only selected numbers” mode.
To add a number to your favorites list, click the link in the record settings menu, and you will see an interface that looks like a regular phone book, where you can tick the contacts you want, and all calls from those numbers will be archived regardless of the overall status of the function.
| Parameter | Description of action | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| All rooms. | Record all incoming and outgoing | For lawyers and dispatchers only |
| Selected numbers | Recording from the list only | Optimal balance of privacy |
| Unknown numbers | Recording hidden or new contacts | To protect against fraudsters |
| Never. | Complete shutdown of function | To save memory |
Using lists allows you to keep abreast of important events without turning your smartphone into an archive of unnecessary information.You can always edit the list by adding or deleting contacts at any time through the same settings menu.
Hidden Listing Opportunities
File Location and Memory Management
Even if you turned off the automatic recording, the files that you had created might still be on the device, and they would take up space in the internal storage, and over time they could slow down the system if the memory was critically filled, and you could find them through a standard file explorer.
The path to the folder with records usually looks like this: Internal drive → MIUI → sound_recorder → call_rec. This directory stores all audio files sorted by date of creation.m4a or.mp3, This is compatible with most media players.
To free up space, do the following:
- 🗑️ Open the Explorer app on the desktop.
- 📂 Go to the Sound Recorder or Sound Recorder folder.
- ✅ Select unnecessary files with a long press and select “Delete».
You can also set up a cleanup via the settings of the recorder itself, and some versions of MIUI have an option to automatically delete records older than 30 days, a useful feature for those who occasionally forget to clean their phone manually.
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Use cloud services (Mi Cloud, Google Drive) to automatically backup important conversation records so you don’t have to be afraid of losing data when you reset your phone settings.
Problems with sound quality and notifications
Redmi Note 7 users sometimes experience a situation where the recording is being done, but the voice of the interlocutor is not heard, or it is very quiet, due to the peculiarities of the microphones in talk mode and the limitations of the Android operating system at the hardware level.
Often, the problem is solved by turning off the noise reduction function during a call, if this option is available in your firmware version, and it is also worth checking whether the bottom microphone is glued with a protective glass or a cover, since this is often used to record the voice of the interlocutor.
⚠️ Attention: The volume of the recording depends on the volume of the speaker during the conversation. Try to increase the volume of the interlocutor during the call for better archiving quality.
Another important aspect is the audio notification, which is that many countries require that you alert the person to the recording, and Xiaomi does this through a voice message, "Talk recording started," which is heard by both participants, and you can't turn off the alert by regular means, because it's a system restriction.
Impact of MIUI Updates on Call Functionality
Xiaomi regularly updates its devices’ software, and with each major MIUI update, the interface and capabilities may change. In recent global firmware versions, call recording functions are sometimes hidden or modified due to the requirements of different regions (for example, GDPR in Europe).
If you haven’t found your usual settings after the firmware update, it may have been temporarily hidden or moved, so check the region of the device in Advanced Settings → Region. Changing the region to China or India sometimes brings back full functionality, but can affect other services.
The stability of the feature also depends on the version of Android. On newer versions of the “green robot”, access to the microphone during a call for third-party and even system applications becomes more limited for security reasons.
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Call recording functionality depends on the regional version of the firmware and may be limited by the laws of the country for which the device is intended.