How to completely disable recording of conversations on Xiaomi Redmi 8 Pro: all ways

Automatic recording of phone conversations on Xiaomi Redmi 8 Pro may come as a surprise to users, especially if the feature is activated after updating MIUI or installing third-party applications. Many face the problem when the smartphone saves audio files of calls without explicit consent, taking up memory and creating privacy risks. In this article, we will analyze all official and hidden methods of disabling recording, including nuances for different versions of firmware.

The Redmi 8 Pro’s call recording feature is implemented at the Phone system app level and can run in the background even if there are no notifications. It’s important to understand that on some versions of MIUI 11-14, the path to settings is different, while in regional firmware (for example, India or China), options can be hidden. We tested all methods on current builds and identified those that are guaranteed to work.

If you find a Recordings/Call folder in the gallery with.amr or.mp3 files, then the function is active, followed by detailed instructions for deactivating it, including solving problems when standard settings do not help.

Why does Redmi 8 Pro record conversations automatically?

On Xiaomi Redmi 8 Pro, call recording is enabled for three main reasons:

• 🔄 Update MIUI: After switching to a new version of the firmware (especially with the MIUI 12 on MIUI 13/14) This function can be activated by default, due to Xiaomi’s policy to expand the capabilities of system applications.
• 📱 Third-party applications: Programs like Truecaller, Cube Call Recorder or ACR can be integrated into the system interface and include a record without explicit notice.
• 📡 Regional settings: For some countries (e.g. India), call recording is legally enabled and hidden from the user.

Important: if you have not installed third-party applications for recording, but files appear - the problem lies in the system settings of MIUI. In this case, resetting the settings of the Phone application or editing configuration files (more about this below) will help.

In some forums, users complain that even after the feature is disabled, the recording in the settings continues, this is due to the caching of services - after changes, you need to restart the smartphone or clear the cache of the Phone application.

Method 1: Disconnect via the settings of the “Phone” application

The easiest method is to deactivate the recording in the standard interface, which works on most MIUI firmware 11-14, but the path to the option may differ.

Steps:

1. Open the Phone app (the tube icon on the home screen).
2. Press three points (⋮) top-right → Select Settings.
3. Go to the Recording of conversations (or Call Recording in English firmware).
4. Turn off the Auto-record calls (or Auto-record calls) switch.
5. In the list below, uncheck all contacts for which the entry was included.

If the Recording Conversations section is not on the menu, then your version of MIUI is hiding this option.

Make sure the recording switch is off

Clear the cache of the phone app

Reboot your smartphone

Check the Recordings folder for new files-->

⚠️ Attention: On firmware for India (MIUI INDIA) The recording option can be blocked by the operator, in which case only resetting settings or installing global firmware will help.

Method 2: Use of the MIUI Hidden Settings (Hidden Settings)

If the standard path didn’t work, try accessing the hidden MIUI settings.This method requires you to install an additional application, but is guaranteed to disable the recording on all firmware versions.

Instructions:

1. Download the MIUI Hidden Settings app from Google Play (or APKPure if the Play Market is not available).
2. Open the application and give access to System Settings.
3. Go to the Call Settings section.
4. Find the Auto Call Recording option and turn it off.
5. Save the changes and restart the smartphone.

In some cases, additional parameters are available in MIUI Hidden Settings:

• 📁 Delete old recordings automatically cleans files older than 30 days.
• 🔕 Locking records for individual contacts: You can create a blacklist of numbers for which recording will be prohibited.
• 📱 Disable notifications: Hide pop-ups about call recording.

On the firmware MIUI 14 for Redmi 8 Pro, the path to hidden settings may be different.If the app doesn't find the recording option, try updating it or using it ADB-teams (mode 4).

Method 3: Clearing the data of the “Phone” application

If recording continues even after the settings are turned off, the problem may be in the app's cached data, and a full reset of the phone's settings will return all settings to factory settings, including call recording.

How to reset:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Phone (or Phone) app and open its page.
3. Click Warehouse → Clear the data and Clear the cache.
4. Confirm the action (this will delete your call history and settings!).
5. Reboot your smartphone.

After reset, check if the recording option appears in the Phone app settings. If so, turn it off (see Method 1). If not, the recording must be deactivated automatically.

⚠️ Note: Clearing the phone app data will delete all call history, including favorite contacts and logs. → Xiaomi account → Backup.

Method 4: Disable recordings via ADB (for power users)

If none of the previous methods worked, the most reliable way is to use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting the smartphone to the computer, but is guaranteed to disable the recording at the system level.

Step-by-step:

1. Install ADB Tools on your computer (Windows/Linux/Mac).
2. Turn on Developer Mode on Redmi 8 Pro: Go to Settings → About Phone. Click 7 times on the MIUI Version until the notification “You’ve become a developer” appears. Return to Settings → Additional → Developer and enable USB Debugging.

File transfer

adb devices

Make sure the device is identified (should appear its serial number).

adb shell settings put global call_recording_enabled 0

adb reboot

Once you reboot, call recording will be completely disabled at the system level. To return the function, replace the 0 with 1 command.

1. Install Xiaomi drivers from the official website.

2. Use the original USB-cable (not all cables support data transmission).

3. Change the mode USB on "File Transfer" in the notification curtain.-->

How to delete the saved conversation records?

Even after the Redmi 8 Pro has been disabled, old audio files can remain in the device’s memory, and can be deleted manually or automatically.

Manual removal:

1. Open the Files app (or any file manager).
2. Go to the Internal Storage folder → Recordings → Call (or) MIUI → sound_recorder → call_rec firmware).
3. Select all files (usually with the.amr or.mp3) extension and delete them.

If you suspect that the recording is being done by a third-party app:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Permissions → Microphone.
2. View the list of apps with microphone access and turn off suspicious ones.
3. Remove unused programs, especially those that have requested permission to call.

💡

If the recording is being done without your knowledge, it could be a sign of spyware. Check the device for unknown applications with administrator rights (Settings → Security → Device Administrators).

FAQ: Frequent questions about recording conversations on Redmi 8 Pro