Xiaomi smartphone owners often face a situation where the device automatically saves every incoming and outgoing conversation into memory. For the Redmi Note 8 Pro, this can be a serious problem, since audio recordings occupy a significant space on the internal drive and create chaos in the file system, a feature that is usually activated either during the initial setup of the device or after a major update to the MIUI operating system.
Automatic conversation recording is an embedded shell feature that developers have implemented for user convenience, but its default function is often redundant. MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec New files are constantly appearing, and a cassette icon appears in the call log next to the numbers, which means that automatic mode is active. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to manage this function and completely disable it.
It is worth noting that the location of the settings may vary slightly depending on the version of the firmware installed. On the Redmi Note 8 Pro can stand as the older versions of MIUI 11 based on Android 9, and the newer MIUI 12 or 12.5 based on Android 10 and 11. The algorithm of actions is generally the same for all versions, but the visual design of the menu can vary.
Check the current recording status in the application Phone
The first step before making any changes to your system settings is to diagnose your current status, and you need to know if the record is working right now or if it was on before and just didn't turn off. Open the standard Phone app (green handset) that you call through. This is a regular Xiaomi app, not a third-party bootloader from Google Play.
In the upper right corner of the screen, you'll see a three-point icon or a gear that represents a menu. Clicking on this item will open a drop-down list where we're interested in Recording Settings. In some versions of the shell, this item may be called simply Call Recording. This is where all the audio controls are concentrated.
When you go to the menu, you can look at the call recorder switch, and if the slider is blue or green and moved to the right, it means that the function is active, but the switch itself is often only responsible for recording, not for automating it. Below should be more detailed settings, such as Auto Recording, which require your attention.
⚠️ Note: If you use a third-party call app downloaded from the app store, the settings may be inside that app itself, not in the Xiaomi system menu.
Disabling automatic recording of conversations
To stop automatically saving every conversation, you need to change the recorder mode. In the recording settings menu, where we got to in the previous step, find Auto Record. When you click on it, an additional window will open with the selection of recording conditions.
The default checkmark is often the All numbers box, which means that the phone will record all incoming and outgoing calls without you, and to stop this process, you have to choose the Unplug or uncheck the automatic record, and then the phone will stop creating files without you direct.
There is also an intermediate setup option that may be useful for some users: you can choose to record only Selected Numbers, in which case the phone will ignore most contacts, but will start recording if someone from your blacklist or specially marked contacts calls, which saves space while maintaining control over important dialogues.
It's important to understand the difference between manual and automatic recording. If you turn off the automation, it doesn't mean that the recording function has disappeared completely. You can still record an important conversation manually during a conversation by pressing the corresponding button on the screen, but the system will no longer do it for you.
Set up exceptions and selective recording
The Redmi Note 8 Pro's Selective Recording feature is flexible enough, so if you decide not to turn off the record completely, but only to limit its number range, you'll need to create a special list. From the Auto Record menu, select Selected Numbers, and then go to the Numbers subsection for automatic recording.
Here you'll see the ability to add contacts from a phone book or enter a number manually, for those who are waiting for an important call from a delivery service, a bank or a particular person and are afraid to miss the details of a conversation, adding a contact to this list ensures that the dialogue with them will be preserved regardless of the general settings.
You should also pay attention to settings for unknown numbers. Some versions of MIUI have a separate switchboard for recording numbers that are not in your phone book, which can be useful for recording conversations with scammers or intrusive advertisers, but in normal mode it is better to keep this feature off for the sake of saving resources.
- 📱 Open the automatic recording menu in the Phone application.
- 📞 Select Selected Numbers instead of All Numbers.
- 📝 Add the necessary contacts through the “Add” button or plus-plus.
- ✅ Make sure the switch is only activated for the right group.
Where are the records stored and how to delete them
Once you turn off automatic recording, you'll likely have a lot of old files that have been taking up space for months. On the Redmi Note 8 Pro, with its three-dimensional camera, every megabyte of your account is available, and you can find those files through the standard File Explorer or any other file manager.
The path to the folder usually looks like this: Internal drive → MIUI → sound_recorder → call_rec. It's in the directory. call_rec All audio recordings of conversations are stored.m4a or.mp3 Depending on the version of the codec installed in the system.
You can delete files directly from the Phone app. If you open a call log, there's a little tape recorder next to the numbers you're talking to, and if you click on it or hold the number, you can go to listening to and deleting the particular record, and it's easier to do mass deletion through the conductor.
| Parameter | Meaning/The Way | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Storage folder | MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec | Main Directory for Audio Files |
| File format | .m4a / .mp3 | Depends on the MIUI version. |
| Sound quality | High/Standard | Configured in the record menu |
| Magazine icon | Magnetiston | Indicator of record availability |
☑️ Checking the vacancy of the place
Problems with recording quality and microphone settings
Even if you set up the recording correctly, the sound quality can be poor. The Redmi Note 8 Pro uses a noise-cancelling system that sometimes aggressively cuts the voice frequencies of the interlocutor in an attempt to remove background noise, which can cause the recording to be heard only by you, and the interlocutor to sound like a robot or disappear completely.
Call recording settings often include the option of Recording via speaker, and if you activate this mode, the phone will automatically turn on speaker when you start recording, which greatly improves the intelligibility of the interlocutor's speech, since the sound is taken from the main microphone, not from the upper noise suppressor.
However, this method has a significant disadvantage: your interlocutor will hear a characteristic click or voice message that the conversation is recorded (if the warning is on), and the sound will be heard by all people around you, so use recording mode through the speaker is only worth it in a quiet environment.
⚠️ Warning: Recording a conversation without warning may violate your country's laws.
Third-party applications for recording calls
If Xiaomi’s regular tools don’t suit you, or your firmware version (e.g. Global) has its recording feature cut out software due to the region’s legal restrictions, you can resort to third-party solutions. There are many apps on the Google Play store, such as Call Recorder – ACR or TapeACall.
However, on the current versions of Android (10, 11 and higher), which are available for the Redmi Note 8 Pro, Google has imposed strict restrictions on accessing the audio stream during a call.This means that third-party apps often record silence instead of the voice of the interlocutor or require complex adjustment through ADB.
Why third-party apps don't work on Android 11+
The use of third-party recorders also affects the autonomy of the device, which consumes additional battery power and can conflict with the system optimizer MIUI, which will try to kill the recording process to save energy, so the standard solution, even with limitations, often turns out to be more stable.
- 📉 Third-party apps are often blocked by the Android system.
- 🔋 Additional battery consumption when working background recorders.
- 🛡️ The application has deeper access to the system.
- ⚠️ The risk of conflict with an antivirus or optimizer.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Where do the records go after resetting the phone settings?
Can I just set up a call record?
Why did the recording badge disappear during the conversation?
Does the interviewer hear the click at the beginning of the recording?
💡
The standard recording feature in the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro is system-based and the most stable, but requires manual automation setup to save space.
To sum up, managing the call record on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro is a one-time process. The right configuration of automation settings will allow you to save important conversations without clogging your device’s memory with unnecessary files. Remember, checking the record folder regularly will help keep your smartphone’s file system in order.