How to disable call recording on Xiaomi: all ways for MIUI

Recording phone conversations on Xiaomi is a useful feature for recording important conversations, but not always appropriate. Many users experience the smartphone automatically saving audio calls without their knowledge, taking up memory and creating risks of leaking confidential information. This is especially true for owners of devices with MIUI 12-14 firmware, where recording settings can be hidden or work incorrectly after updates.

In this article, you will find all the current ways to disable call recording – from standard settings to hidden parameters of the engineering menu. We will discuss how to deactivate the function completely, disable recording for individual contacts or applications (for example, Truecaller), and what to do if the settings are not saved after the reboot. 11/12, POCO X5 Xiaomi 13/14, Where the algorithm differs.

Before you start, check the MIUI version in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. This will help avoid errors: some menu items in old firmware (for example, MIUI 11) may be called differently or missing.

Why does Xiaomi record calls without permission?

Xiaomi’s automatic conversation recorder is activated for several reasons, and not always by the user.

• 🔄 Update MIUI: After installing a new firmware version (for example, with MIUI 13 on MIUI 14) some settings are reset to default values, including call recording.
• 📱 Third-party apps: Services like Truecaller, Call Recorder, or Google Phone can include recording regardless of system settings.
• 📡 Regional restrictions: In some countries (e.g. India, Indonesia) recording calls by default is legal, and Xiaomi will activate it for local firmware.
• ⚙️ Failures in operation MIUI: Bugs in the com.android.dialer system application sometimes lead to spontaneous activation of the function.

It's important to understand that not only are incoming calls recorded, but they're also recorded for outgoing calls, and files are saved in.amr or.amr format.mp3 file MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec (The path can vary depending on the model. With active function, the smartphone spends additional resources on audio processing, which affects battery life.

Method 1: Disable recordings via standard MIUI settings

The easiest method is to deactivate the feature in the phone's menu. The interface may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI, but the overall algorithm is the same:

1. Open the Phone app (the tube icon on the home screen).
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Settings.
3. Go to the section Record conversations (in some firmware - Record calls).
4. Move the slider "Automatic Recording" to the position Off.
5. For reliability, also disable the option to Record all calls (if any).

If you don’t have a Record Conversations item on your menu, try an alternative path:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Phone → Permissions → Microphone

Here you can deny the application “Phone” access to the microphone, but this will also disable the ability to voice calls.

Make sure the Automatic Recording slider is grey|Check the folder. `call_rec` new files after the call|Restart your phone and call the test number.|Open File Manager and delete old records (if necessary)

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⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Redmi) 10A or POCO M4 Pro) after disabling the recording in the settings, the function can be activated again after the Phone application update. In this case, resetting the application settings will help (see Method 4).

Method 2: Disconnect for individual contacts

If you need to restrict entry only for specific numbers (such as work or personal contacts), do the following:

1. Open the Contacts app and select the contact you want.
2. Click Edit (pencil icon).
3. Scroll down to the Additional Settings (or More) block.
4. Find the option to Record calls and uncheck it.
5. Save the changes.

This method does not work on all versions of MIUI. If you do not have an option, try an alternative option:

• 📞 During the call, click on three points in the phone application interface».
• 🔴 Select Do Not Record this Call (will only appear if the function is active).
• 📌 For permanent ban, add the number to the blacklist of the record (if such an option is available in your firmware).

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If you frequently call numbers you don’t want to record (like banking services), create a separate group for them in Contacts and turn off the entire group entry via the Group Management menu (available in MIUI 14).

Method 3: Remove Call Recording Applications

Often, it's not recorded by the Phone system app, but by third-party programs, like Truecaller, Cube Call Recorder, or ACR, that can run in the background even if you haven't run them.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Sort the list by Permissions and find apps with microphone access and calls.
3. Click on a suspicious app (like Truecaller) and select Remove or Disable.
4. For complete cleaning, also delete the application data (Storage → Clear Data).

Some apps (like Google Phone) cannot be removed in the standard way, as they are system-based.

Settings → Applications → Show all apps → Google Phone → Disable

⚠️ Note: After removing third-party recording apps, check the Downloads or CallRecordings folder for any remaining audio files. Some programs save records to cloud services (such as Google Drive), so also check Settings. → Accounts.

Method 4: Reset the settings of the Phone application

If call recording is not disabled through the standard menu, the phone system application (com.android.dialer) may fail, in which case resetting its settings will help:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Phone app (or com.android.dialer) and open it.
3. Click Warehouse → Clear the data and confirm the action.
4. Return to the main menu of the app and select Settings Reset (if the option is available).

After discharge:

• 🔄 All application settings (including call history) will be deleted.
• 📱 Call recording will return to factory settings (usually turned off).
• 🔧 You may need to reconfigure a quick dial or selected contacts.

For Xiaomi 12T, Redmi Note 11 Pro+ and later models, additional permission adjustments may be required after reset:

Settings → Privacy → Permissions → Microphone → Phone → Ban

This method will shut down the recording permanently, but will also block voice dialing and some of the features of the Xiao AI smart assistant.

Method 5: Engineering menu (for power users)

If the standard methods don’t work, you can use the engineering menu (#4636## or #36446337##) which is suitable for advanced users, as the wrong actions can disrupt the phone.

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the code ##36446337## (for MIUI 14) or ##4636## (for older versions).
2. In the menu that appears, select Audio (or Sound).
3. Find the Call Recording section and set the Disabled value.
4. Save the changes and restart the phone.

On some models (e.g. POCO F4 or Xiaomi 13 Lite), the path may be different:

Engineering menu → Hardware Testing → Audio → Call Settings → Record Control → Off

⚠️ Note: Changes to the engineering menu are not saved after the update MIUI. If you install a new firmware, the recording settings may reset, and avoid changing other settings on this menu, which may cause communication loss or microphone problems.

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Engineering menus are the last resort. If you are not sure what you are doing, use standard settings or contact Xiaomi’s service center.

Method 6: Completely reset your phone (if nothing helps)

If the call recording continues despite all attempts, the last option is to reset the phone to factory settings, which will delete all data, including apps, contacts and media files, so make a backup first:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset.
2. Select Local Backup and save the data to a memory card or to the Mi Cloud.
3. Return to the reset menu and click Reset Settings.
4. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (it will take 5-10 minutes).

After discharge:

• 📱 Set your phone up as new without restoring your backup (it may contain corrupted settings).
• 🔍 Check if the call record is active by default (usually not).
• 📲 Install only the necessary applications, avoiding programs to record conversations.

For models with MIUI 14 and newer after reset, it is recommended to:

Settings → Additional → Special features → Remove unnecessary system applications

Here you can uninstall built-in Xiaomi services that may conflict with the recording settings.

Frequently asked questions