Where Xiaomi Recorder Stores Records: A Complete Guide to Searching and Managing Audio Files

The built-in voice recorder in Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones is a handy tool for fast recording lectures, interviews or voice notes. However, many users face the problem: where exactly are these files stored? Unlike photos or videos, audio recordings are not always obvious in the file manager, and their location depends on the version of MIUI, device model and even the way they are recorded.

If you're trying to find a record but you can't see it in the gallery, or if you want to transfer files to your computer, this article will help you figure out, and we'll go through all the possible storage paths, including hidden folders, cloud backups, and MIUI 12-14 features, and learn how to change the default location and what to do if the records suddenly disappear.

Important: The instructions in the article are relevant for all modern Xiaomi devices, including the Mi 11/12/13 series, Redmi Note 10/11/12 and POCO F/X. If you have an old model (before 2019), the paths may differ - we will also mention this separately.

Standard location of recordings in MIUI

By default, the Dictaphone app (or Sound Recorder in international firmware) saves files in the system folder of internal memory.

/storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/

In this directory, you'll find files with the.m4a extension (AAC format) or.mp3, depending on the application settings. File names usually contain the date and time of the recording, such as 20260515_143022.m4a.

To open the folder quickly:

1. Open any file manager (e.g., the built-in Mi File Manager or Total Commander).
2. Go to the Internal Storage (Internal Storage) section.
3. Find the folder. MIUI → sound_recorder.

⚠️ Warning: If the sound_recorder folder is missing, check:

• 🔍 Hidden Files: Enable the display of hidden folders in the file manager settings (in Mi File Manager: ⋮ → Settings → Show hidden files).
• 📁 Another app: You may have used a third-party recorder (like Easy Voice Recorder or ASR Recorder) that saves files in your folder.
• ☁️ Cloud: Records could automatically sync to Mi Cloud (more on this in the next section).

Alternative storage paths: cloud, SD- card and cache

Not all records are stored in internal memory, depending on MIUI settings and application versions, files may be located elsewhere:

1.The Xiaomi Cloud (Mi Cloud)

If the voice recorder settings are synchronized, the recordings are duplicated in the Mi Cloud.

• 🌐 Open the Settings. → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Dictaphone.
• 📥 If synchronization is active, download the recordings via the web version of i.mi.com (Dictator section).

External SD-map

On microSD-enabled devices (such as the Redmi Note 10 Pro or POCO X3 Pro), you can transfer the save location to the memory card:

/storage/XXXX-XXXX/MIUI/sound_recorder/

Where XXXX-XXXX is the unique identifier of your SD- card to change the location of your save:

1. Open the Dictaphone app.
2. Press. ⋮ → Settings → Conservation folder.
3. Select the SD- card (if the option is available).

3.Cash of the annex

In rare cases, records may be temporarily stored in cache, especially if the application was forcibly closed during recording.

/data/data/com.miui.soundrecorder/cache/

⚠️ Warning: This folder is only accessible with root rights or via ADB. Without them, files from the cache cannot be recovered - they are deleted when the application data is cleaned.

Why the records went missing: common causes and solutions

If you don’t find old records, the problem may be due to one of the following reasons:

If the records are missing after the MIUI update, try the following:

• 🔄 Update rollback: In some cases, rollback to a previous firmware version (instruction for rollback MIUI helps).
• 📂 Date search: Use a file manager with a creation date filter (e.g., FX File Explorer).
• 🛠️ Data recovery: Programs like Recuva or EaseUS MobiSaver can find deleted audio files, but the odds depend on the time elapsed after deleting.

💡

If records are critical (such as interviews or lectures), export them to the cloud or PC immediately after recording.

How to transfer recordings from Xiaomi to your computer

There are several ways to copy audio files to a PC or other device:

Method 1: Through USB-cable

1. Connect your phone to your computer using a USB-C cable.
2. On your phone, select File Transfer (or MTP) mode.
3. On PC, open the Explorer and go to This Computer → [Name of Your Phone] → Internal Storage → MIUI → sound_recorder.
4. Copy the desired files to any folder on the PC.

Method 2: Wi-Fi (without wire)

This may be done by:

• 📲 Mi Drop: Xiaomi’s built-in application for transferring files over a local network.
• 🌐 FTP- Server: Applications like FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer allow you to create a FTP- server on your phone and connect to it from your PC.
• ☁️ Cloud Services: Upload files to Google Drive, Dropbox, or Mi Cloud, then download to your PC.

Method 3: Through email or messengers

If the files are small (up to 25-50 MB), they can be sent to:

• ✉️ By email (by attachment).
• 💬 Through Telegram (bot @SaveAsBot or private messages).
• 📎 In WhatsApp or Viber (file size limit).

Make sure your phone is unlocked | Check the free space on PC | Turn off battery saving mode (may interrupt transmission) | Use the original USB- cable for stable connection-->

How to change the format and place of saving records

By default, Xiaomi's voice recorder saves files in.m4a (AAC) format, but it can be changed to.mp3 or.wav for better compatibility.

Reformation:

1. Open the recorder.
2. Press ⋮ → Settings → Audio format.
3. Choose MP3 (recommended for compatibility) or WAV (no loss of quality, but larger size).

Change the save folder:

Depending on the version of MIUI, the options may differ:

• 📁 MIUI 12/13: Settings → Save folder → Select folder (you can specify any directory in internal memory or on SD- card).
• 🔄 MIUI 14: The option may be hidden – use the file manager to manually transfer records after saving.

⚠️ Warning: If you change the format to WAV, the file size will increase by 5-10 times. For example, an hourly record in.m4a will take ~50MB, and in.wav, up to 500MB. Make sure there is enough space on the device.

💡

MP3 format is the best choice for most tasks: it is compatible with any device, is small in size and acceptable quality. WAV is only suitable for professional sound processing.

Features of working with a voice recorder on different Xiaomi models

While most Xiaomi devices use the standard Dictaphone app, there are nuances for individual series:

1. Flagship models (Mi 11/12/13, Mix)

• 🎤 Supports high quality recording (up to 192 kbit/s in MP3 format).
• 🔊 Have a built-in noise suppressor (includes in the application settings).
• ☁️ Automatic sync with Mi Cloud is enabled by default.

2 Budget models (Redmi 9/10, POCO M/X)

• 📉 Recording quality is limited to 128 kbit/s.
• 🚫 There is no save option on the SD- card in some firmware.
• 🔧 The application may not be available — you need to install from Google Play (e.g., ASR Recorder).

3. Devices for the global market (with EEA firmware)

On phones with firmware for Europe (EEA), the voice recorder can be called Voice Recorder and save files to a folder:

/storage/emulated/0/Recorder/

Also, these firmwares do not sync with Mi Cloud due to GDPR restrictions.

On the POCO F4 GT and Xiaomi 12T,.m4a recording uses the ALAC (Apple Lossless) codec by default, which may not play on some players. For compatibility, change the format to MP3 in the settings.

Third-party recorders: where do they store records?

If you're using a third-party recorder, rather than a standard app (e.g. Easy Voice Recorder, Hi-Q MP3 Recorder or ASR Recorder), the storage paths will be different.

To find out the exact location of files for your application:

1. Open the dictaphone settings.
2. Find the save folder or the Storage section.
3. If you don’t have an option, check Download, Music or Documents folders in your internal memory.

⚠️ Warning: Some applications (e.g. Google Drive: Voice Recording) don't store files locally, but upload them to the cloud. To download a recording to your phone, open it in the app and select Save to your device.

FAQ: Frequent questions about recording and storing audio on Xiaomi