Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones record sound in multiple locations, depending on which audio file you're interested in: voice recordings, instant messaging, notification system sounds, and even hidden microphone logs are stored in different folders of internal memory, with MIUI often moving files after updates, and some records not displayed at all in a standard file manager without showing hidden folders.
If you're looking for a specific audio record -- like an important interview or a voice note -- first determine which application created it. Xiaomi's built-in voice recorder saves files in one place and WhatsApp or Telegram in another. In this article, we'll look at all possible locations, including system caches and backups, and explain how to recover deleted records.
Pay special attention to the hidden folder and recovery sections, which describe the non-obvious tricks that work even after resetting. And if you use MIUI 14 or later, check out the updated path to voice recordings, which has changed from the older versions.
Before you start searching, make sure you have access to a Superuser File Manager (if you want to view your system folders) or at least have hidden file display enabled.
Standard audio storage locations
Most audio files created by the built-in MIUI tools are stored in /storage/emulated/0/ (aka Internal Drive), but the exact path depends on the type of recording:
- 📱 Xiaomi voice recorder: /MIUI/sound_recorder/ or /Recordings/ (newer MIUI). Files have extensions.m4a or.mp3.
- 💬 Voice messages from WhatsApp: /WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Voice Notes/. Here are the.opus files.
- 📤 Notification sounds and system signals: /media/audio/notifications/ (Root rights are required to view).
- 🎤 Recordings from the microphone via third-party applications (e.g. Easy Voice Recorder): usually in the /Android/media/[annex]/.
In MIUI 14 and later, the path to record recordings has changed: they are now stored in /Android/media/com.miui.soundrecorder/. If you can’t see this folder, update the Dictaphone app via Google Play or the MIUI App Store.
It is worth noting that some records can be duplicated in the Mi Cloud if you have sync enabled. To check this, open Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Backup and see the Audio section.
⚠️ Attention: If you are using POCO Launcher or custom firmware, the paths may be different. In this case, search the file manager with the extension filter.mp3,.m4a,.opus.
Hidden folders and system audio files
Not all audio recordings are publicly available, such as microphone logs (used to process voice commands) or Google Assistant cache (XiaoAI) hidden in system partitions to be seen:
- Open the file manager (standard or MiXplorer).
- Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Settings → Show hidden files.
- Go to /data/data/ (root rights required) or /Android/data/ for the app cache.
Here are the key hidden locations:
| folder | Contents | Access. |
|---|---|---|
| /data/media/0/MIUI/voice_assistant/ | Voice command recordings for XiaoAI | Root or ADB |
| /Android/data/com.google.android.apps.recorder/ | Cash Google Recorder | No root (via File Manager) |
| /data/user_de/0/com.miui.voiceassist/ | Voice recognition logs | Only root. |
| /storage/emulated/0/Android/obb/ | Temporary audio files of some games | No restrictions. |
To access folders in /data/ without root permissions, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) and connect your phone to your PC and follow the command:
adb shell
su
ls /data/data/com.miui.soundrecorder/In MIUI 13 and later, some system audio files are encrypted, and can only be retrieved through a backup in the Mi Cloud or with specialized tools like MT Manager (root requires).
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If you often work with audio files, install FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer – they can show hidden folders without root and support searching through the contents of files.
Voice messages in messengers
Messengers store audio recordings separately from system files, and this is where to look for voice messages in popular apps:
- 📲 WhatsApp: /WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Voice Notes/. opus files (can be converted to.opus files.mp3 via Audacity).
- 📱 Telegram: /Telegram/Telegram Audio/ or /Telegram/Telegram Documents/ (if sent as a document).
- 💬 Viber: /Viber/media/Viber Voice Messages/. Here's the files in.m4a.
- 🌐 WeChat: /Tencent/MicroMsg/voice2/ (File Names – A set of digits without extension).
The feature of instant messengers is that they often automatically clear the cache when the device runs out of space, to save important voice messages:
- Copy them to another folder (e.g. /Download/).
- Use the function Export chat (in WhatsApp and Telegram it saves media files).
- Enable backup to the cloud (in Telegram, it’s Saved Messages).
There's a bug in MIUI: sometimes messengers can't record a voice message if they don't have permission to access the microphone in the background. To fix this, go to Settings → Applications → Permissions → Microphone and turn on access for the right messenger.
⚠️ Note: On WhatsApp, voice messages are automatically deleted from your device after listening, unless you change your media storage settings. To save them forever, turn off the option Autodelete Media in your chat settings.
Copy files manually through the File Manager|Enable auto-save in the cloud (Google Drive, Mi Cloud)|Use bots for export (e.g., export, @SaveRestrictedContentBot Telegram)|Send a message to yourself and save it as "Favorites"-->
Recovery of deleted audio recordings
If you accidentally delete an important record, you can try to restore it, and success depends on how long it has been since you deleted it and whether the device has been used since then (new data can overwrite old data).
Recovery methods:
- Recycle Bin Check: In MIUI, deleted files are fed into /MIUI/RecycleBin/ and stored there for 30 days. Open File Manager → Recycle Bin.
- Specialized programmes: 🔍 DiskDigger (works without root, but with limitations). 🛠️ Recuva (requires to connect your phone to your PC in mode) MTP). 📱 Undeleter (needs root for deep scanning).
Backup copies:
Mi Cloud
Google Drive
To recover via ADB (if the phone is not rooted):
adb pull /data/media/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/ C:\Xiaomi_Recovered\
adb shell "ls -la /data/media/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/"If the post has been deleted from WhatsApp or Telegram, try:
- Send yourself a message asking you to forward the audio (if it was in the chat).
- Check the /WhatsApp/Databases/ folder, where you can open the backups of the chats (msgstore.db.crypt14) via WhatsApp Viewer.
To recover the recordings from Mi Cloud:
- Open Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Data Recovery.
- Select a backup with the desired date.
- Check the Audio Records and click Restore.
Google Drive syncs audio files if:
- You have manually uploaded them to Google Drive.
- Use Google Recorder (records are automatically saved to the cloud).
- Enable WhatsApp backup in Settings → Chat → Backup.
To find entries in Google Drive:
- Open drive.google.com on PC.
- In the search bar, type:audio.
- Filter the results by date of creation.
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Mi Cloud only stores audio recordings for 6 months from the last sync, and then they are deleted without recovery.
Transferring audio recordings to a PC or other device
To copy audio files from Xiaomi to a computer or other smartphone, use one of these methods:
- 🖥️ Through USB-cable: Connect your phone to your PC in file transfer mode (MTP). Open this computer. → [Name of your Xiaomi. Go to the entries folder (e.g. Internal Storage) → MIUI → sound_recorder). Copy files on a PC.
Through the cloud:
Mi Cloud
Google Drive
Dropbox
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi:
Send Anywhere
Xender
Through SD-map:
Xiaomi
For ADB transmission (if USB is not working):
adb pull /sdcard/MIUI/sound_recorder/ C:\Xiaomi_Audio\
adb pull /sdcard/WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp\ Voice\ Notes/ C:\WhatsApp_Audio\If you want to convert files from.opus (WhatsApp) to.mp3, use:
- 🎧 Audacity (free, supports batch processing).
- 🖥️ Online converters like online-convert.com.
- 📱 Android Apps: Opus to MP3 Converter or MediaConverter.