Xiaomi smartphone owners often face the need to save important phone calls for later listening. However, finding a stored audio file on a device is not always easy, especially after upgrading the MIUI operating system or switching to a new version of Android. Security regularly changes the paths to access system folders, which confuses users who are accustomed to the old directory structure.
On the Redmi 10 model running the current shell, the default files can be hidden in deep nested directories or have specific extensions that the standard player does not recognize. Understanding the logic of the Android file system in conjunction with MIUI optimizations will allow you to quickly locate the information you need without installing third-party software. In this article, we will discuss all possible search paths and methods in detail.
Standard paths in the file manager
By default, MIUI stores all the audio generated by the regular apps in the root directory of internal memory. If you haven't changed the settings manually, the first thing you should do is open the Explorer app (or File Manager) and go to the Internal Memory section, and that's where the main folder is where all the records flow.
Inside the root directory, find a directory with the name MIUI. This is the shell system folder, which stores all the native Xiaomi apps, and inside it, you should look for the folder. sound_recorder. This directory is the main storage for the voice recorder and the call recording function in most firmware versions.
However, the structure can vary depending on the version of Android.In newer builds, the path can look like Internal. Storage/Recordings internal Storage/Sound_recorder/call_rec. It is important to pay attention to file extensions: most often this is the case.m4a or.mp3, But there are also.aac formats.
β οΈ Note: Do not delete or rename the folder itself MIUI or sound_recorder, It can disrupt the system's Dictaphone app and cause future records to be lost.
If you use a third-party file manager, make sure it has permission to access all files.In Android 11 and above, access to some system folders is limited, so standard Explorer from Xiaomi will be the most reliable tool for navigation.
Hidden Android 11 and higher system folders
With the release of Android 11, Google has implemented strict file system access restrictions (Scoped Storage), which also affected Redmi 10. Now many applications, including the system recorder, can save data in hidden directories, access to which is closed to the average user without special permission.
In this case, the files you want to find may be located on the Android/data/com.android.soundrecorder/files/Recordings path. To get there, you will need a file manager with extended rights or use the Analyzer function in a standard application. In some cases, the folder may be called CallRec inside the directory of a particular application.
Access to the Android/data folder in a standard Explorer can be limited. The system can show an empty folder or an access error message. To solve this problem, you can connect your smartphone to your computer in file transfer mode (MTP) - through a PC, access to these hidden branches is often opened automatically.
| The Way to Memory | Type of file | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| /MIUI/sound_recorder/ | Standard records | Full access |
| /Android/data/... | System Logs | Limited (PC needed) |
| /Recordings/Call/ | Call records. | Full access |
| /Music/Recordings/ | An alternative path | Full access |
If you don't see files in any of the places listed, it may not have been recorded or it may have been automatically deleted by the memory cleaner. Check the "Clean Up" settings in the Security app to prevent automatic deletion of old audio files.
Search through the Dictator app
The easiest way to find a record without digging through files is to use the built-in Dictaphone app, which automatically indexes all audio files created by regular means. Open the app and notice the tabs at the top of the screen: there's usually a division between Dictaphone and Record conversations.
When you go to the Conversation Record tab, you'll see a list of all the saved dialogs, sorted by date and time, and you can do the basic steps here: listen to, rename a file, or share it. Click three dots next to a particular file, select "Properties" or "File Information."
The properties window that opens will show you the exact path to the file in the device's memory, which is the most reliable way to know where your version of MIUI has decided to save a particular fragment, and from here you can immediately go to the location of the file in Explorer.
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Use the Favorites feature in the Dictaphone app for important conversations so that they donβt get lost in the shared list and are not deleted during automatic cleaning.
Remember that the app can filter the display, and if you recorded a conversation through third-party software, the built-in Xiaomi voice recorder wonβt see it, so youβll have to use the manual memory search described in the previous sections.
Set up a way to save records
The user can change the location where new records will be stored on their own, which is useful if Redmi 10βs internal memory is crowded and you want to save heavy audio files directly to the SD card.
Click on the menu icon (three bars or dots) and select Settings. Find the Save Path or Record Folder. If the memory card is installed and formatted as a portable storage, the system will prompt you to choose it as your primary storage location.
When you change paths, all new records will appear in the selected directory, the old files will remain in the same place, so after changing the settings, remember to check both folders if you are looking for archival data, this will help structure the files and avoid confusion.
β οΈ Note: When formatting a memory card or removing it from the device, the records stored on it will become unavailable.
If the option to change path is not available (grey or no point), then the current version of the firmware or application does not support transferring records to an external medium, in which case you will have to regularly clean the internal memory manually.
βοΈ Checking the recording settings
Using search by device
When manual folder-sweeping fails, the built-in global search feature comes to the rescue. 10 You'll usually see a Google search bar widget or a Xiaomi search engine. Type a part of the file name, such as the date of the entry or the word"call_rec".
It scans all the indexable folders available and gives you a list of matches, and this is especially effective if you know the approximate date of the call. call_rec_20231025_143000, where the year, month, day and time are indicated.
You can also use a computer. Connect your phone over USB, select File Transfer mode, and in the My Computer window, in the search bar at the top right of the window, enter the.m4a or.mp3 extension. Windows will find all audio files on the connected device, which is often faster than searching manually.
What to do if the search does not find the files?
Remember that search can take time, especially if the phone has a lot of gigabytes of information stored.
Problems with lack of records
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the conversation seems to be going, the recording was indicated, but the file is nowhere, most often this is due to a lack of free space. If the memory is full, the system may interrupt the recording or not save it at all. Check the free space in the Settings section β About the phone β Memory.
The second common reason is a conflict with another app that uses a microphone, and if Google Assistant, Skype or another voice recorder app were activated during the call, the system record could be blocked for privacy or for the microphone resource.
It's also worth checking the permissions of the Phone app. Go to Settings β Apps β All Apps β Phone β Permissions. Make sure the app has access to Memory and Microphone. Without those permissions, the recording function won't work.
β οΈ Note: In some regions (e.g. EU countries) due to privacy laws, the recording function of conversations may be software disabled or require voice alerts, which may also affect the preservation of the file.
If the problem is systemic, try to clear the cache of the Dictaphone and Phone application. This will not delete the recordings themselves, but can correct errors in the operation of the software module responsible for saving audio.
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The absence of a file is most often caused by a lack of memory or a lack of permissions from the Phone application, not a breakage of the smartphone.