Where on Xiaomi are stored conversation records: a full guide to search for audio files

You have enabled a phone call recording on your Xiaomi, but now you can't find the saved file? This problem is familiar to many users of smartphones with MIUI firmware - the standard Phone app doesn't always show where the audio recordings went. Depending on the firmware version, device model (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13T, etc.) and recording settings, files can be stored in different places - from internal memory to the Mi Cloud storage.

In this article, we’ll look at all possible locations where Xiaomi can save conversation records, including hidden system folders that don’t appear in the standard file manager. MIUI, What to do if a file is damaged or not being played, and we will pay special attention to the differences between recordings made through the built-in Phone app and third-party programs like Cube Call Recorder or the other. ACR.

1. Standard place of storage of records in MIUI

By default, MIUI firmware (starting with version 12 and up) stores phone records in a dedicated folder inside the device's internal memory.

/storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/

This folder is automatically created when you first turn on the recording function, but there are a few nuances:

• 📁 Visibility of folder: In some versions MIUI (for example, 13.0.6) folder sound_recorder To see it, enable the display of hidden files in any file manager (for example, in Mi File Explorer, click on the file manager). ⋮ → Settings → Show hidden files).
• 🔄 File format: Records are saved in format.m4a (AAC-file names usually contain the date, time and number of the subscriber, for example: 20260515_143022_+79123456789.m4a.
• 📱 Exceptions for POCO: On series devices POCO (for example, POCO F5) path may differ: /storage/emulated/0/Recordings/Call/. It's about customized firmware. MIUI for POCO.

If you don't find a record in the folder, check the alternate locations, which we'll look at in the next section, and note that when you reset to factory settings (Settings → About Phone → Reset), all records from that folder will be deleted without recovery.

2. Alternative folders for records (if not standard)

If in a folder /MIUI/sound_recorder/ It's empty, don't panic. MIUI can store records in several places depending on the:

• 📲 Smartphone models (e.g. Xiaomi 12 Pro vs Redmi) 10C);
• 🔧 Phone App Versions (Updates via Google Play or Mi App Store);
• 🌐 Firmware Region (Global, China, EEA).

Here is a full list of possible locations:

Important: If you use a microSD, records can be saved to it along the way. /storage/XXXX-XXXX/MIUI/sound_recorder/, where XXXX-XXXX — Drive ID. Check this in the recording settings: Settings → Annexes → Phone. → Recording of conversations → Conservation folder.

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If you connect your smartphone to your computer via USB but don’t see the records folder, select MTP file transfer mode (not Charge or Photo (PTP)).

3. Cloud Storage: Checking Mi Cloud and Google Drive

Many users fail to realize that call records can automatically sync with cloud services, which is true if:

• 🔗 You have enabled autosynchronization in the Mi Cloud settings;
• 📱 Use the Phone app with Google Drive integration;
• 🔄 Updated. MIUI before 14+ (There was an option of cloud backup records).

How to check:

1. Mi Cloud: Open Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud. Check Backups → Application Data → Phone. If you have a record, click Restore – the file will appear in the standard folder.
2. Google Drive: Go to Google Drive through your browser. Type:audio is in the search box. Filter by date — call records usually have a time stamp that matches the date of the call.

⚠️ Note: Cloud-based copies of records are stored in compressed format and may be of worse quality than the originals.In addition, Mi Cloud defaults to store files for only 30 days unless you have a paid subscription activated.

4. Third-party write apps: where to look for files

If you're using third-party programs like Cube Call Recorder, ACR, or Boldbeast, the storage paths will be different. Here's a table of popular apps and their folders:

To find a folder of a particular application:

1. Open the recording app.
2. Go to Settings → Save folder (the name may differ).
3. Copy the path and paste it into the file manager address bar.

⚠️ Note: Some applications (such as Cube Call Recorder) require you to turn off battery optimization to work properly. Otherwise, the recordings may be interrupted or not saved. → Annexes → Permits → Optimizing the battery.

Battery optimization for the application is disabled|Call recording permissions are on.|The save folder is correctly listed.|The file format is compatible with the player-->

5 Why records "disappear" and how to recover them

Xiaomi users often face a situation where call records suddenly disappear.

• 🗑️ Auto-cleaning: B MIUI Automatic garbage cleaning (Settings) → Warehouse → Cleaning, which can delete old records. To disable: Settings → Warehouse → Cleaning settings → Disable "Multimedia Autocleaning"
• 🔄 Firmware update: When updating MIUI (for example, 13 on 14) The folder structure can change, and the old records are "lost." Check the folder. /MIUI/backup/sound_recorder/ — Sometimes files are transferred there.
• 📵 Reset: When resetting to factory settings, all local records are deleted. If you have Mi Cloud enabled, try restoring them from there within 15 days of resetting.
• 🛠️ File damage: If the record is not played back, try renaming the file (remove special characters from the name) or converting it through VLC Media Player.

To recover deleted records, use programs like DiskDigger or Recuva (root required for deep scanning).

• Less than 24 hours have passed since the removal;
• No new files were recorded on the device;
• You haven’t done Trim (memory optimization)

6. How to change the default location of the records

If you don't like the standard record folder, you can change it. MIUI:

For MIUI 12-13:

1. Open the phone app.
2. Press. ⋮ → Settings → Recording of conversations.
3. Select the save folder and specify a new path (for example, on the SD-map).

For MIUI 14+:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Phone → Permissions → Storage.
2. Activate access to all files (if available).
3. Go back to the recording settings and select a new folder.

For third-party applications:

• In Cube Call Recorder: Settings → Record folder → Select folder.
• In ACR: Settings → General → Storage folder.

⚠️ Note: When maintaining records on SD-Make sure the card is formatted as an internal storage (not a removable drive) or the applications may not have the rights to write. → Warehouse → [Name of name SD-map] → Settings → Formatting as an internal.

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Changing the save folder doesn’t automatically transfer old records – you have to manually move them!

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi call records