Phone records on Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphones can be used in a variety of situations, from saving important business information to proving them in controversial moments. However, finding these files is not so easy: they are hidden in system folders, and their location depends on the version of MIUI, device model and even the recording method (built-in voice recorder or third-party application). In this article, we will discuss in detail where exactly audio files of records are stored, how to access them through Explorer or ADB, and what to do if the records of Suddenly disappear after updating or resetting.
Xiaomi is a feature that often changes the structure of file storage in new versions of the shell. For example, in MIUI 12 records could lie in one folder, and in MIUI 14 – in another, and the path depends on whether you used a standard application Call Recorder or third-party software like Cube Call Recorder. We collected current data for all modern versions of firmware and models (including Xiaomi 13/14, Redmi Note 12, POCO F5), and added instructions for recovering deleted records.
Standard location of records in MIUI
If you used the built-in call recording feature (not available on all models and legally disabled in some regions), the files are stored in a hidden system folder.
- 📁 Internal memory: /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/ — standard-way MIUI 12–14. Here files are sorted by dates and subscriber numbers.
- 🔍 An alternative path: /storage/emulated/0/Recordings/Call/ — It is used on some models (e.g. Redmi). 10 or POCO X3).
- 📱 For older versions (MIUI 11 below): /storage/emulated/0/recorder/calls/. These folders can be empty if you haven’t used the record in a long time.
Important: MIUI and recorder folders are hidden by default in Xiaomi’s standard Explorer. To see them, you need to enable the display of hidden files (instruction below) or use a third-party file manager, such as Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer.
⚠️ Attention: On devices with Android 11+ and MIUI 12.5+ Access to system folders may be restricted due to Scoped Storage policy, in which case you will need to view files. ADB root-right.
Record files are usually.amr or.mp3 formats and are named by the template:
- Call_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS_Number.amr – for built-in voice recorder.
- rec_Number_DATETIME.mp3 — for some third-party applications.
How to enable the display of hidden folders in Xiaomi
By default, MIUI Explorer doesn't show system and hidden directories.
- Open the Files app (folder icon).
- Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → Settings.
- Activate the switch to show hidden files.
- Go back to the root directory (/storage/emulated/0/) and find the MIUI or Recordings folder.
If there is no folder, try an alternative method:
- 🔎 Use search in the guide on request call_rec or.
- 📱 Connect your phone to your PC through USB (in file transfer mode) and check folders through Windows Explorer or macOS Finder.
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If you can’t see the MIUI folder even after you have enabled hidden files, try updating your Explorer through Google Play or installing an alternative manager like Total Commander.
Search for records through ADB (no root)
If standard methods don’t work, you can access files via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), an official tool from Google that doesn’t require root rights, but will require debugging over USB.
Instructions:
- Turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version. Go back to Settings → Additional → Developer. Activate USB Debugging.
Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
ADB Tools
adb.exe
adb shell ls /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/If the folder is empty, check the alternative paths:
adb shell ls /storage/emulated/0/Recordings/Call/adb pull /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/ C:\Call_Records\⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T or Redmi K50) The path may be different due to customization of the firmware to a specific region. If the commands return the error No such file or directory, try searching for the files by mask: adb shell find /storage/emulated/0/ -name ".amr" -o -name ".mp3"
Where records from third-party applications are stored
If you didn't use a built-in voice recorder, but third-party programs (such as Cube Call Recorder, ACR or Boldbeast), the path to the files will be different.
| Annex | The path to the records | File format |
|---|---|---|
| Cube Call Recorder | /storage/emulated/0/CubeBackup/ or /storage/emulated/0/CallRecorder///// | .mp3, .ogg |
| ACR (Another Call Recorder) | /storage/emulated/0/ACR/ | .mp3, .amr |
| Boldbeast Call Recorder | /storage/emulated/0/Boldbeast/ | .mp3, .wav |
| Truecaller (if recording is enabled) | /storage/emulated/0/Truecaller/Recordings/ | .mp3 |
Many apps allow you to change the way you save in your settings, such as Cube Call Recorder.
- Open the application → Settings → folder records.
- Specify a new directory (e.g. /storage/emulated/0/Download/CallRecords/).
- Save the changes and check if new files appear in the specified folder.
How to transfer records to a memory card?
Recovery of Deleted Call Records
If the records were deleted accidentally, you can try to restore them using specialized utilities. Success depends on how long it has been since the deletion and whether the device was used after that (new data can overwrite old files).
Recovery methods:
- 📱 Applications such as DiskDigger, Recuva (for PCs) or Dumpster (if pre-enabled) scan memory for deleted files.
- 💻 Through PC: Connect the phone in mode MTP Scan your internal memory with EaseUS Data Recovery or R-Studio.
- ☁️ From Cloud Backup: If you had automatic backup enabled in Google Drive or Mi Cloud, check your archives.
To improve the chances of recovery:
Do not write new data to the device|Turn off automatic sync (Google Photos, Mi Cloud)|Use the original. USB-plug-in|Scan your memory immediately after removal
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⚠️ Note: On devices with file system encryption (on by default in the MIUI 13+) Recovery of deleted files is almost impossible without root rights, and the only option is to check cloud backups.
Frequent problems and solutions
Xiaomi users often have difficulty finding posts, and consider typical situations and ways to solve them:
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| folder call_rec idle | Records disabled in settings or files moved | Check the settings of the Phone → Call Record. Use ADB to search all folders. |
| Files are available, but they are not reproduced. | File damage or incompatible codec | Try playing through VLC Player or converting to.mp3 using Audacity. |
| Records are missing after MIUI update | Resetting settings or changing folder structure | Check the /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/backup/ folder or restore it from backup. |
| No access to the folder even through ADB | Scoped Storage Limits for Android 11+ | Use root access or specialized applications like Mixplorer with superuser mode enabled. |
On devices with MIUI Global Stable, call records can be automatically deleted after 30 days unless your storage settings are changed. To avoid this, manually transfer files to another folder (such as Download) or set up automatic sync with the cloud.
How to transfer recordings to another phone or PC
If you need to save records on another device or backup, follow these steps:
- Through USB-cable: Connect your phone to your PC in File Transfer mode. Find the folder with the records (see sections above) and copy the files to your computer.
- Through the cloud: Upload files to Google Drive, Mi Cloud or Dropbox. Open the cloud on another device and download the records.
- Through messengers: Send your files to Telegram (without compression) or WhatsApp. Download them on your new phone.
For mass transfer, it is convenient to use Total Commander with the LAN Plugin plugin - this will allow you to transfer files over the local network without connecting a cable.
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If the records are of important legal importance, keep them unchanged (no conversion or cropping) and record the date/time of the file creation – this may be needed as evidence.