Where Xiaomi Stores Conversations Records: A Complete Search and Recovery Guide

Have you been looking for an important phone call record on your Xiaomi, but can't find it in standard folders? The problem is familiar to many MIUI users: the system stores audio files in an unobvious way, and after updates, the paths may change. In this article, we'll look at all possible storage locations for records, from visible directories to hidden system folders, and explain why some files can "disappear" after resetting settings or reflashing.

Xiaomi’s feature is that the location of the records depends on three factors: the MIUI version (for example, MIUI 14 and HyperOS paths are different), the device model (the Redmi Note 12 and POCO F5 may have different default settings), and the recording method (the built-in app, Google Drive or third-party programs like Cube Call Recorder).

Important: If you don’t find a record in the first two sections of this article, don’t rush to use data recovery software. First, check the hidden folders and sync settings – 60% of the time, files are simply moved by the system to another location.

1. Standard storage location: Recorder folder in internal memory

By default, the Phone app (or Call Recorder on some models) saves entries to the folder:

/storage/emulated/0/Recorder/

or (for older versions of MIUI):

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

The files here are formatted.m4a or.amr and named by template: Record_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS_contact.m4a. If the contact is not saved, instead of the name will be a phone number.

• 📁 How to open a folder: Use any file manager (such as Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer.
• 🔍 Why a record may not be available: If Phone is enabled in the Phone app settings to Delete old records automatically, files older than 30 days are deleted.
• ⚙️ Configure the Save Path: Go to Settings → Annexes → Phone. → Recording of conversations → Rescue folder (not available on all firmware).

⚠️ Note: On HyperOS devices (e.g. Xiaomi 14 or Redmi) K70) The recorder folder may be called CallRecordings.

2.Alternative paths: hidden system directories

If the Recorder folder is empty, check out these hidden locations:

To access these folders:

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or FX File Explorer).
2. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
3. Enable USB Debugging and connect the device to a PC with ADB to view system folders.

⚠️ Note: Delete or modify files in /data/ root-free can cause the phone application to crash. First, back up through Settings → Memory. → Backup.

3. Cloud Storage: Google Drive and Mi Cloud

If your Xiaomi has sync enabled, the records can automatically be uploaded to the cloud:

• ☁️ Google Drive: Check the Call Recordings folder in the My Drive section. Sync works if you use the Google Phone app (installed on global firmware).
• ☁️ Mi Cloud: Records are stored in the Call Records section, but only if Call Backup option is enabled in Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud.
• 🔄 Automatic Deletion: Files older than 6 months are deleted in Mi Cloud unless the option Save Forever is enabled.

To check the synchronization:

1. Open Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Backup.
2. Scroll down to the Additional section and find the conversation records.
3. If the option is disabled, turn it on and wait until the sync is complete (it can take up to 24 hours).

Critical information: On Chinese-based devices (such as Xiaomi 13 Pro CN), Mi Cloud records are only stored for 30 days unless you subscribe to an extended storage.

4 Third-Party Applications: Cube Call Recorder, ACR and Others

If you use third-party call recording software (such as Cube Call Recorder, ACR, or Boldbeast), the storage options are different:

To find the records:

1. Open the application where the recording was made.
2. Go to History or Records (name depends on the program).
3. Click on the record and select Open folder or Share to see the path to the file.

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi with MIUI 14+ Third-party applications for recording calls may not work due to Android 12 limitations+. Solution: In the application settings, enable the option to Use an alternative recording method (if available).

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If the third-party app doesn't record calls, check permissions: Settings → Apps → [Program name] → Permissions. Make sure the Microphone, Warehouse and Phone are turned on.

5 Recovery of Deleted Records: What to Do If Files Are Lost

If the records have been deleted, try these methods:

• 🔄 Mi File Manager Recycle Bin: Open Mi File Manager, go to the Recycle Bin section (available within 15 days of deletion).
• 🛠️ Recovery software: Use DiskDigger, Recuva (for PC) or Undeleter. Important: Do not write new files to your device until you recover!
• 📱 Backups: If you did backup through Settings → Memory. → Backup, restore data from there.
• 🔍 Search by system: in Mi File Manager type in search.m4a Or.amr is a record extension.

For recovery through ADB (advanced method):

adb shell


su




find /storage/ -name".m4a" -o -name".amr"

This command will find all the audio files on the device, and save the results to a text file for analysis.

Important: The chances of recovery depend on how long it has been since deleting, and if a file was deleted more than a month ago and new data was written to the device, recovery is unlikely.

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The best chances of recovery are those files that have been deleted less than 7 days ago, and after that period, Xiaomi’s storage systems can overwrite memory sectors.

6. Features for different Xiaomi models

The location of the records may vary depending on the series of devices:

• 📱 Redmi Note 11/12/13: records are kept /Recorder/, But on Chinese firmware, the folder can be called (Chinese characters).

For dual-devices SIM-cards (for example, Redmi Note 12 Pro)+) records can be divided into folders:

/Recorder/SIM1/


/Recorder/SIM2/

If you use Xiaomi with custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), the records are stored in the standard Android folder:

/storage/emulated/0/Call/

7 Why records may be missing: common reasons

If you haven’t found any of the records in any of the places listed, check out these points:

• 🚫 Recording ban: in some countries (e.g. EU) recording calls without consent is prohibited. On Xiaomi global firmware, this feature can be disabled by default.
• 🔕 Privacy settings: go to Settings → Annexes → Phone. → Permits and make sure Microphone and Storage are enabled.
• 🔄 Autocleaning: in Settings → Memory. → Cleanup can be enabled with the option to Delete old records.
• 📵 Operator restrictions: some mobile operators (for example, MTS or Beeline) block the recording of calls at the network level.
• 🔧 Settings reset: After resetting to factory settings, records are deleted if there was no backup in the Mi Cloud.

To check if the recording is still being made:

1. During the call, pay attention to the microphone icon in the top notification panel.
2. After the call, check the log in the Phone application: a record icon should appear next to the contact (🎤).
3. If there is no record but the feature is enabled, try reinstalling the Phone app through Settings → Apps → Phone → Remove updates.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi conversation records