Where on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 are stored call records: a complete guide to search and retrieve

Are you looking for where the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 stores phone records but can’t find them in standard folders? This problem is familiar to many users, especially if the recording was not conducted through the regular Dictophone app, but using third-party services or built-in MIUI features. Unlike photos or videos, audio files with conversations are often hidden in non-obvious directories, and sometimes even require special tools to extract.

In this article, we will analyze all possible storage locations for records on the Redmi Note. 8 — standard-file /MIUI/sound_recorder/ to hidden system directories where data is stored when using the "Conversation Record" functions in MIUI. You will also learn how to recover deleted records if they are missing after resetting settings or updating the firmware. MIUI 12/13/14, where file storage logic differs from earlier versions.

Standard storage locations for call records

If you used the built-in Sound Recorder app to record conversations, the files must be in one of the following folders:

• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/ — directory MIUI. Here files are sorted by date and have a format.m4a or.
• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/Recordings/ — an alternate folder where entries can be saved in some firmware versions (especially after updates).
• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.android.soundrecorder/ — Hidden directory where temporary files and metadata of records are stored.

To find these folders, use any file manager (e.g., Xiaomi's Explorer or Solid Explorer). If you don't have one, check the settings of the Dictator app: you may have changed the save path manually.

1. Open the Dictator.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner → Settings.
3. Check the save folder item - here may be a non-standard path.

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If in a folder /MIUI/sound_recorder/ files appear as empty or corrupted, try opening them through VLC Player – it often restores playback even for broken audio files.

Where are the records made through MIUI's "Talk Recording" stored?

The MIUI Automatic Conversation Recording feature (available in some regions) saves files in a separate location, which is not usually visible in a standard Dictator and requires a special approach:

• 🔍 /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/voice_recorder/call_rec/ — The main folder for the call records. The files here have names in format. call_[date] [time].amr.
• 🔍 /data/user/0/com.android.incallui/files/ — A system directory that temporarily stores records before transferring them to user memory, and access to this folder is only possible with root rights or through the user's memory. ADB.

To view the recordings made through the "Talk Record":

1. Open the phone app (Phone).
2. Go to the Call log.
3. Find the right call and click on it. If there's a record, the icon will appear. 🎤 or the inscription.
4. Click on the record icon - the file will open in the player.

Important: In some versions of MIUI (e.g. MIUI 12.5 for global firmware), call recording is disabled by default due to legal restrictions.

• 🌍 Installation of regional firmware (for example, Indian or Chinese), where the function is unlocked.
• 🔧 Use of the ADB-Adb shell settings put global settings call_recording_support 1

Search for records through file manager and ADB

If standard methods don't work, try to find the files manually.

1. Install a file manager with support for hidden folders (such as FX File Explorer or Root Explorer).
2. Enable the display of hidden files in the manager settings.
3. Go to the root catalogue /storage/emulated/0/ and search for the following queries: *.amr – standard format for call recordings. *.m4a — record-format». call_* — prefix.

If the files are not found, but you are sure that the recording was conducted, try connecting to the device via ADB (Android Debug Bridge) and search the entire file system:

adb shell


su




find / -name "*.amr" 2>/dev/null




find / -name "*.m4a" 2>/dev/null

Connect the phone to the PC with debugging enabled USB|Install. ADB-Android drivers and platform SDK|Run the command line in the folder with ADB|Execute Adb Devices and Adb Shell|Use Find to Find Files

-->

⚠️ Attention: Search through ADB It can take a long time and requires root permissions to access the system folders. Without them, you will only see files in the user section (/storage/emulated/0/).

Recovery of Deleted Call Records

If the records have been deleted, you can try to restore them using specialized tools, and note that the odds depend on how long it has been since the deletion and how actively the phone's memory was used.

For restoration without root rights:

1. Install DiskDigger from Google Play.
2. Select the Internal Storage section.
3. Start a deep analysis (deep scan).
4. Filter the results for.amr and.m4a extensions.
5. ☁️ Through Cloud Services: Upload files to Google Drive, Mi Cloud or Dropbox directly from your phone. Use automatic sync (e.g., in Mi Cloud, enable backup of the Recordings folder).

Through messengers:

Telegram

WhatsApp

For convenience, you can create ZIP-file-recording:

1. Open the file manager.
2. Select the necessary files in the folder with records.
3. Press Press Press (or Archive in Solid Explorer).
4. Send the archive to your PC or cloud.

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Regular backups of records are the only reliable way to avoid losing them, and even if the file is deleted from your phone, a copy of it in the cloud or on your PC will remain available.

Problems with recording calls on Redmi Note 8 and their solutions

Redmi Note 8 users often experience typical problems recording conversations, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

If the recording is interrupted or saved by fragments, try:

• 🔋 Disable battery optimization for the Dictophone application (Settings) → Battery → Optimizing the battery).
• 📶 Switch from VoLTE to 3G — Sometimes it solves the recording problem.
• 🔄 Reset the settings of the phone application (Settings) → Annexes → Phone. → Warehouse → Drop it).

Alternative ways to record calls on Xiaomi

If the built-in MIUI is not suitable, you can use third-party applications. However, note that with Android 9+, many of them stopped working due to Google restrictions.

• 🎤 Cube Call Recorder ACR — It records calls in high quality, but it requires you to configure permissions. MIUI 14, include ADB-permission: adb shell pm grant com.nll.acr android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO adb shell pm grant com.nll.acr android.permission.READ_CONTACTS
• 📞 Call Recorder by Lovekush is a simple interface, but may not record the voice of the interlocutor on some firmware.
• ☁️ OTT Call Recorder – specializes in recording VoIP calls (WhatsApp, Viber).

To install alternative recording applications:

1. Download APK from the official website (e.g. Cube ACR).
2. Allow installation from unknown sources (Settings → Security → Unknown sources).
3. Launch the application and provide all the permissions requested.
4. In the application settings, select the save format (.mp3 or.wav) and folder.

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If a third-party app doesn't record the voice of the person you're talking to, try to turn on speaker while you're talking. Some programs only record the sound through the speaker.

FAQ: Frequent questions about recording calls on Redmi Note 8