Where to find call records on Xiaomi: full paths and settings

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face the need to retrieve or simply listen to an important conversation that was recorded automatically, the problem of finding these files becomes especially urgent after upgrading the MIUI operating system to versions 12, 13 or 14, as well as when moving to the HyperOS shell. Changes in Android security policy and the structure of the file system led to the fact that standard ways of accessing audio recordings could shift or become hidden to the average user.

The main challenge is that system applications now often hide their data deep in directories that are restricted by rights. If you are looking for where the call records on Xiaomi are, you will need to know exactly the folder structure, because a simple search by file name in the gallery may not work. In this article, we will take a look at all possible locations, including hidden directories, and explain how to properly configure the write function so that files are saved exactly where you want.

It's worth noting that the path to files depends not only on the firmware version, but also on the application used for calls. Different calls can be pre-installed in different regions: standard from Google (Google Phone) or own development of MIUI Dialer. This is critically important for the final folder, which will be placed in the audio file after the conversation. Below we will discuss in detail both options and how to navigate to them.

Standard path to files through system conductor

The most obvious and frequently used way to find an audio record is to use the built-in file manager. On Xiaomi devices, it's called Explorer, and it has a distinctive yellow folder icon. By default, the system creates a single library for all audio files, which makes navigation easier. To get there, open the app and select the Audio or Sound tab, which contains all the melodies, voice messages and conversation recordings.

However, if you want to see the physical path to the file, you need to switch to category or folder view mode. MIUI The path was very simple: root directory, folder MIUI, later sound_recorder. But it's the phone records that have been changed, and now the most common way is the call app path, and in the address bar of the conductor, you can see the path that leads to the deepest Android system folders.

The full path to the standard conversation record folder on most current firmware is as follows: Internal drive/Android/data/com.android.incallui/record. Sometimes instead of com.android.incallui, the packet name com.miui.call, which is typical for global firmware versions, if you have moved this path and the folder is empty, it may be saved to the cloud or the automatic save feature on the device is disabled.

⚠️ Attention: Starting with Android 11 And above, access to the folder. Android/data For third-party file managers (such as Total Commander or Files by Google) it may be limited to the system.If you can’t see the files in this folder through a third-party explorer, use only Xiaomi’s regular Explorer, which has system privileges.

For user convenience, the system often duplicates links to these files in a special Dictophone app. When you run it, you'll see a list of all the records sorted by date. When you click on a particular record and select Details or Properties, you can see the full path to the file. This is the most reliable way to understand exactly where your particular smartphone model is storing data at the moment.

Differences between Google Dialer and MIUI Dialer

A critical point in locating records is understanding which app handles incoming and outgoing calls. On global versions of Xiaomi, Redmi and other smartphones. POCO, For those sold in Europe and Russia, Google Phone is the default device, and it has its own different data retention rules than the traditional one. MIUI Dialer, which is found in Chinese versions of firmware.

If you have a call from Google installed, the path to the records will be strictly defined by Google's security policy.Files are saved along the way: Internal Drive/Android/data/com.google.android.dialer/files/sound_recorder. Note the name of the package com.google.android.dialer, which is a key marker, and within this folder, files are usually called the date and time of the call, for example, 20231025_143000.mp3.

In the case of the native MIUI Dialer (often found in China or manually installed by enthusiasts), the path can lead to a folder. MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec or MIUI/sound_recorder/rec_call. The difference in directory structure is due to the fact that Xiaomi’s own application has deeper permissions to access the system and can write files to the public domain. MIUI, bypassing the strict limitations of the folder Android/data.

• 📁 Google Dialer: The path is always inside Android/data, Access is limited to new Android.
• 📁 MIUI Dialer: The path is often rooted in a folder MIUI, more open access.
• 📁 File format: Both applications use MP3 or M4A (AAC), The name structure may be different.

Users are often confused when changing region in their phone settings. Changing region from Russia to India or Singapore sometimes changes the call app to the Chinese version, which automatically changes the path to saved files. So if you suddenly stop finding old records, check if the application responsible for default calls has changed.

Search for records through the Dictophone application

Not all users know that Xiaomi smartphones have a centralized storage for all audio files — the Dictaphone app. It's not just a sound recording tool, but a full-fledged media manager. This is where the easiest way to find a recording of a conversation without digging into complex system folders. The app automatically indexes all audio recordings made in any way, including automatic call recording.

When you run the Recorder, you'll see a few tabs or categories, and we're interested in the "Talk Records" or "Calls" section. Unlike the standard Explorer, here files are already sorted by contacts or dates. If you see a record in the list but can't find it in folders, use the "Send" or "Share" function. Once you select this, the system will show you the path or allow you to immediately copy the file to an accessible place, such as the Download or Music folder.

An important feature of the HyperOS Recorder and the new MIUI is the ability to sync with the Xiaomi Cloud. If sync is enabled in the Recorder settings, then records can be deleted from the device to save space, remaining only in the cloud. Check the application settings: if you tick “Sync with the cloud”, check cloud storage through your browser or your Mi Account settings.

Hidden folders and access via computer

Sometimes the phone’s built-in conductor doesn’t display files due to software indexing errors or access rights failures, and in such cases, the most effective method is to connect the smartphone to the computer via a computer. USB-The computer sees the phone's file system as an external drive, allowing powerful tools to search and display hidden files.

Connect your phone to your PC, select the USB File Transfer (MTP) mode. Open My Computer, find your device. To display hidden folders in Windows, click the View tab and tick Hidden Items. Now you can see folders that start from a dot (like.miui), although in the case of call records they are usually open but lie deep. Go down the Internal Storage/Android/data path and check carefully the folders containing call, dialer or in-call names.

If you're using a Mac, you'll need an Android File Transfer or OpenMTP app. The principle is the same: look in the root directory. The advantage of a computer search is that you can use a file extension search (like.mp3 or.m4a) all over your phone's drive, which saves time if you don't know exactly which subfolder the system decided to put the file in this time.

Access problems on Android 11, 12, 13 and 14

New versions of the Android operating system (starting with the 11-Google has imposed strict restrictions on access to the folder Android/data and Android/obb. This is done for security reasons, so that malicious applications can not steal data from other programs. For the owner of Xiaomi, this means that even a regular conductor in some scenarios may not show the contents of the folder with the call records, showing it as empty.

The solution to this problem lies in the use of special permissions. Xiaomi’s regular Explorer usually asks for the necessary permission when you first log in to the system folders. If the request does not appear, try to clear the cache of the Explorer application or update it through the GetApps store. Also helps temporarily disabling battery optimization for the Explorer application, which allows it to work in the background and scan the file system without restrictions.

⚠️ Note: Do not try to change the permissions to system folders Android/data manually ADB Or root rights without understanding the consequences, which can cause the caller app to stop seeing the space and stop recording conversations altogether, or to start deleting old records cyclically.

Another reason for file loss may be the memory cleanup function, which can automatically delete old records if the memory is more than 90% full, check the Cleanup settings, and add a folder with call records to exceptions if you want to keep a conversation archive for years.

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Use cloud storage for backup. Set up an automatic download of the folder with the records of calls to Google Drive or Yandex.Disk. This will save your data in the event of losing your phone or resetting to factory settings.

Set up automatic recording and save ways

So, instead of looking for records manually, you better set up the system once, go to the Phone app, click on three dots (menu) and select Settings. Find the Call Record section, and you can automatically record all calls that are coming and going.

In the same menu, you can often (but not always, depending on the version of the call) select Listen to the recordings, which will take you straight to the folder, avoiding long searches. If you use third-party recording apps (as in some regions the native recording may not work or alert the interlocutor), the paths will be different, for example, the popular Cube ACR application creates its own folder at the root of the disk.

For users who are critically important to control files, it is recommended to regularly review the record folder. Delete the unnecessary, sort the important by folder. Remember that storing thousands of files in one directory can slow down the Dictophone or Audio Gallery application, since the system takes time to index the metadata of each file.

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The main conclusion: The path to recording depends on the caller app. For Google Dialer, it's a caller app. /Android/data/com.google.android.dialer..., for MIUI Dialer — /MIUI/sound_recorder.... Use a regular conductor to access.

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