You recorded an important conversation, lecture or voice note on Xiaomi, but now you can't find a file? The problem is familiar to many: the standard Dictaphone app (or Mi Recorder in older versions) saves audio to non-obvious folders, and after updating MIUI, the paths may change. In this article, we will analyze all possible storage locations of records โ from internal memory to cloud services, and also tell you how to restore deleted files and transfer them to your computer.
Xiaomi's special feature is that the location of the voice recorder files depends on the MIUI version, the smartphone model, and even the firmware region. For example, on the Redmi Note 10 Pro with MIUI 14, the records are in one folder, and on the POCO F5 with global firmware, in another, we collected current data for all modern devices (2020-2026) and added instructions for outdated models.
Warning: If youโve used third-party recording apps (like Easy Voice Recorder or ASR Recorder), the storage paths will be different โ weโll cover them in a separate section.
1. Standard folders for storing records of a voice recorder on Xiaomi
By default, the Dictaphone app (mic icon) saves files in format.m4a or.mp3 It's in the device's internal memory. MIUI:
- ๐ MIUI 12โ14 (2020โ2026 garland.): /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/ or /storage/emulated/0/Recorder/
- ๐ MIUI 10โ11 (2018โ2019 garland.): /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/SoundRecorder/ (pay attention to the register!)
- ๐ Old versions (up to) 2018 s.): /sdcard/miui/sound_recorder/ or /sdcard/Recorder/
- ๐ For models POCO/Xiaomi global-fixed: /storage/emulated/0/Recorders/ (plurally!)
To open these folders:
- Connect your smartphone to your PC via USB (select File Transfer Mode in the notification curtain).
- Or use any file manager on your phone (like Google Files or standard Explorer).
- Enable the display of hidden folders in the manager settings (if the folder is not visible).
Important: If you don't find a Recorders folder or sound_recorder, Check if the app has redirected the recording to another location, like when you first start the recorder. MIUI may suggest selecting a folder to save โ many users accidentally point to Download or Music.
2. How to find records through the Dictophone application
Not everyone knows that the Dictaphone app itself has a built-in record manager to open it:
- Launch the app (mic icon, usually in the Tools folder).
- Slap the icon ยซโฎยป (three points) in upper right corner.
- Select My Records or All Records (name depends on MIUI version).
- Here you will see all the saved audio files with date, duration and listening ability.
This menu can be used:
- ๐ Find the record by date (sorting by time of creation).
- ๐ค Export the file to another application (Telegram, mail, cloud).
- ๐๏ธ Delete unnecessary records (they are sent to a basket where they are stored for 30 days).
- ๐ Add a record to your favorites (so you donโt lose important files).
If the list does not contain the required entry, check the basket (the icon of the box in the same menu), the deleted files are stored there for up to 30 days, after which they are permanently erased.
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MIUI 14 has an automatic transcription feature, so to use it, open the recorder and click on the T icon in the lower right corner, and the text will be saved in.txt format in the same folder as the audio.
3.Research records through MIUI system search
If you donโt remember where you saved the record, use the built-in search by device:
- Swipe down the main screen to open the search bar.
- Enter the query: type:audio or extension:m4a (if you know the format).
- The system will show all audio files, including recordings of the recorder.
Alternatively:
- ๐ Open the Files Application (or Explorer).
- Go to the tab "Categoryยป โ ยซAudioยป.
- Sort files by date of change to find fresh records.
Critical detail: system search MIUI Not always find files in hidden folders (for example, /MIUI/sound_recorder/). If the record is not displayed, use a file manager with root rights or connect the phone to your PC.
4. Cloud Storage: Where Xiaomi Can Automatically Store Records
Many users are unaware that Xiaomi can sync voice recorder recordings with cloud services by default.
| Service | The path to the records | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| Mi Cloud | Cloud โ Backup copies โ Dictaphone | Go to Settings โ Xiaomi Account โ Mi Cloud โ Backups and check if the Dictaphone application sync is enabled. |
| Google Drive | Disc. โ Backup copies โ Recorder folder" | Open Google Drive, search for Recorder or sound_recorder. |
| OneDrive | OneDrive โ Files โ Autoload โ Audio | Check the autoload settings in the OneDrive app. |
If you can't find the records in the cloud, maybe the sync has been disabled to enable it:
- Open the recorder. โ โฎ โ Settings.
- Find the item โSyncโ or โSyncโ.
- Select the cloud (Mi Cloud, Google Drive) and enable the option.
How to recover records from Mi Cloud if they are not displayed?
5. Recovery of deleted recordings of the recorder
If you accidentally delete a record, donโt despair โ it can be returned in one of the following ways:
- ๐๏ธ Recycle Bin in the Dictaphone application: open the application โ โฎ โ Basket โ Restore the file (stored for 30 days).
- ๐ Recovery from Mi Cloud backup: If sync was enabled, go to Settings โ Xiaomi account โ Mi Cloud โ Restore and select a backup with the desired date.
- ๐ ๏ธ Recovery software: DiskDigger, Recuva (requires root access for deep scanning).
- ๐ป Cache Check: Sometimes snippets of records remain in the folder /data/data/com.android.soundrecorder/cache/ (root).
Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger:
Install DiskDigger from Google Play| Connect your phone to your PC or use root access |Select Internal Memory |Select.m4a or.mp3|Start scanning and wait for results |Save recovered files to a safe place-->
โ ๏ธ Note: If you wrote files to a memory card instead of internal memory, the chances of recovery are higher. SD-The data is not erased immediately โ it is marked as free and can be returned before being overwritten with new files.
6 Transfer of recordings of the recorder to the computer
To copy entries to a PC, use one of the methods:
| Method | Instructions | Pluses | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| ๐ฅ๏ธ USB-cable | Connect your phone to your PC. Select File Transfer (MTP) mode. Open the entries folder (see Section 1) and copy the files. | Quick, doesn't require the internet | We need to manually search for the folder. |
| โ๏ธ Cloud. | Upload the recordings to Google Drive/Mi Cloud. Open the cloud on your PC and download the files. | Access from any device | Traffic restriction |
| ๐ง Mail/messaging | Send your records to your mail or Telegram (limit - up to 2 GB per file). | Simple and quick. | Size limitation |
If you are carrying a lot of records (for example, an archive of lectures), it is better to use it. USB-cable or cloud. Single files are more convenient messengers.
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When copying records on a PC, check their integrity: sometimes files can be corrupted during transfer, compare the size of the original and the copied file, and listen to a few seconds of recording.
7. Features for third-party recorder applications
If you used a third-party application, rather than a standard recorder (e.g. Easy Voice Recorder, ASR Recorder, Hi-Q MP3 Recorder), the storage paths will be different.
- ๐ค Easy Voice Recorder: /storage/emulated/0/EasyVoiceRecorder/ or /sdcard/Records/
- ๐๏ธ ASR Recorder: /storage/emulated/0/ASR/ (wav files)
- ๐ฑ Hi-Q MP3 Recorder: /storage/emulated/0/HiQRecorder/ or folder specified in the application settings
- ๐ Smart Recorder: /storage/emulated/0/SmartRecorder/ (time-stamped files in the title)
To find out the exact path for your application:
- Open the recorder app.
- Find the menu item "Settings" โ "Save folder".
- Or create a test record and check where it is saved (via the file manager).
โ ๏ธ Note: Some applications (such as Call Recorder for recording calls) save files to secure folders that are not visible without root rights.
8. Problem Solving: Records are not saved or are lost
If the Xiaomi voice recorder doesnโt save the records or they disappear, check the following points:
- ๐ต Insufficient memory: free up space in internal storage (needs at least 100MB).
- ๐ Permission restrictions: Go to Settings โ Annexes โ Dictaphone โ Permissions and enable access to memory, microphone.
- ๐ Application failure: clear the voice recorder cache (Settings) โ Annexes โ Dictaphone โ Warehouse โ Clear the cache).
- ๐ฑ Conflict with other applications: some programs for recording screen or calls can block the voice recorder.
- ๐ Mik trouble: Check if the microphone is working in other applications (like Voice Search).
If the problem is not solved, try:
- Update the Dictaphone app via Google Play.
- Install an alternative recorder (e.g. Easy Voice Recorder).
- Reset the application settings (Settings โ Applications โ Recorder โ Storage โ Reset).
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If recordings are interrupted or stored with interference, try turning off battery optimization for the Dictaphone application. Go to Settings โ Battery โ Battery Optimization, find a Dictaphone and select No Limits.