Where on Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 are stored phone records: the full guide

Have you had an important conversation on the phone, turned on the record, but now you can't find the file? Or accidentally deleted the record and want to restore it? On Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 (model whyred), searching for audio files with conversations can turn into a real quest — especially if you don't know where exactly the system stores this data. Unlike modern smartphones with MIUI 12+ and above, where records are stored in the cloud or special partitions, on Redmi Note 5 (released in 2018), everything is different.

In this article, we will analyze all possible storage locations of records, from standard folders to hidden system directories, and also tell you how to find files if you used third-party applications for writing. MIUI 9/10 (Spoiler: If you haven't changed your default settings, your records are probably in a folder. /MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/ — But it's not the only place.

1. Standard MIUI record storage location on Redmi Note 5

By default, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 with MIUI 9 or 10 firmware stores conversation records in a system folder that is hidden from the user in a standard file manager. To see it, you either need to enable the display of hidden files or use a root Explorer. Here are the exact ways in which records can be stored:

• 📁 Main folder: /sdcard/MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/ — Here are the recordings made through the standard Dictator app (com.miui.soundrecorder) and the files are.amr or.mp3 and are named by pattern call_rec_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.
• 📁 Alternative folder: /sdcard/Recordings/Call/ — It is used in some regional versions. MIUI (For example, for India or global firmware).
• 📁 Cash app: /data/data/com.miui.soundrecorder/cache/ — Temporary Record Files (Available with root rights only).

If you don’t find the MIUI folder in the root directory, it could mean one of three:

1. You never turned on recording conversations through a standard app.
2. The folder was deleted after resetting settings or clearing the Dictophone app data.
3. You use custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience) where the file storage logic is different.

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If you connect your phone to your computer via USB but don’t see the MIUI folder, try enabling the USB Security settings option in the developer settings and using an administrator-enabled conductor (such as Total Commander).

2. How to find records if you used a third-party app

Many Redmi Note 5 users install alternative programs to record conversations, such as Cube Call Recorder, ACR, or Call Recorder by Lovekesh.These apps store files in their own folders, which may be located in the following places:

If you don't remember which application you used, try searching the file manager, type in the search box for the keywords call, rec, record or call, and check the settings of each of the installed applications for recording — usually the storage path is specified in the Storage or Save location.

3. Search for records through file manager: step-by-step instructions

To avoid guessing where your records might be, use this algorithm:

Open any file manager (e.g., Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer)

Enable the display of hidden files in the settings (the option to Show hidden files)

Go to the root directory (/sdcard/or /storage/emulated/0/)

Look for folders with names: MIUI, Recordings, CallRecorder, sound_recorder

If nothing is found, check the Download folder – some apps save entries there by default.-->

If you use Mi File Manager, look at the Category → Audio tab, which can display all audio files, including conversation records, even if they are in non-obvious folders, and it is also useful to sort files by date of change — fresh entries will be at the top of the list.

Important: If you connect your phone to your computer via USB in file transfer (MTP) mode, some folders (e.g. /MIUI/) may not show up.

1. Use it. ADB To access the file system (command: adb pull) /sdcard/MIUI/sound_recorder/ C:\CallRecords\).
2. Install Droid Explorer on your PC, which shows hidden system directories.

4. Recovering Deleted Records of Conversations

If you accidentally delete a record, not everything is lost. On the Redmi Note 5, you can try to restore files using specialized utilities. The main rule is: do not write new data to your phone until you try to restore it, this increases the chances of success.

Here are the proven ways:

• 🔍 PC software: Recuva (free, works with memory cards and internal memory); DiskDigger (there is a version for Android, but requires root); EaseUS MobiSaver (paid, but with a high recovery rate).
• 📱 Mobile Apps: Dumpster (works as a Remote File Recycle Bin). GT Recovery (requires root rights for deep scanning).
• ☁️ Cloud Backups: If you’ve synced your records with Google Drive or Mi Cloud, check Backups or CallRecordings folders in cloud storage.

⚠️ Note: If you have used data encryption on Redmi Note 5 (Settings option) → Additionally. → Encrypting your phone, recovering files without a password is almost impossible.

5. Setup to automatically save records to the cloud

To keep important records in the future, set up automatic uploads to the cloud. On the Redmi Note 5, you can do this in two ways:

1. Through Mi Cloud: Open Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud. Enable Sync for Sound Recorder. Make sure that the Dictator settings enable Autoboot to the Cloud.

Through Google Drive:

• Install the AutoSync for Google Drive app.
• In the settings, specify the path to the folder with records (for example, /MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/).
• Set up an automatic download schedule (for example, once a day).

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Even if you don’t plan on listening to the recordings later, setting up a cloud backup will take 5 minutes, but save you hours of data recovery in the event of a loss.

6.Conversations on Redmi Note 5 and their solutions

Sometimes records may not be saved or disappear for the following reasons:

If you find that records are saved but not reproduced, try the following:

• 🔧 Convert files to another format with Audacity or Online-Convert.
• 📱 Check the records on another device (possibly a codec problem on your phone).
• 🔄 Update the recording app to the latest version.