Where to look for recorded conversations on Xiaomi: hidden folders, cloud and backups

Recording phone conversations on Xiaomi smartphones is a useful feature that helps to capture important conversations, interviews or evidence. However, many users face the problem: where exactly are these records stored after the call is completed? Depending on the model (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 11) and the version of MIUI, the location of files may vary, and sometimes the audio is completely “hidden” in non-obvious folders or cloud services.

In this article, we’ll look at all possible places to store conversation records on Xiaomi devices, from standard applications to hidden system directories, and learn how to recover deleted records, transfer them to your computer, and why some files can “disappear” after a MIUI update.

If you’ve never consciously enabled conversation recording, but you suspect that your smartphone may have saved audio automatically (e.g., through Google Assistant or MIUI Security), check out the hidden recording section, and we’ll show you how to check for “invisible” files without root rights.

Before you start searching, make sure your Xiaomi has actually recorded. On some models (such as the Redmi 10C or POCO M4 Pro), the feature is disabled by default due to legal restrictions in certain countries, and it may require manual configuration or third-party software installation to activate it.

1. Standard Dictator app - the first place to search

On most Xiaomi smartphones, the default phone records are saved in the Recorder app, which is pre-installed in MIUI and automatically captures audio if you have enabled the recording option in your call settings.

To find the records:

1. Open the Dictophone app (icon with microphone).
2. Go to the Calls tab, which can be called Conversations or Call Records, depending on the version of MIUI.
3. View the list. Files are usually sorted by date, and the name shows the subscriber number.

⚠️ Note: If the Calls tab is missing, it means that the recording was not automatically recorded. In this case, check the settings of the Phone application - the function may be disabled in the Settings section. → Recording of conversations.

Files from the "Dictophon" are stored in the device memory along the way:

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

You can copy them to your computer through MTP-Connect or send yourself to the messenger (for example, Telegram).

2. folder MIUI/sound_recorder — audio-storage

If there are no records in the Dictaphone, but you are sure that the conversation was recorded, check the hidden system folder, which stores all the audio files created by standard MIUI tools, including call records, voice notes and even some system logs.

How to find the folder:

• 📁 Connect your smartphone to your PC through USB-cable and select file transfer mode (MTP).
• 🔍 In the conductor Windows/Mac Go along the way: Internal memory → MIUI → sound_recorder → call_rec/
• 🎧 The files are formatted.m4a or.amr and names of the species call_20260515_123456.m4a (where the numbers are date and time).

⚠️ Note: On some firmware (for example, MIUI Global for the European Region) folder call_rec It may be absent due to restrictions GDPR. In this case, the recordings are either not maintained or saved to the Mi Cloud.

If the folder is empty, but you remember that the record was made, try searching the files:

*.m4a

or

*.amr

any file manager (e.g. Solid Explorer or FX File Manager)

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To avoid losing records when resetting settings, copy the folder sound_recorder on SD-It's a map or a cloud, and when it's dropped, it can be returned.

3.Mi Cloud - Backup of records

Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 12 and later can automatically synchronize recordings of conversations with the Mi Cloud, which is especially true if the device is enabled with the option “Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Backup”.

How to check records in the cloud:

• 🌐 Go to i.mi.com and log in to your Mi Account.
• 📁 Go to the section "Cloud» → «Files» → «Audio».
• 🔍 Enter a request in the search bar call_rec or sound_recorder.
• ☁️ If files are found, they can be downloaded to the PC or shared a link.

Important: Starting with MIUI 14, the cloud conversation records are only stored for 30 days unless the Long Storage option (available by subscription) is enabled.

If there is nothing in the cloud, but you are sure that sync has been enabled, try forcefully updating your backup:

Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization → Update

4. Third-party applications for recording calls

If standard MIUI tools don't fit (for example, due to restrictions in your area), you may have used third-party apps to record conversations.

• 🎤 Cube Call Recorder ACR — Records both sides of the conversation (requires manual settings).
• 📞 Call Recorder by Lovekesh – Cloud storage.
• 🔊 Automatic Call Recorder – saves files to a folder /CallRecordings/.

Where to look for records from third-party applications:

1. Open the file manager and go to /storage/emulated/0/.
2. Find a directory with the name of the application (for example, ACR, CallRecordings).
3. Files are usually.mp3 or.3gp.

⚠️ Note: Starting with Android 10, many call recording apps stopped working properly due to Google's restrictions on accessing the microphone while calling.If you're using Xiaomi on Android 12+, Check the permission settings for the application:

Settings → Applications → [Application Name] → Permissions → Microphone and Phone

Install the application from the official source (Google Play)

Provide all necessary permissions (microphone, phone, storage)

Enable entry in the application settings

Check the storage folder in the recorder settings-->

5. Hidden Records: Google Assistant and MIUI Security

Few people know, but some conversations can be recorded implicitly through Google Assistant or MIUI Security features, which are not displayed in Dictator, but are stored in system logs or the Google cloud.

Where to look:

• 🤖 Google Assistant: Open myactivity.google.com. Select Audio and Phone in the filters. View the list. You can listen to or download the files.
• 🛡️ MIUI Security (Security): Go to Settings → Memory. → Files. → Categories → Audio, look for files with extensions.m4a and the date of creation coinciding with the time of the call.

⚠️ Note: Google Assistant records are only stored if a voice command (e.g., “OK, Google”) is activated during the call.

Also check the folder:

/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.google.android.apps.recorder/files/

This can store audio files created by Google services (for example, if you used the “Talk Record” feature in Google Phone).

6 Recovery of Deleted Records of Conversations

If you accidentally delete a recording of a conversation, you can try to restore it, and success depends on how long it has been since you deleted it and whether programs like Clean Master have been used to clean up the memory.

Recovery methods:

Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Select “Full Scan” (Full Scan).
3. Tag files with the.m4a,.amr, or.mp3 extension.
4. Save the recovered files to SD-map.

⚠️ Note: If you are using Xiaomi with encrypted storage (Settings option) → Security → Encryption, recovery of deleted files is almost impossible without factory reset, in which case the only chance is backup in Mi Cloud.

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The faster you start recovering from deletion, the better the chances of returning a file.Every new record or application installation reduces the likelihood of success.

7. Transfer of records to computer and cloud services

If you find a conversation record and want to keep it for a long time, you'd better transfer it to your computer or to a reliable cloud.

Modes of transfer:

• 🖥️ Through USB-cable: Connect your smartphone to your PC in file transfer mode (MTP). Copy the folder. sound_recorder or individual files on a hard disk.
• ☁️ Through the Cloud: Upload files to Google Drive, Dropbox or Yandex Drive. Use the Files by Google app for quick downloads.
• 📤 Through instant messengers: Send audio files to yourself on Telegram (without compression) or WhatsApp. Use the "Send" feature in the file manager.

⚠️ Note: When transferring via messengers (except Telegram), files may be compressed, which worsens the sound quality. USB or cloud-based services with support.m4a.

If you need to convert a format (e.g. from.amr to.mp3), use the free online services:

• Online-Convert
• CloudConvert

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi conversation records