Why is Redmi 9T's recordings hard to find?
You just finished an important phone conversation on your Xiaomi Redmi 9T, turned on the record, but now you can’t find the file? This problem is familiar to many owners of Xiaomi smartphones – despite the built-in feature of recording calls, the files themselves often “hide” in non-obvious folders or disappear after a system update.
Another challenge is that Redmi 9T with MIUI 12.5 firmware and newer records can be archived by default to the Mi Cloud instead of local storage. If you haven't changed your settings, chances are that the files are not in the phone's memory, but on Xiaomi servers. In this article, we'll look at all the possible storage locations, ways to search and recover records, and explain why they sometimes "disappear" without your knowledge.
Standard storage locations for Redmi 9T
To start with the obvious, where Xiaomi stores the default entries, depending on the firmware version and the call app used, the paths may differ.
- 📁 Rec or CallRecord folder in internal memory: the most common path — /storage/emulated/0/Rec/ or /storage/emulated/0/CallRecord/. Records are stored in.amr format or.mp3.
- 📁 Mi Dialer app folder: If you use a standard call from Xiaomi, files can lie in the file /Android/data/com.android.dialer/files/.
- ☁️ Mi Cloud: Records are automatically synced if call backup is enabled in Xiaomi account settings.
- 🔄 Temporary cache folder: sometimes files remain in the cache /data/data/com.android.dialer/cache/, But access to it requires root rights.
To quickly check your standard folders, open any file manager (such as Mi File Explorer or Total Commander) and type.amr or.mp3 into the search bar, which will speed up the process. If the search fails, move to the next section.
How do I find records if they are not in standard folders?
If you don't get results from your Rec and CallRecord search, don't panic. Here are some alternative ways to do this:
- Check your call history: open the Phone app, find the contact or number you want, swipe left on the call record. Some versions of MIUI display a Play Record button here.
- Search the system: in Mi File Explorer, tap on the magnifying glass icon and enter a call or record. The system will find all files associated with the records.
- Check the external memory card: If you have a microSD installed, the records may have been saved to /sdcard/Rec/ or /sdcard/Music/CallRecordings/.
- Use third-party apps: Utilities like Call Recorder or Cube ACR scan your phone’s memory and find records even in non-standard places.
If you have used Google Phone (Google Call App), records can be stored in /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.google.android.dialer/files/. Please note: this folder can only be accessed through the root file manager or after connecting the phone to a PC.
☑️ Step-by-step search for records
Why are the recordings of the Redmi 9T missing?
One of the most common complaints of Xiaomi Redmi 9T users is the sudden disappearance of conversation records, and the reasons are several, and most of them are related to system settings or user actions:
| Reason. | How it happens. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Autocleaning the cache | The system removes old files from the Rec folder when memory is scarce. | Turn off automatic cleaning in Settings → Storage → Cleaning. |
| MIUI Update | After updating the firmware, the paths to the files may change, and the old records may be lost. | Before updating, copy the Rec folder to your PC. |
| Synchronization with Mi Cloud | Records are deleted from the phone after downloading to the cloud (if the option to delete after sync is enabled). | Check your cloud settings in Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Calls. |
| Reset to factory settings | All local records are deleted without the possibility of recovery. | Always back up your Rec folder before resetting. |
Especially often, records disappear after upgrading to MIUI 13/14, as these versions have changed the logic of storing multimedia files. If you notice that records stopped being saved after the system upgrade, try resetting the Phone application settings to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Phone → Storage → Clear Data. Attention: this will delete the call history!
What if the recordings are missing after the MIUI update?
How to recover deleted conversation records?
If the records are gone, not all is lost, but here are the ways to recover them, from the simplest to the most complex.
- 🔍 Check the Recycle Bin: Mi File Explorer has a Recycle Bin section where files are stored for 30 days.
- ☁️ Restore from Mi Cloud: Go to Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Recycle bin. Deleted files are stored there for 60 days.
- 📱 Use recovery software: DiskDigger, Recuva (on PC) or GT Recovery scans your phone's memory for deleted files, and that requires root access or a computer connection.
- 🔧 Contact Xiaomi Support: If the records are critical (for example, for the court), send a request to support with the indication IMEI phone and call dates. Sometimes they can be retrieved from server logs.
The more important thing is that the faster you start recovering, the better the chances of success, and once you delete the files, they don't physically disappear, they're marked as free, and over time, they're overwritten with new data, so immediately after the records are gone, you can't get a copy of them.
⚠️ Warning: Do not install new apps, shoot videos or download files – this reduces the chances of recovery.
💡
If you regularly record important conversations, set up an automatic backup of your Rec folder to the cloud (like Google Drive or Yandex Disk).
How to set up automatic recording of all calls?
To avoid future problems with finding records, set up automatic recording of all conversations. On Redmi 9T, it's done like this:
- Open the phone application (pipe icon).
- Slip on three dots in the upper right corner and select Settings.
- Go to the Record of Conversations section.
- Turn on the option to record automatically.
- Choose which calls to record: All, outgoing or incoming only.
- Please specify the location of your save: Phone (locally) or Mi Cloud (cloud).
If your version of MIUI does not have automatic recording options, install a third-party application, such as:
- Cube Call Recorder ACR supports recording of calls via VoIP (WhatsApp, Viber).
- Call Recorder by Lovekesh is a simple interface and save to the cloud.
- Truecaller – has a built-in recording function (but requires registration).
⚠️ Note: In some countries (e.g. Russia), recording telephone conversations without the consent of the interlocutor may violate the law on personal data.
💡
On Redmi 9T with MIUI 12.5+, the default records can be saved to the Mi Cloud cloud, not to your phone. Check your sync settings to avoid file loss.
Alternative ways to record conversations on Xiaomi
If the built-in recording feature doesn’t suit you (for example, due to poor sound quality or lack of option in your firmware), consider alternative methods:
| Method | Pluses | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Recording through the second device | It does not require phone settings, high quality. | I need a second phone or recorder. |
| Use of a headset with a record | Automatic recording when connected. | Additional expenses for the accessory. |
| Google Voice | Free integration with Google account. | It only works in the United States and some other countries. |
| Applications with VoIP support | Record calls via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. | They may violate the privacy policy of messengers. |
To record via the second device, connect Redmi 9T to a speaker or another Bluetooth phone and use it as a microphone. For example, the Wo Mic app allows you to transfer sound from one device to another over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and Audacity (on a PC) will record a conversation in high quality.