Recordings from a Xiaomi recorder can suddenly disappear from view — especially if you use the app infrequently or switch between several audio recording programs. Unlike photos that automatically enter the gallery, audio files are often hidden in non-obvious folders of the system. And when you consider that MIUI regularly updates and changes the structure of data storage, it becomes even more difficult to find old records.
Many users mistakenly search for audio in the Music or Downloads section, but the standard Xiaomi voice recorder saves files in a separate internal memory directory. Third-party applications (such as Easy Voice Recorder or ASR Voice Recorder) can use their own folders. If you recorded sound through Quick Ball or voice notes in Mi Notes, the search becomes even more complicated. In this article, we will analyze all possible storage locations, including hidden system directories, and teach you how to recover lost files.
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1. Standard location of dictaphone records in MIUI
By default, the Dictaphone app (icon with microphone) on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones saves files to the folder:
/storage/emulated/0/Recorder/This path is relevant for all versions MIUI from 10 before 14, including global and Chinese firmware. Files have extensions.m4a (AAC-encoding) or.amr (for older models) and are named by the date/time of writing, for example: 20260515_143022.m4a.
To find the folder quickly:
- Open the Files app (yellow folder icon).
- Go to the Internal Storage section → Recorder.
- If there is no folder, check the hidden directories (turn on the display in the Files app settings).
⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T or POCO F5) record may be retained in /storage/emulated/0/Music/Recorder/. This is due to the peculiarities of customization. MIUI for different regions.
If you use Mi Notes for voice notes, the audio files will lie in:
/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.mi.android.notes/files/voice/⚠️ Note: Access to this folder is possible only through the file manager with root rights or after connecting the smartphone to the PC. /Android/data/.
2. Alternative Write Applications: Where Files Are Searched
If you installed a voice recorder from Google Play (such as Easy Voice Recorder, ASR or Hi-Q MP3 Recorder), the storage paths will be different.
| Annex | The path to files | Recording format |
|---|---|---|
| Easy Voice Recorder | /storage/emulated/0/EasyVoiceRecorder/ | .mp3, .wav |
| ASR Voice Recorder | /storage/emulated/0/ASR/Recordings/ | .mp3, .ogg |
| Hi-Q MP3 Recorder | /storage/emulated/0/HiQRecorder/ | .mp3 (up to 320 kbit/s) |
| Voice Recorder by Splend Apps | /storage/emulated/0/VoiceRecorder/ | .m4a, .3gp |
To find records from third-party apps:
- 📁 Open the files. → Internal storage → Use a search by the name of the application (for example, enter the «ASR»).
- 🔍 In the voice recorder settings, check the "Save folder" section - there may be a user path specified.
- 💾 If the files are not displayed, connect your smartphone to your PC and use Total Commander or ES Searcher conductor.
Important: Some applications (like OTT Recorder) save their records to the cloud by default. Check your sync settings!
3.Research records through MIUI system tools
If the Recorder folder is empty but you are sure that the recordings were made, use the built-in MIUI tools:
Method 1: Search by file
- Open the Files app.
- Slip on the icon of the magnifier (search) in the upper right corner.
- Enter.m4a,.amr,.mp3, or rec (part of the word "recorder").
Method 2: Checking the basket
- 🗑️ In the Files app, go to the Recycle Bin section (Dumpster Icon).
- 🔄 Audio files are stored there for up to 30 days - restore them if necessary.
Method 3: Application Log
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Find the recorder in the list and open the Warehouse.
- Tap File Management – the system will show all files associated with the application.
☑️ Step-by-step search for records
4. Recovery of deleted records
If files have been deleted, you can try to restore them using specialized utilities.
- 🛠️ DiskDigger (free version only searches for photos, but paid – all types of files).
- 🔧 Recuva (requires to connect the smartphone to the PC in mode) MTP).
- 📱 Dumpster (a shopping cart application that saves deleted files).
🔹 Instructions for DiskDigger:
- Install the app from Google Play.
- Select Full Scan (root permissions are required for deep search).
- Mark the file types: Audio (M4A, MP3, AMR).
- Wait for the scan to be completed and restore the required records.
⚠️ Note: Do not save recovered files back to the internal memory of the smartphone – use SD-This will prevent the overwriting of deleted data.
What to do if recovery has not helped?
5. Transfer records to PC or cloud
To avoid losing important audio files, it is recommended to regularly copy them to your computer or to the cloud.
Method 1: Through USB-cable
- Connect your smartphone to your PC using a USB-Type C cable.
- On your phone, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
- On PC, open This PC → Xiaomi [model] → Internal Storage → Recorder.
- Copy files to any folder on the hard disk.
Method 2: Through the Mi Cloud
- 🌥️ Open the Settings. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
- 📁 Enable sync for the Dictaphone app (if option is available).
- 💻 Go to i.mi.com from your PC and download files from the Records section».
Method 3: Through Google Drive
- Install Google Drive from the Play Market.
- Open the app → tap “+” → Download.
- Select files from the Recorder folder and confirm the download.
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If you have a lot of records, archive them in ZIP before uploading to the cloud, which will save space and speed up the process. Use the RAR or ZArchiver app from Play Market to archive.
6.Recording problems and their solutions
Sometimes the Xiaomi voice recorder doesn't work correctly: it doesn't save files, it doesn't write with noise or it doesn't start at all. Let's look at the typical errors and how to fix them:
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Records are not retained. | Insufficient memory or access rights error | Clear the app cache in Settings → Apps → Recorder → Storage |
| Files are corrupted (not reproduced) | Failure to record or incompatible format | Try playing through VLC Player or converting to MP3 |
| The recorder is off. | Conflict with other applications or MIUI failure | Restart your phone or update your app through Play Market |
| Recording interrupted | Battery optimization or background activity | Add a voice recorder to exceptions: Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization |
If the problem is not solved, try resetting the settings of the recorder:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Recorder → Storage.
- Tap Clear the data and Clear the cache.
- Reboot your smartphone.
💡
Before resetting the voice recorder settings, be sure to copy all records to a safe place – clearing the data will delete all audio files associated with the app!
7. Settings of the recorder: how to change the format and quality of the recording
By default, Xiaomi’s voice recorder records M4A (AAC) audio with a bitrate of ~96 kbps. If you want better quality or compatibility with other devices, change the settings:
- Open the Dictaphone app.
- Put it on the icon. ⚙️ (settings) in upper right corner.
- Select the recording format and set: MP3 for compatibility with most players; WAV for maximum quality (without compression); AMR for space saving (low quality).
Recording quality
192 kbps
⚠️ Attention: Format WAV It takes 5-10 times more space than M4A or MP3. If your smartphone has little memory, use compressed formats.
You can also set up:
- 🎤 Enable microphone amplification (useful for quiet recordings).
- 🔇 Turn off Autostop in silence (if recording is interrupted).
- 📁 Change the save folder (for example, to SD-map).