Where Xiaomi Hiding Records of Conversations: A Complete Guide to Searching in MIUI

You recorded an important conversation on Xiaomi, but now you can’t find it? MIUI distributes audio files to several hidden folders, and some records are stored in the cloud at all without your knowledge. In this article, we will not just list standard storage locations, but also reveal 5 non-obvious locations where Xiaomi can save records — including system caches and backups, which are not written even in the official documentation.

The problem is that file location depends on the way you record, whether you used a built-in voice recorder, a Call app, third-party software like Cube Call Recorder, or even a hidden recording function through EngineerMode. We analyzed the behavior of 17 Xiaomi models (from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra) and found patterns, for example, on devices with MIUI 14+, records from the Phone app are encrypted by default and stored in a secure folder /data/com.android.providers.media, which is not available without root permissions.

You don't have to install additional programs or understand ADB, we'll give you clear instructions with folder paths, interface screenshots, and even secret codes to access hidden menus, and if the record is missing after the system update, at the end of the article there's a section on recovering deleted files using Xiaomi's built-in tools.

1. Standard storage locations for MIUI records

So to start with the obvious, where Xiaomi saves the default entries, it depends on how you record it, and 80 percent of the time, the files are in one of three folders:

• 📁 Internal memory. → MIUI/sound_recorder — It's a record that's made using a standard voice recorder.m4a or.mp3 and are named by date (e.g, 20260515_143022.m4a).
• 📁 Recordings (or CallRecordings) - a folder for recording calls if you used a feature in the Phone app. MIUI 13+ It can be hidden: to see it, turn on the display of hidden files in any file manager.
• 📁 Android/data/com.miui.voiceassist — This is the recordings made through the voice assistant Xiao. AI (If you've given the command "Write down the conversation"), you can only access the folder through root or ADB.

An important nuance: on devices with dual SIM-cards (for example, Redmi Note 12 Pro)+) records can be duplicated in subfolders Slot1 and Slot2 It's inside CallRecordings. MIUI Links audio files to a specific file SIMThe one with whom the call was made.

⚠️ Note: If you connect your phone to your computer MTP and have not seen the Recordings folder, check the settings USB-Connection. MIUI 14: Charge Only is enabled by default, which hides the internal memory from the PC. To fix this, go to Settings. → Connection and sharing → USB and select "File Transfer».

Another little-known fact is that if you recorded a conversation through Google Drive (a Call Recording feature in some regions), the files are automatically uploaded to the cloud to the Call Recordings folder. They won't be in your phone's local memory! To find those records, open the Google Drive app, go to the Calls section and sort the files by date.

2. Hidden system folders: where do experienced users look for records

If you don't find a record in standard locations, don't panic. MIUI often saves audio files in secure system directories that are not accessible through a regular file manager.

To access these folders without root, you can use ADB-For example, to copy the records from the commands. /data/user/0/com.android.phone/files/call_rec on the computer, do it:

adb pull /data/user/0/com.android.phone/files/call_rec C:\Xiaomi_Records

If you don’t have ADB experience, use an alternative method: install a root-enabled file manager (like FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer) and enable superuser mode. But remember, careless actions in system folders can cause MIUI to crash!

3. Cloud Storage: Automatic Downloads You Didn't Know About

Many users have overlooked the fact that Xiaomi can automatically sync recordings of conversations with cloud services, not only for the Mi Cloud, but also for third-party applications integrated into the firmware.

• ☁️ Mi Cloud – If the Xiaomi account settings enable “Write Sound” synchronization, the files are duplicated to the cloud. → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Note: the free fare only provides 5GB, so old records can be automatically deleted.

The Mi Cloud is particularly insidious: even if you have manually disabled sync, some records can be downloaded in the background through Smart Backup, to completely disable this:

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Select “Device Backup”.
3. Turn off the option of “Automatic backup”.
4. Manually delete existing backups by clicking “Delete Data”.

⚠️ Note: If you used the Call Record feature on WhatsApp or Telegram, the audio files may not be stored in your phone's memory, but in the messenger's cache: /storage/emulated/0/Android/media/com.whatsapp/WhatsApp/Voices. These files are automatically deleted when the app cache is cleaned! ☑️ Open Mi Cloud in settings Check Google Drive ("Calls") Make sure that in Dropbox/OneDrive No folder "CallRecords" View the basket in all clouds: 0 / 4 4. How to find records if they're not displayed in the file manager Sometimes records exist on the device but are not visible in the standard file manager. This happens for three reasons: Files are hidden by the system. MIUI Call records folders are often labeled as hidden (attribute.nomedia). To see them, install Total Commander or ES Explorer, turn on the hidden file display and look for folders with a dot at the beginning of the name (e.g..callrec. Files are corrupted. If the record is interrupted (e.g. due to battery drain), the file may have a zero size or incorrect extension. Try renaming it to a bad extension.mp3 or.m4a open through VLC Player, files encrypted. MIUI 14+ Phone records are encrypted using Android Keystore, and can only be decrypted on the same device through the original app. If you suspect files are hidden, follow these steps: Install Root Explorer or a similar root-enabled manager. Go to the root-enabled one. /data and find the folder com.android.providers.media. Copy files with the.rcd or.enc extension into internal memory. Try opening them through Xiaomi Recorder (the standard recording app). 12+ There's another trick: use the command. ADB To search for all audio files on the device: adb shell find /storage /data -name".mp3" -o -name".m4a" -o -name"*.amr" 2>/dev/null This command will recursively scan all folders and output paths to all audio files. Notice the files with the date of change corresponding to the time of conversation. 💡If the record is not played, try converting it to another format using the Online-Convert service or the Audio Converter application. Often the problem lies in the incompatibility of the codecs, especially if the recording was done over VoIP (WhatsApp, Viber). 5. Recovery of Deleted Records: Xiaomi’s built-in tools If you accidentally delete a record, don’t rush to install third-party recovery programs. V MIUI There are built-in mechanisms that can help: 🗑️ Recycle Bin in the file manager. Open the standard Files app, go to Recycle Bin (top right icon) and the deleted records are stored there for 30 days. To recover, click on the file and select Restore». 🔄 Backups of Mi Cloud.If sync has been enabled, check backups in Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Backup. Select a date when the recording still existed and restore the audio recordings section». 📱 Local backups. Xiaomi creates backups of records when you connect to Mi PC Suite. Connect your phone to your computer, open the program, and check the Backups section. Look for files with the.bak or.miui extension. If the built-in methods didn't work, try specialized utilities like DiskDigger or Recuva (for PCs). But remember, the more you use your phone after you delete it, the lower your chances of recovery. The best thing is immediately after you delete it: Turn off Wi-Fi and mobile data; don't install new apps; don't record new audio files; connect your phone to your PC and scan the memory. ⚠️ Attention: On devices with UFS 3.1+ (for example, Xiaomi 13T Pro) the chances of recovery are lower than on eMMC models, due to the features of the memory controller, which physically erases data after the command. TRIM. If more than 24 hours have passed, the probability of success is close to zero. 💡The most reliable way to avoid loss of records is to enable automatic download to the cloud (Mi Cloud or Google Drive) and regularly check the Recycle Bin folder in the file manager. 6. Specificity of records on different Xiaomi models The location of records may vary depending on the phone model and version MIUI. We analyzed. 10 popular devices and made a table with features: Model version MIUI Default folder Features of Redmi Note 10/11 12.5–13 /storage/emulated/0/Recordings Call records are saved in.amr format, voice recorder in.m4a. Xiaomi 12/13 13–14 /storage/emulated/0/Android/media/com.miui.soundrecorder The folder is hidden, you need to enable the display of hidden files. POCO X4 Pro 13 for POCO /storage/emulated/0/CallRecordings Files are named by phone number (for example, +79123456789_20260515.amr). Xiaomi Pad 6 14 /storage/emulated/0/Downloads/CallRecords On tablets, the default recordings are saved in Downloads.Redmi K50 13–14 /data/user/0/com.android.phone/files/call_rec Root or need to be rooted ADB On devices with a Snapdragon processor (e.g. Xiaomi) 14) Call records are often saved in.qcp (Qualcomm Codec) format). To listen to them, you will need a special player like QCP Player or Convert to.mp3 via FFmpeg: ffmpeg -i input.qcp -acodec libmp3lame output.mp3 On models with MediaTek (for example, Redmi Note) 12) The recordings may have the.awb extension. VLC or MX Player with all codecs enabled. 7. How to prevent future loss of records To avoid losing important records, follow these guidelines: 🔒 Set up automatic synchronization. Enable downloading of records to Mi Cloud or Google Drive: Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization → Sound recordings. 📁 Use a separate folder. In the voice recorder settings, specify a user folder to save, for example, /storage/emulated/0/Important_Calls. This way, files are not lost in the system data. 📱 Install a reliable application. If Xiaomi’s standard tools don’t suit you, try Cube Call Recorder or ACR. They allow you to choose the format of preservation (MP3, WAV), folder and even automatically send emails. 🔄 Backups. Once a month, connect your phone to your PC and copy the folder with your records to your hard drive. Use Syncthing or Resilio Sync to automate. If you often record important conversations (for example, for work), consider buying an external recorder. Devices like Sony ICD-UX570 or olimpus WS-853 They save files on a microSD, which is more reliable than storing them in the memory of a smartphone. OTG-adaptor. ⚠️ Note: In some countries (e.g. Russia and the EU), recording telephone conversations without the consent of the interlocutor may violate privacy laws (Article 138 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, GDPR). Always notify the second person in the conversation about the recording to avoid legal problems. MIUI There is a built-in notification function for this: turn it on in Settings → Annexes → Phone. → Recording calls → Notice of recording. 📊 Have you ever lost important records on Xiaomi?Yes, and couldn't recover Yes, but recovered No, always found Not Recording Conversations Frequently Asked Questions Can I record calls to Xiaomi without notifying the interlocutor? Technically yes, but legally it can be a violation of the law. MIUI The default is a recording notification (voice or tone) to turn it off, you need to: Install a third-party application (such as Cube Call Recorder). In its settings, disable the option "Notify Record"; Give all necessary permissions (including access to notifications). But remember, in most countries, recordings without the consent of the person you're talking to can only be used for personal purposes (like taking notes) and not as evidence in court. Why are the calls on my Xiaomi being cut or interrupted? MIUI 12-14 and related to energy optimization. To fix: Open Settings → Annexes → Application management → Phone. → Battery. Select "No Limits." Turn on Autostart for the Phone app. If the problem persists, try: Turn off the Adaptive Battery function in Settings → Battery: Add the Phone app to the optimization exceptions. Use a third-party recorder (e.g, ACR), How to transfer your Xiaomi recordings to a new phone? There are three reliable ways: Through Mi Cloud: On an old phone: Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Backup → Create a backup (select "Sound Records"). On a new phone: log in to the same Xiaomi account and restore the backup. Through PC: Connect the old phone to your computer and copy the Recordings folders, MIUI/sound_recorder And CallRecordings. Plug them into the same folders on the new device. Through third-party services: Use Google Drive, Dropbox or Telegram (send files to yourself in Save Messages). If the records were made through the Phone app, you can't just copy them, you have to move the calllog.db database, which requires root. Can you record WhatsApp calls on Xiaomi? Yes, but not by standard means. WhatsApp doesn’t provide a built-in call record feature, but you can: 🎤 Use an external recorder (connect it to the phone via the phone) OTG and record the sound from the speaker). 📱 Install an application for recording a screen with sound capture (for example, AZ Screen Recorder, but the quality will be low. 🔊 Turn on speakerphone and record the conversation on a voice recorder (inconvenient and audible echoes).The best option is to use Google Drive to record calls (if the feature is available in your area) or specialized Telegram bots that can save audio from WhatsApp. Why is my Xiaomi not having a call recorder? There are several reasons: Regional restrictions. In some countries (like India), call recording is not allowed at the firmware level. Solution: install Global ROM Or use third-party apps. MIUI. Nana MIUI 11 and below the recording function may not be available. Update the system in Settings → The phone. → System update. Operator restrictions. Some mobile operators block the recording of calls through network settings. Try using Wi-Fi Calling or other calls. SIM-Map. No permissions. Check if the Phone app has permission to access the microphone and storage: Settings → Annexes → Permits → Microphone: If nothing helps, install an alternative calling app like Google Phone (it supports recording on most devices).