Where on Xiaomi Redmi record from the recorder is saved: all possible folders and recovery methods

Have you recorded an important conversation, lecture or voice note on Xiaomi Redmi but can’t find the file? or accidentally deleted the recording and want to return it? In this article, we will examine all possible storage locations for audio files on Redmi smartphones (including Note 10/11/12, Redmi 9/10/13 and others), as well as how to back them up and restore them.

Xiaomi uses a proprietary MIUI shell that can store records in different folders depending on the system version (from MIUI 12 to MIUI 14) and the application used. In addition, files can be “hidden” in the Mi Cloud cloud storage or on an external memory card. We analyzed all scenarios and collected current folder paths for 2026, including hidden directories that are not written in the official documentation.

1. Standard place of storage of records in MIUI

By default, the Dictophone app (or Sound Recording in newer versions of MIUI) stores files in the smartphone's internal memory. The path depends on the firmware version:

• 📁 For MIUI 12–13: /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/ or /storage/emulated/0/Recorder/
• 📁 For MIUI 14: /storage/emulated/0/Android/media/com.miui.soundrecorder/
• 📁 For older versions (MIUI 10–11): /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/SoundRecorder/

Files have extensions.m4a (AAC) or.amr (for short notes) and are named by template REC_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS. For example, REC_20260515_143022.m4a — record 15 may 2026 yearly 14:30.

⚠️ Note: If you connected your smartphone to your PC and didn’t see the folder MIUI or Recorder, check the settings for displaying hidden files in Explorer Windows/macOS. V MIUI hidden folders are displayed by default, but on the computer they may not be visible.

To quickly find records without connecting to a PC:

1. Open the Files app (yellow folder icon).
2. Go to the tab "Category» → «Audio».
3. Sort files by date of creation (click on the three dots in the upper right corner).

2. Alternative folders for records (if the standard path does not work)

If there are no files in the above directories, check these locations:

If you used Google Drive or Mi Cloud to automatically back up, files could be synced to the cloud to check:

1. Open “Settings” → “Xiaomi Account” → “Mi Cloud” →
2. Check the “Backups” or “Files” section.
3. For Google Drive: Open the app and find the Backups or Sound Recorder folder.

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If you recorded calls, not voice notes, look for files in a folder. /storage/emulated/0/CallRec/. They usually have the.amr extension and are named by phone number, for example. +79123456789_20260515_102015.amr.

3. How to find records on a memory card (SD-card)

If you saved files to an external drive, the path will be similar, but with a prefix. /storage/XXXX-XXXX/, where XXXX-XXXX — Unique card identifier. Examples:

• 📁 /storage/1234-5678/MIUI/sound_recorder/
• 📁 /storage/1234-5678/Recorder/
• 📁 /storage/1234-5678/Android/media/com.miui.soundrecorder/

To find out the exact identity of your SD-map:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and open “This Computer” (Windows) or “Finder” (macOS).
2. Find a removable disk with your card name (such as an SD Card).
3. Right-click → “Properties” → “General” tab. The ID will be on the way (e.g. G:\ corresponds to /storage/1234-5678/).

⚠️ Note: Some Redmi models (e.g. Redmi Note) 10 Pro) when formatting the card as internal memory, the path to the files changes to /mnt/expand/XXXX-XXXX/.... In this case, use the file manager on your phone, as the PC may not see the directory.

4.Research records through MIUI system search

If you don’t want to manually browse folders, use the built-in search function:

Open the Files app»|Click on the magnifying glass icon (search) in the upper right corner|Enter the request: REC_ or.m4a|Filter the results by date of creation|Check the Audio tab»-->

An alternative way is to use Google Files (the “Google Files” app):

1. Install the app from the Play Market (if not).
2. Open it and go to the “Search” tab.
3. Type:audio and click on “Search”.
4. Sort the results by the “Date of Change”.

The advantage of this method is that Google Files looks not only in standard folders, but also in the cache of applications, where temporary copies of records can remain.

5 How to transfer records to a PC or other device

There are several ways to export audio files:

Method 1: Through USB-cable

1. Connect Redmi to your computer using a USB-Type C cable.
2. On your phone, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
3. Open the entries folder (see Section 1) and copy the files to your PC.

Method 2: Through the Mi Cloud

1. Open Settings → “Mi Cloud” → “Backup”.
2. Select “Manual backup” and tick “Dictophon”.
3. After synchronization, go to i.mi.com from your PC, log in and download files from the Files section.

Method 3: Through messengers

If you need to quickly transmit the record:

• 📤 Open the file in the application "Files» → Press "Share» → Choose Telegram, WhatsApp or Email.
• 🔗 For large files (>50MB) use Google Drive or WeTransfer.

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When you send files via messengers, you can compress them (especially on WhatsApp). USB-cable.

6.Recovery of deleted records

If you accidentally delete a record, you can try to return it, and success depends on how long it has been since you deleted it and whether the smartphone has been used since then (new data can overwrite deleted files).

Method 1: Through the MIUI basket

MIUI 12-14 has a built-in file basket:

1. Open the Files app.
2. Go to the “Basket” tab (the garbage can icon).
3. Find the deleted record (files are stored there for up to 30 days).
4. Press the file. → «Restore».

Method 2: Using third-party programs

If the cart is empty, use the recovery utilities:

• 🛠️ DiskDigger (Android) – Searches for deleted files without root rights (but with limitations).
• 💻 Recuva (Windows) – Connect your smartphone as a smartphone USB-storage device and scan the internal memory.
• 📱 EaseUS MobiSaver – specializes in audio file recovery.

Instructions for DiskDigger:

1. Install the app from the Play Market.


2. Launch and select "Full Scan" (requires root for deep search).




3. Mark the file type: "Audio" (.m4a,.amr,.mp3).




4. wait until the scan is finished (may take 10–30 minutes).




5. Select the records found and click "Restore."

⚠️ Note: Do not install recovery software on the same memory as the deleted files (e.g., the internal memory of the smartphone). SD-card.

Method 3: Through Mi Cloud Backup

If you have synced with Mi Cloud:

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset.
2. Select “Restore from backup” and specify the date when the record still existed.
3. Confirm the recovery (only part of the data associated with the Dictophone application will be overwritten).

7.Setting up the default record saving location

To avoid confusion in the future, change the default save folder:

1. Open the Dictophone app (or Sound Recording app).
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner → “Settings”.
3. Select "Save folder."
4. Indicate the desired location: internal memory, SD-map or specific folder (e.g, /Download/Audio/).

You can also set up:

• 🔊 Recording format (.m4a — Better for long-term records,.wav for high quality).
• 📏 Sound quality (from "Economic" to "High»).
• ☁️ Auto boot to Mi Cloud (enable backups if you want).

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On Redmi Note 12 and later, the "Record from Lock Screen" option has been introduced in the voice recorder settings, and turn it on if you want to start recording quickly without unlocking your phone.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi Redmi entries