Where Xiaomi Stores Phone Records: All Ways to Find and Retrieve Files

Have you recorded an important conversation on Xiaomi but can't find a file? Or accidentally deleted a record and want to restore it? In Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, call records are stored in non-obvious places — their path depends on the firmware version, device model and even regional settings. In this article, we will analyze all possible storage locations, including hidden system folders, and also explain how to access them without root rights and with them.

It’s important to understand that the standard Dictophone app and the built-in call record (if supported by your model) store files in different directories. In addition, some firmware (e.g. MIUI Global vs. MIUI China) can use different file naming algorithms. We analyzed the behavior of more than 20 models — from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra — and found common patterns.

If you don’t find entries in obvious folders, don’t panic: files could have been moved to a secure storage or archived by the system. Below you’ll find step-by-step instructions for all scenarios, from simple Files search to complex ADB manipulations.

1. Standard ways to store call records on Xiaomi

In most cases, the phone records on Xiaomi are saved in one of three folders:

• 📁 Internal memory. → MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec — standard place for recordings made through an embedded voice recorder or call recording function (if activated in settings).
• 📁 Recordings/Call — alternative path used in some versions MIUI 12–14 (especially on global firmware).
• 📁 Android/data/com.android.providers.media/recordings — a hidden folder where records can be saved if you used third-party applications with storage permissions.

To check out these directories:

1. Open the Files app (or any other file manager, such as Solid Explorer).
2. Go to the internal memory (not to be confused with the internal memory). SD-card!).
3. Turn on the display of hidden folders: click on three dots in the upper right corner → Settings → Show hidden files.
4. Enter the folder name in the search bar (for example, call_rec) or scroll through the list manually.

The file name format is usually as follows: Call_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.mp3 or REC_XXXXXXXXXX.mp3, where XXXXXXXXXX — This is a time stamp in Unix timestamp. If you have a lot of files, sort them by the date you changed them to find the record you want faster.

2. Where to look for records if they are not in standard folders

If in the files call_rec or Recordings is empty, it doesn't mean that the records are deleted. MIUI can store files:

• 🔍 The cache folder of the "Phone" application": Android/data/com.android.dialer/cache/. Sometimes temporary copies of records remain here until the device is restarted.
• 🔍 Mi Cloud Cloud Storage: If you have sync enabled, records could be automatically uploaded to the cloud. → Records in the web version or mobile application.
• 🔍 External SD-card: if a removable drive was selected in the voice recorder settings, look for the CallRec or SoundRecorder folder on the memory card.

Critical nuance: in the firmware MIUI 13+ for the European region, the default call recording is disabled due to legal restrictions. If you did not manually activate it through Settings → Special features → Recording calls, files may not exist at all.

If you used a third-party recording app (such as Cube Call Recorder or ACR), check:

• 📌 Application settings → Rescue folder (usually this one) /storage/emulated/0/AppName/Recordings/).
• 📌 The Archive or Recycle Bin tab inside the application itself – some programs hide records until they confirm the preservation.

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If you don’t remember which app you used to record, check your installation history on Google Play: open a profile → App and Device Management → Recently installed.

3. How to find records through ADB (without root)

If files are not displayed in Explorer but you are sure that the recording was made, they can be found through Android Debug Bridge (ADB).

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB-tool.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to activate the developer mode, then additionally → For developers → Debugging by USB).

Instructions:

1. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
2. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with adb.exe.
3. Follow the command to search for records: adb shell find /storage/emulated/0/ -name "call" -o -name "REC" -o -name "record" This recursively scans the internal memory for files with keywords in the name.
4. If nothing is found, expand the search to: adb shell find /data/ -name ".mp3" -o -name ".amr" -o -name "*.m4a" Attention: search in /data/ requires root rights!

The result will be paths to the files you find. Copy them on a PC by the command:

adb pull /path/to/file/name.mp3C:\folder to pc\

4. Recovering Deleted Records of Conversations

If you accidentally delete a record, you can try to restore it, and success depends on how long it has been since it was deleted and how much memory the device has been using.

Recovery methods:

• 🗑️ Through the Recycle Bin: Some file managers (such as Mi File Manager) have a Recycle Bin function. → Recycle bin and check if there are deleted records (stored for up to 30 days).
• 🔄 Recovery software: Use utilities like DiskDigger, Recuva (for PC) or Dumpster (for Android!
• 📱 Mi Cloud Backups: If Automatic Backups Are Enabled, Check out Mi Cloud → Backup copies → Select a date. Records can be in the archive under the Multimedia section.

Important: When you recover from a PC, connect your phone to File Transfer (MTP) mode, not Charge. Otherwise, the programs will not see internal memory.

If the recording was made via Google Drive or another cloud, check:

• 🌐 Web version of the service (in the section "Recently deleted" or "Basket").
• 📁 Google folder Drive/Backups on the device (if synchronization is enabled).

Disable Wi-Fi and Mobile Data

Charge your phone at least 50%

Install a recovery program on your PC (not your phone!)

Connect your phone to the original cable

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5. Features of storing records on different Xiaomi models

The way to save records may vary depending on the model and version of MIUI. Below is a table with data for popular devices:

If your model is not in the table, focus on the MIUI version:

• 📱 MIUI 11 and below: the records are most often in /MIUI/sound_recorder/ subfoldless.

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On models with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip (such as the Xiaomi 13 Ultra), records can be encrypted hardware, and extraction will require the original com.miui.voicerecord application or root access.

6.How to enable automatic call recording on Xiaomi

If you want all calls recorded automatically, activate this feature in your settings. Please note that in some countries (e.g. the EU), recording conversations without the consent of the interlocutor may violate the law.

Instructions for MIUI 14:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner → Settings.
3. Select Call Record (if there is no item, proceed to the next step).
4. If records are disabled, go to Settings → Special Options → Record calls and turn on the option.
5. Set up the parameters: 🔘 Record all calls or only selected ones. 🔘 Select the file format (MP3 or M4A). 🔘 Specify the save folder (by default — /MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/).

For MIUI 12-13:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Phone → Permissions.
2. Activate permission to record audio.
3. Return to Phone Settings → Record calls and set up settings.

If you plan to use the records in court or for dispute resolution, save them in their original form (without editing) and record the date/time of creation through the File Properties.

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V MIUI 14 added the function "Secure records" (Settings) → Privacy → Protected Records, which allows you to hide selected files from prying eyes. PIN-finger-print.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi conversation records