How to clean the recorder on the Xiaomi phone: delete the recording without a trace

The Xiaomi recorder is an indispensable tool for quick notes, interviews or recording lectures. But over time, the folder with audio files grows to giant sizes, taking up precious space in the device’s memory, especially for owners of budget models Redmi or POCO with a limited built-in storage capacity (16-32 GB), Even if you regularly transfer recordings to your computer, the system can leave temporary files, cache and metadata that “eat” additional megabytes.

In this article, we will explore all the possible ways to clean a tape recorder on Xiaomi, from manually deleting unnecessary records to completely resetting an application with deleting service data. You will also learn where the voice recorder files are stored in the MIUI file system, how to recover accidentally deleted records and why standard deleting through the gallery does not always free up space. The instructions are relevant for all modern models: Xiaomi 13/14, Redmi Note 12/11, POCO X5/F5 and older devices on MIUI 12-14.

Where are the recordings of the recorder on Xiaomi stored?

Before you start cleaning, it is important to understand where exactly the audio files are stored. By default, the Dictator app (com.miui.voiceassist or com.android.soundrecorder) uses two main folders:

• 📁 Internal memory: /storage/emulated/0/Recordings/ or /storage/emulated/0/Music/Recordings/ — All user records are stored in the format.m4a or.mp3.
• 📁 Cash and service details: /data/data/com.miui.voiceassist/ — Temporary files, logs and application settings (available only with root rights).
• ☁️ Mi Cloud: If sync is enabled, copies of records can be duplicated in cloud storage (check Settings). → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Backup).

On some firmware (e.g. MIUI Global for the European market), the path may be different to find out exactly where the files are located:

1. Open the Dictator app.
2. Click on any entry and select “Details” or “Properties”.
3. The full path to the file will be shown at the bottom of the screen (for example, /storage/emulated/0/Recordings/20260515_1430.m4a).

⚠️ Warning: Do not confuse the Recordings folder with Voice, which stores voice notes from the Mi Notes app. Deleting files from there will not free up space occupied by the recorder.

Method 1: Delete records through a standard application

The easiest method is to clean it right in the voice recorder interface, which is suitable if you need to delete individual files or groups of records:

1. Open the Dictophone app (the microphone icon on your desktop or in the application menu).
2. Press and hold your finger on any recording to activate the selection mode.
3. Check the unnecessary files (you can select everything by clicking on the basket icon at the top).
4. Click on “Delete” (basket icon) and confirm the action.

To speed up the process, use sorting by date or size:

• 📅 Click on three dots in the upper right corner → «Sort by» → Choose “Date” (from new to old) or “Size” (from large to small).
• 🔍 Type in a keyword (such as “lecture”) to find specific entries.

⚠️ Attention: Deleting through the app does not clean the cart MIUI. Files stay in the.Trash folder for another 30 days and continue to take up space. To free up the memory completely, go to the Gallery» → «The basket and clean it manually.

Method 2: Cleaning through File Manager

If the standard application doesn’t show all records (for example, due to a crash) or you want to delete files in a packet, use the built-in file manager:

1. Open the File Manager app.
2. Go to the Audio section or find the Recordings folder manually along the path /storage/emulated/0/.
3. Select files (long tap → tick) or click “Select all”.
4. Click on “Delete” (basket icon) and confirm.

Advantages of this method:

• 👍 All audio files are visible, including hidden or corrupted (which are not displayed in the recorder).
• 📊 You can sort by size and delete the most "heavy" records first.
• 🔄 Ability to recover files from the cart within 30 days.

For convenience, enable the display of hidden files:

File Manager Settings → Three Points → Settings → Show Hidden Files

💡

If the Recordings folder is empty but the disk space is still occupied, check the /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.miui.voiceassist/files/ folder – temporary copies of records may be stored there.

Method 3: Complete reset of the Dictophone application

If the recorder is unstable (e.g., does not record sound, emits errors or shows old files), resetting settings and cache will also help, which will delete all records, but clear up service data that can take up to 100-300 MB (depending on the number of records).

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Dictator (com.miui.voiceassist or Sound Recorder).
3. Click on “Storage” → “Clear Data” and “Clear Cache”.
4. Confirm the action (all records will be deleted irrevocably!).

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (MIUI China) data reset may cause the application to crash. If the voice recorder does not open after cleaning, reinstall it via Settings → Annexes → Remove updates.

Method 4: Delete via computer (for power users)

If there isn’t enough space on your phone to install file managers or you prefer to work on a large screen, plug Xiaomi into your PC and clean the records manually.

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 🔌 Cable USB Type-C (original or certified).
• 📂 File transfer mode enabled (MTP).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your phone to your computer and select File Transfer (MTP) mode in the notification curtain.
2. On a PC, open the Explorer (This computer → your Xiaomi).
3. Go to Internal Storage → Recordings (or Music → Recordings)
4. Delete unnecessary files (you can use Ctrl+A to highlight all of them).
5. Clean the cart on your phone (via the Gallery).

For macOS, you will need to install Android File Transfer (official software from Google). If the phone is not identified, check:

• 🔄 Reboot both devices.
• 🔌 Try another cable or port. USB.
• 📱 Put the debugging on. USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times press → return to additional settings → For developers → Debugging by USB).

Method 5: Automatic cleaning with MIUI Optimizer

MIUI has a built-in memory optimization tool called MIUI Optimizer, which can find and delete large or old files, including voice recorder records, to use:

1. Open the "Security" section) → «Optimization (Optimizer).
2. Select “Cleaning” → “Deep Cleaning”.
3. Wait for the scan to be completed and go to the “Large Files” tab.
4. Find the recordings of the recorder (usually marked as “Audio” or “Records”) and delete them.

Advantages of the method:

• 🤖 Automatically finds files of 10 MB or more.
• 📊 Shows how much space will be freed up after removal.
• 🔍 It can detect duplicate records (if you have saved copies).

Note: MIUI Optimizer sometimes mistakenly labels system audio files as "junk." Check the file extension before deleting - tape recordings are usually.m4a,.mp3 or.amr formats.

💡

Use MIUI Optimizer once a month for automatic cleaning – this will help avoid the accumulation of unnecessary files and maintain the performance of the phone.

How to recover accidentally deleted records?

If you have deleted an important entry, don’t despair – you have 30 days to recover through the MIUI Recycle Bin.

1. Open the Gallery» → «Basket».
2. Find the remote audio file (use an Audio filter).
3. Select the file and click "Restore".

If the cart has already been cleaned or more than 30 days have passed, try specialized data recovery programs:

⚠️ Warning: The more you write new files after deleting, the lower your chances of recovery. At the first sign of data loss, immediately disconnect your phone from the Internet and do not install new apps.

To increase the chances of success:

• 🛑 Do not write new audio files to your phone.
• 🔌 Connect the device to the PC in mode MTP and scan directly.
• 💾 Save the recovered files to your computer, not back to your phone.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the recorder on Xiaomi