How to return deleted recordings of conversations on Xiaomi: from MIUI 12 to HyperOS

Phone records on Xiaomi can be lost for a variety of reasons, from accidental deletion to failure after updating MIUI or HyperOS. Unlike photos or messages, audio files of calls are stored in less obvious places, and their recovery requires knowledge of the specifics of the file system of the brand’s smartphones. This article will help you understand where to look for lost records, how to restore them using built-in tools and third-party applications, and what to do if the files were deleted long ago.

It’s important to understand that recovery success depends on three factors: the time elapsed since deleting (the earlier you start acting, the better the odds), backups (even if you didn’t consciously create them, the system could do it automatically), and device models — on Redmi Note 12 and Xiaomi 13 Ultra, file paths may differ. We’ll look at universal methods that work on most devices from Poco X3 to flagship series.

Where to store conversation records on Xiaomi: hidden folders and system paths

By default, Call Recorder (or Call Recorder in global firmware) stores files in a protected area of internal memory. MIUI:

• 📁 MIUI 12–14: /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/ or /storage/emulated/0/Recorder/callrecorder/
• 📁 HyperOS: /storage/emulated/0/Android/media/com.miui.voicerecord/
• 📁 For models with pure Android (e.g. Xiaomi) A3): /storage/emulated/0/CallRecordings/

To see these folders, you need to enable the display of hidden files in any file manager (for example, in Mi File Explorer or Solid Explorer). If the folders are empty, check the basket - in some versions. MIUI The deleted records are moved there to 30 The way to the basket: /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/RecycleBin/.

On devices with unlocked bootloader and root rights, you can check system partitions, where sometimes there are "shadow" copies of files. /data/media/0/ or /data/user_de/0/com.miui.voicerecord/. However, without root access to these folders is not – trying to open them through a standard Explorer will lead to an error “No permission".

Method 1: Recovery through the built-in MIUI basket

Starting with MIUI 12.5, Xiaomi added a cart feature for multimedia files, including call records, to check its contents:

1. Open the File Explorer (Mi File Explorer) application.
2. Go to the Category section → Audio.
3. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner and select the basket.
4. Find files with the.amr extension or.mp3 name call_20260515_143022 (call-date).
5. Select the required records and click Restore.

Note that the cart is automatically cleared after 30 days, and its contents do not take up space in the main memory, and if you do not find the records there, then they have been permanently deleted or never entered the cart (for example, when using third-party recording applications).

💡

If the basket is empty, try searching for.amr files manually. In Mi File Explorer, click on the magnifier icon and type in the magnifying glass. call_.amr

Method 2: Use of MIUI backups

Xiaomi automatically backs up user data when you upgrade or schedule (if enabled) to recover backup records:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Select the last reservation date (until the records are deleted).
3. Click Restore and tick the Record Conversations item (or Multimedia if there is no separate option).
4. Confirm the recovery and wait for the process to be completed.

Important: Recovery from the backup will overwrite the current data from the Recording Conversations app, and if you haven't seen the old files after the procedure, they haven't been backed up, so try an alternative method, which is Mi Cloud recovery.

For recovery from Mi Cloud:

1. Sign in to your Xiaomi account on your phone.
2. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Backup of the device.
3. Select the backup with the desired date and click Restore.
4. Wait for the synchronization to be completed and check the folder with the records.

Method 3: Programs for Recovery of Deleted Files

If the records are not found in the cart or backups, the option is left with the use of specialized utilities.

• 🔧 DiskDigger scans internal memory for deleted audio files, works without root, but with superuser rights finds more data.
• 🔧 Recuva (for PC) – requires phone connection in file transfer mode (MTP) and pre-unlock OEM.
• 🔧 EaseUS MobiSaver – supports.amr and.amr recovery.mp3 depth-scanned.
• 🔧 Dr.Fone is a paid solution with a high success rate, but requires a shutdown MIUI Optimization in the Developer Settings.

Instructions for DiskDigger (free version):

1. Download APK from Google Play or official website.
2. Start the app and select Basic Scan (without root) or Full Scan (with root).
3. Check the file types: Audio → AMR, MP3.
4. Wait for the scan to be completed (may take up to 1 hour).
5. Select the records found and click Recover by specifying the folder to save (for example, /Download/Restored_Calls/).

⚠️ Warning: Do not save recovered files to the same memory they were deleted from! SD-Map or cloud to avoid overwriting.

If you are using Recuva on PC:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your computer via USB-cable.
2. In the phone settings, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
3. Start Recuva, select the Audio file type and specify your smartphone drive.
4. Start the scan and wait for the results.

Disable MIUI Optimization (Settings → Additional → Developers → Disable MIUI Optimization)

Charge your phone to 50% or more

Free 1-2 GB of memory for temporary files

Connect to Wi-Fi (for cloud backups)

Download the program only from official sources-->

Method 4: Manual recovery via ADB (for power users)

If you're familiar with Android Debug Bridge (ADB), you can try extracting entries directly from system partitions, which works even without root, but requires you to enable USB Debugging:

1. Activate Developer Mode by tapping the MIUI version 7 times in your phone settings.
2. Enable USB debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
4. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and do:

adb shell


su




find /data -name "*.amr" 2>/dev/null




find /sdcard -name "call_*.*" 2>/dev/null

If the commands return paths to the files (for example, /data/user_de/0/com.miui.voicerecord/files/call_20260510_0915.amr), copy them to the PC:

adb pull /path/to/file C:\Restored_Calls\

Without root rights, you can’t read files from /data/data/, but sometimes entries are duplicated in /sdcard/ or /storage/emulated/0/. If ADB doesn’t find files, try an alternative command:

adb shell "ls -la /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/"

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB without experience, it can cause system failures. Do not modify or delete files in /system/ or /vendor/ — It'll knock out the phone!

Method 5: Contact Xiaomi Support

If all of these methods have failed and the records are critical (e.g., evidence in court), you can contact Xiaomi’s official support.

1. Gather evidence: 📅 Date and time of conversation (approximately). 📞 Phone number of the subscriber. 📱 Device model and version MIUI/HyperOS. 🔄 Error logs (if the recovery failed).

• 🌐 Official Support Website.
• 📧 E-mail: support@xiaomi.com (for global firmware) or support.ru@xiaomi.com (for Russian devices).
• 📱 Telegram chats or VK (There are links to the website of Xiaomi Russia).

In the request, indicate that you need access to system logs or server backups (if the record is synchronized with Mi Cloud), the response from support can take up to 7 days, and the chances of success depend on the data storage policy in your region. GDPR, Requiring to store user data for a limited period.

If support refuses to reinstate, request a formal letter of no possibility – it may be needed for the court or insurance company.

💡

Xiaomi Support does NOT recover files directly, but can provide access to server logs where call metadata (dates, duration) is stored.

What to do if nothing helps: alternatives

If the records are lost irretrievably, consider the following steps:

• 🔄 Check the device of the interlocutor: if the call was recorded from both sides (for example, through Truecaller or Cube Call Recorder), request a copy from the subscriber.
• 📡 Contact the operator: some providers (for example, MTS or Beeline) store records of conversations for 3-6 months for corporate clients.
• 💾 Use professional services: companies like Ontrack or DriveSavers recover data from physically damaged drives, but the cost of the service starts from the first one. $300.
• 📝 Create a transcript from memory: if the conversation was important, try to restore its content from notes, messages or email correspondence related to the topic of the call.

To prevent such situations in the future:

• 🔄 Set up automatic recording sync with Google Drive or Mi Cloud.
• 📁 Copy the folder regularly /MIUI/sound_recorder/ PC-only.
• 🛡️ Install a recording app with cloud backup (e.g. Automatic Call Recorder).

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi recording recovery