Recovery of deleted records from the recorder on Xiaomi smartphones: all working methods

Why are recordings from Xiaomi tape recorder disappearing and can they be returned?

You recorded an important conversation, lecture or voice notes on a Xiaomi voice recorder, but the Suddenly files disappeared?The reasons for losing audio recordings can range from accidental deletion to a failure in the Mi Recorder app. Unlike photos that are often automatically synced to Google Photos or Mi Cloud, audio files are rarely backed up by default.This makes their recovery more difficult, but not impossible.

In this article, we'll look at 5 proven ways to recover deleted records, from simple (checking your cart and cloud copies) to advanced (using a PC and specialized software). The important thing is to act quickly: the less time has passed since deleting, the better the chances of success. For example, if you deleted a record an hour ago, it can be restored through the MIUI system basket. And if a week has passed, you have to connect your smartphone to your computer and scan the memory.

Note that recovery methods depend on the version of MIUI, the smartphone model (such as the Redmi Note 12 or Xiaomi 13T) and whether backup was enabled. We took these nuances into account and collected instructions relevant to devices in 2020-2026.

Method 1: Checking the basket in the application "Sound recording"

Modern versions of MIUI (starting with MIUI 12) have an integrated audio bin, similar to a photo basket. If you deleted a recording in the standard way (via the application interface), it could get there. Recycle bin storage time is up to 30 days, after which the files are deleted irrevocably.

To check the basket:

1. Open the application Sound Recording (Mic icon).
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → select the basket.
3. Find the desired entry, click on it and select Restore.

⚠️ Note: If you were manually cleaning the cart or using features like Memory Optimization in the Recycle Bin MIUI, The files could have been deleted forever, in which case move on to the next way.

Method 2: Recovery via Mi Cloud or Google Drive backups

If your Xiaomi has automatic backup enabled, the records could be saved to the cloud. The problem is that Mi Cloud doesn't back up audio files by default -- you have to enable it manually. Google Drive can save application data if you've used Android Backup.

How to check out Mi Cloud:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud.
• 🔍 Scroll down to the Backups section and check the date of the last backup.
• 📤 If you have a copy, click Restore and select the desired date (be aware that this will overwrite the current data!).

How to check Google Drive:

• 🌐 Go to drive.google.com from your smartphone or PC.
• 🔍 Type:audio or the name of the entry.
• ⬇️ If the file is found, download it back to the device.

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To avoid loss of records in the future, enable automatic synchronization of the recorder with the cloud. To do this, in the Sound Recording app, go to Settings → Backup and select Mi Cloud or Google Drive.

Method 3: Find hidden files through the file manager

Sometimes the records are not deleted, but simply moved to a hidden folder or lost the extension, which can happen due to a failure in the MIUI or the voice recorder application, to find such files:

1. Open Files (Standard Xiaomi Manager)
2. Slip on three lines in the upper left corner → select Categories → Audio.
3. Enable the display of hidden files: click on three dots → Settings → Show hidden files.
4. Check the folders: /storage/emulated/0/Recordings (record-store) /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder (recorder) /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.miui.soundrecorder (file)

If you find files without extension (for example, audio_123456), Try to rename them in the.mp3 or.m4a It's through the file manager:

1. Press the file → select Rename.
2. Add at the end of the title.mp3 (for example, lecture_01.mp3).
3. Open the file through a player (e.g. Google Music).

Method 4: Recovery via PC with DiskDigger or Recuva

If you don't find it in the cart or the cloud, you'll have to scan the internal memory of the smartphone, and you'll need a computer and some software, and it's important that you don't install recovery software directly on your smartphone, because it can overwrite deleted data!

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your PC via USB-cable (select File Transfer Mode in the Notification Curtain).
2. Download and install one of the programs: 🔧 DiskDigger (free version suitable for audio files) 🔧 Recuva (from CCleaner developers, supports.mp3,.m4a) 🔧 EaseUS Data Recovery (paid, but with trial period)

Run the program and select scanning of the internal memory of the smartphone (do not use it) SD-map!).

Audio.

.mp3

Wait until the scan is finished (it can take 10 minutes to an hour).

View the files found, mark the necessary ones and restore them to the PC.

⚠️ Note: If the smartphone is not determined by the PC in the file transfer mode, turn on debugging by USB:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7 times on the MIUI version to activate Developer Mode.
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
4. Turn on USB debugging.

Instructions:

1. Install a root-enabled file manager on your smartphone (such as FX File Explorer).
2. Go to /data/com.miui.soundrecorder, where temporary copies of records can be stored.
3. Copy all files with the.temp or.bak extension on your PC.
4. Use PhotoRec to scan the /data partition (command: photorec /d [path for save] /data).

⚠️ Attention: Incorrect root access can lead to loss of all data on the device or its “bricking”. If you are not sure about your skills, contact the service center Xiaomi.

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Root access gives you the best chance of recovery, but the risks are high, and only use this method if other methods have failed and records are critical.

What do you do if nothing helps?

If you have tried all the methods but the records are not found, there are two options:

1. Contact Xiaomi Service Center. Official services have access to specialized equipment for data recovery from flash memory. The cost of the service is from 1,500 to 5 000 rubles, depending on the complexity. Check with the consultant whether they work with your model (for example, Redmi Note 11 Pro + or Xiaomi 13 Ultra).

Before you bring your smartphone to the service, stop using it – each new record, photo or installed application reduces the chances of recovering old files.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi recording recovery