Have you recorded a screen on Xiaomi but can't find the file you saved? Or has the video suddenly disappeared from the gallery? The problem is familiar to many smartphone users on MIUI — the standard screen capture app often saves files to non-obvious folders, and sometimes even "loses" them altogether. In this article, we will analyze all possible storage locations for screen recordings on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, and also tell you how to restore deleted videos or transfer them to your computer.
Note that the path to files depends on the version of MIUI, smartphone model and even the way you write (standard application, Game Turbo or third-party utilities). For example, on Xiaomi 13 Pro with MIUI 14, videos can lie in one folder, and on Redmi Note 10 with MIUI 12.5 - in another. We collected current data for all modern versions of the firmware and explained why files sometimes "disappear" from the gallery.
Where to save screen recordings on Xiaomi by default
The standard Screen Recorder app (or Screen Recorder in global firmware) saves the video to the system folder. MIUI:
- 📁 MIUI 12–14 (newer): /storage/emulated/0/Movies/ScreenRecords/ or /storage/emulated/0/Movies/ScreenRecorder/
- 📁 MIUI 11 older: /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Screenshots/ (screenshot)
- 📁 For game recordings (Game Turbo): /storage/emulated/0/Movies/GameRecorder/
If you don't see the Movies folder in Explorer, turn on the hidden files in the file manager settings. On some models (e.g. POCO F5), the path may be different - check also /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Screenshots/.
Why isn't the video displayed in the gallery? The thing is, MIUI doesn't scan the media files instantly. If the recording is fresh (less than 5 minutes ago), try:
- Reboot the smartphone.
- Open the file manager and manually navigate the way up.
- Update the gallery data: open it, pull it down for updates.
How to find screen recordings through file manager
The most reliable way is to use the built-in Files Manager.
- Open the Files app** (the folder icon on the desktop).
- Go to the Device (or Internal Storage) tab.
- Open the Movies → ScreenRecords folder (or alternative paths from the previous section).
- The video will have a type of name. ScreenRecord_20260515_123456.mp4.
If the folder is not, check:
- 🔍 Display settings: in the conductor tap on three points → Settings → Enable Showing Hidden Files.
- 🔄 Cash Gallery: Clear the Gallery app data in settings (Settings) → Annexes → gallery → Warehouse → Clear the data).
- 📱 Access Rights: Make sure the Screen Recorder app has permission to write to memory (Settings) → Annexes → Screen recording → Permits).
☑️ Search for screen recordings on Xiaomi
Important! On some models (e.g. Xiaomi 12T), screen recordings can be saved to the Mi Cloud automatically if sync is enabled. Check the web version of Mi Cloud in the Gallery section.
Alternative ways to record the screen and their ways of saving
If you're not using a standard application, but using third-party utilities or game mode, the paths to files will be different.
| Recording | The way to preserve | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Game Turbo (Game Mode) | /Movies/GameRecorder/ | Videos are only recorded during games, and the quality is higher than in a standard recorder. |
| AZ Screen Recorder | /AZRecorder/ or selected by the user | It supports webcam and microphone recording, and the path is set up in the app menu. |
| DU Recorder | /DURecorder/ | It saves high-resolution video, but can create duplicate files. |
| Built-in recording in POCO Launcher | /PocoLauncher/ScreenRecords/ | Available only on POCO Launcher devices (e.g., POCO X5 Pro). |
If you use ADB-commands to record the screen (for example, through the adb shell screenrecord), the video will be saved to the folder from which the command was launched:
adb pull /sdcard/record.mp4 C:\Users\YourName\Desktop\On root-enabled devices, screen recordings can be stored in system partitions (e.g. /data/media/0/), but cannot be seen without root access.
Why screen recordings disappear and how to restore them
A common problem: the video is in the folder, but it is not in the gallery, or the file disappeared after the MIUI update.
- 🗑️ Cache Clearing: Some applications (such as Clean Master) delete “unnecessary” files, including screen entries.
- 🔄 Update of firmware: after upgrade MIUI The system can reset paths to media files.
- 📱 File system failure: If the smartphone suddenly shuts down during recording, the file may get corrupted.
- ☁️ Cloud conflict: If sync with Mi Cloud is enabled, the video can “leave” to the cloud and disappear from the device.
How do you recover deleted records? Try these methods:
- Check the cart: in the Gallery, open the tab of the Recycle Bin (files are stored there for 30 days).
- Use DiskDigger or Recuva: these programs scan memory for deleted files. Connect your smartphone to your PC in file transfer mode.
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If the screen recording is cut or not saved, try recording at a lower resolution (e.g. 720p instead of 1080p) – this reduces the CPU load and reduces the risk of crashes.
⚠️ Note: Do not record the screen for more than 30 minutes in a row – on some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi) 9A) This causes you to overheat and automatically shut down the recording.
How to transfer screen recordings to a computer
There are several ways to copy videos from Xiaomi to PC:
Method 1: Through USB-cable
- On PC, open This Computer → Find Xiaomi Device → Go to Movies/ScreenRecords folder.
Method 2: Wi-Fi (without wire)
Use apps like Send Files to TV or LocalSend:
- Install the application on your smartphone and PC.
- Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network.
- On your phone, select a video and send it to your computer.
Method 3: Through the Cloud
Upload the video to Google Drive, Mi Cloud or Telegram (submitting it to Save Messages), then download it to your PC.
What if your PC can’t see Xiaomi via USB?
Screen recording settings: where to change the save path
By default, MIUI does not allow you to select a folder to save records, but there are workarounds:
For a standard recorder:
Unfortunately, most versions of MIUI have a hard-coded path in the system settings.
- 🔄 Use Automatic Move: With Tasker or Automate, set up a task that will copy new files from ScreenRecords to the desired folder.
For third-party applications (AZ Recorder, DU Recorder):
In most alternative recorders, the conservation path is configured:
- Open the application → Settings → Save folder.
- Select Internal Storage and specify your folder (e.g. /Download/ScreenRecords/).
⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 14+ If you change the save path through third-party applications, you may experience access errors. If the video is not saved, return the standard path or give the application permission to manage all files (Settings) → Annexes → Special access → Managing all files).
Frequent mistakes and their solutions
Screen recording problems on Xiaomi are usually related to system settings or application conflicts.
| Problem. | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Recording ends in 5-10 minutes. | Time limit in MIUI or processor overheating | Record in short sessions or use Game Turbo for long videos |
| No sound on the record. | Not on microphone or system sound | In the recorder settings, select Record Sound and System Sound |
| Video is saved without extension (e.g..mp4) | File system failure | Rename the file manually by adding.mp4, or use VLC to open it. |
| Screen recording application is missing | Removed or disabled in settings | Install it through Settings → Applications → Application Management → Screen recording → Enable |
If the screen recording is lagging or slowing down:
- 🔧 Reduce the recording permission to 720p.
- 🚫 Close the background apps (especially instant messengers and games).
- 🔄 Reboot your smartphone before recording.
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On devices with a Snapdragon processor (such as the Xiaomi 13 Ultra), screen recordings are smoother than on models with MediaTek (such as the Redmi Note 12), which is due to hardware encoding of video.