You recorded an important conversation on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5, but you can't find a file in your phone's memory? This problem is familiar to many owners of smartphones with MIUI firmware. The fact is that the system stores audio files not in obvious folders like Download or Music, but in hidden directories with non-intuitive names. Moreover, the path to records can differ depending on whether you used a standard voice recorder, built-in call recording function or a third-party application.
In this article, we’ll look at all possible scenarios, from file location in MIUI 9/10/11 to application features like Cube Call Recorder or ACR. You’ll learn how to find records through the file manager, why they might “disappear” after a system update, and what to do if the folder with calls is empty. And for those who prefer visual instructions, we’ve prepared a table with storage paths and a checklist for quick search.
Standard location of records in MIUI
If you used the built-in call recording feature (available in some regions through the Phone app), the files are saved to a hidden system folder.
- 📁 MIUI 9/10: /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/ — The files are.amr format and have names like rec_20260515_143022.amr.
- 📁 MIUI 11 newer: /storage/emulated/0/Recordings/Call/ — format.m4a or.mp3, depending on the settings.
- 🔍 It's important, folder. MIUI often hidden – enable the display of hidden files in the file manager settings (for example, in Mi File Explorer, click on the file manager settings). ⋮ → Settings → Show hidden files).
On the Redmi Note. 5 Factory-based path usually corresponds to the first version (MIUI/sound_recorder), after updating MIUI 12+ The system can transfer files to a new Recordings folder!
⚠️ Note: If you connect your phone to your computer MTP and haven't seen the file MIUI, Try using the file manager directly on your smartphone – some system directories don’t show up when you connect to a PC.
Why records can "disappear" and how to recover them
Redmi Note 5 users often experience a situation where call records suddenly disappear from the folder.
| Problem. | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Files are available, but they are not reproduced. | Damage to the.amr codec after the MIUI update | Install a player with AMR-NB support (e.g. VLC) |
| The folder is empty, but the disk space is occupied. | Hidden files with a dot at the beginning of the name (e.g..nomedia) | Delete the.nomedia file in the entries folder via Root Explorer |
| Records disappear after reboot | Error mounting /sdcard (FUSE mode) | Reconnect your Mi Account or reset your access rights to Settings → Annexes → Application management → ⋮ → Reset permits |
If files are accidentally deleted, try to restore them using utilities like DiskDigger or Recuva (when connecting your phone to a PC).
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Before recovering files, turn off automatic synchronization with Mi Cloud – this will prevent overwriting deleted data.
Search for records from third-party applications
Popular call recording apps (such as Cube Call Recorder or ACR) store files in their folders.
- 🎤 Cube Call Recorder: /storage/emulated/0/CubeBackup/ or /storage/emulated/0/CallRecorder/ (format.mp3 or.ogg).
- 📞 ACR (Another Call Recorder): /storage/emulated/0/ACR/ — files are sorted by date in subfolders.
- 🔊 Boldbeast Call Recorder: /storage/emulated/0/BoldbeastRecorder/ (It supports.wav formats and.mp3).
The Redmi Note 5 features MIUI restrictions on recording calls through third-party apps, and if records are not saved:
- Check permissions for the application in Settings → Applications → Application Management → [Application Name] → Permissions.
- Activate Developer Mode and enable USB Debugging (sometimes this solves problems with microphone access).
- Install Magisk and Call Recorder Patch to bypass MIUI restrictions.
How to enable USB debugging on Redmi Note 5?
How to transfer records to a computer or cloud
To save the call records for a long time, it is recommended to transfer them from Redmi Note 5 to PC or cloud storage.
- Through USB-cable: 🖥️ Connect your phone to your PC in File Transfer mode (MTP). 📂 Open the folder with records (see the paths above) and copy the files to your computer.
- Wi-Fi (without cable): 🌐 Use apps like Send Anywhere or Mi Drop to transfer files over the local network. 🔗 Generate. QR-code.
To the cloud:
- ☁️ Upload files to Google Drive, Mi Cloud or Yandex Disk via the mobile app.
- 🔒 For privacy, encrypt the archive with records before downloading (for example, through 7-Zip).
Redmi Note 5 when transferring files MTP You may have a device not identified error, in which case you try connecting via another one. USB-port or update drivers ADB PC-only.
Check the battery charge (minimum 50%)
Turn off traffic saving mode
Make sure there is enough space on the PC.
Use the original. USB-cable
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Alternative ways to search for records
If standard methods don’t help, try these options:
- 🔍 Search by date: In the file manager, sort files by date of change – call records usually have a time stamp corresponding to the moment of the call.
- 📌 Cache Checking: Some applications store temporary copies in /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/[package]/cache/.
- 🛠️ ADB-Commands: Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command to search for all audio files: adb shell find /storage/emulated/0 -type f \( -name ".amr" -o -name ".mp3" -o -name "*.m4a" \)
If you use TWRP Recovery, you can view the file system directly through the File Manager menu in the recovery, which will help you find records even if the MIUI is not booting.
⚠️ Attention: When in use ADB or TWRP Do not modify or delete files in folders /system or /vendor — This can cause a firmware failure.
Setup of automatic record saving
To avoid losing records in the future, set up automatic backups:
- For a standard recorder MIUI: Open the Dictator app. Go to ⋮ → Settings → Autosave. Select the cloud (Mi Cloud) or local folder for backups.
For third-party applications:
- In Cube Call Recorder, activate Autoboot in Google Drive in the settings.
- In ACR, enable Auto-upload to Dropbox (autonomy required).
On the Redmi Note 5 with limited memory, it is recommended to set up automatic deletion of old records (for example, older than 30 days) or compression of files to.zip archives.
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Regularly check the folder with records and clean it of unnecessary files – this will prevent overflow of memory and malfunction of applications.