Where to save phone records on Xiaomi: a complete guide to search for files

Have you turned on a conversation record on Xiaomi but can't find the file? Or want to transfer important audio recordings to another medium but don't know where they're stored? In this article, we'll look at all the possible places to save records on Redmi, POCO and Mi smartphones, from standard folders to hidden system directories. And also explain why sometimes files "disappear" and how to restore them.

Note: the location of the records depends on the version of MIUI, the phone model and the recording method (built-in voice recorder, the phone application, third-party programs). For example, on the Xiaomi 13 Pro with MIUI 14, the path to the files may differ from the Redmi Note 10 with MIUI 12.5. We will consider all options - from the most obvious to the little-known.

The important thing is, if you use recordings of conversations for legal purposes, check the laws of your country. In some regions, recording without consent is prohibited. But this is already a topic for lawyers, we'll focus on the technical side.

Standard folders for recording conversations in MIUI

In most cases, the phone records on Xiaomi are saved in one of three folders:

• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/Recordings/CallRecord/ — main folder for records made through the built-in Phone application (starting with the MIUI 11).
• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/ — Alternative path for older versions of firmware (up to) MIUI 12).
• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/Download/Call Recordings/ — Sometimes files are saved here if the recording was done via Google Phone (on devices with Google services).

To open these folders:

1. Connect your phone to your PC via USB (in file transfer mode).
2. Or use any file manager on your smartphone (such as Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer).
3. Turn on the display of hidden files if the folder is not visible.

Record files are usually formatted.m4a or.amr and named by template: CallRecord_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.m4a. For example, CallRecord_20260515_143022.m4a — record 15 may 2026 yearly 14:30.

Where to look for records if the CallRecord folder is empty?

If there are no files in the standard folder, check these alternative locations:

If you used a third-party recording app, the path to the files may be different, for example, Boldbeast Call Recorder defaults to /storage/emulated/0/Boldbeast Call Recorder/, and ACR (Another Call Recorder) to /storage/emulated/0/ACR/.

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To quickly find all the audio files on your phone, in the file manager, type in the search extension:.m4a,.amr,.mp3,.ogg. This will save time if you do not remember the exact path.

Cloud services: where do Xiaomi records go?

Some Xiaomi models (especially those with MIUI 13/14) automatically sync recordings of conversations with cloud services.

• 🌥️ Mi Cloud: Records can be saved in the “Records” or “Files” section (if synchronization is enabled).
• 🌥️ Google Drive: If you use Google Phone, files can be uploaded to the Call Recordings folder (check the app settings).
• 🌥️ OneDrive/Dropbox: if you have set up automatic download through third-party applications.

To check out Mi Cloud:

1. Open the Settings. → Accounts. → Mi Account.
2. Go to Mi Cloud. → Storage management.
3. Check the “Records” or “Other Files” section.

⚠️ Note: If you have Storage Optimization enabled in Mi Cloud, old records can be automatically deleted after 30 to 90 days.

Hidden System Folders: Where else can records be found?

Sometimes records are saved in hidden directories that are not displayed without special permissions.

• 🔍 /data/user/0/com.android.dialer/files/ — System folder of the Phone application (root rights required).
• 🔍 /data/media/0/Recordings/ — alternative path for some firmware.
• 🔍 /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.miui.voicerecord/ — the voice recorder folder (if the recording was done through it).

To access these folders:

1. Use a root-access file manager (such as Root Explorer or FX File Explorer).
2. Or connect your phone to your PC and use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) with the command:

adb pull /data/user/0/com.android.dialer/files/ C:\CallRecord_Backup\

If you don’t have root rights, try using the MiXplorer app (enable the “Show Hidden Files” option in the settings).

Why do records “disappear” and how do you restore them?

A common problem: the user recorded the conversation, but the file disappears after a few days.

• 🗑️ Autoclean: Auto-cleaning: Auto-deletion of old records (e.g., older than 7 days) can be enabled in the Phone app settings).
• 🔄 Cloud Sync: If the file is uploaded to Mi Cloud and then deleted from the device to save space.
• 📱 Memory optimization: garbage cleaning function in Settings → Memory sometimes deletes audio files.
• 🔧 Resetting: After resetting to factory settings, records remain only in the cloud (if synchronized).

To recover deleted records:

1. Check the Recycle Bin in Mi File Manager (files are stored there for up to 30 days).
2. Use data recovery software such as DiskDigger (does not require root to scan internal memory) and Recuva (if you connect your phone to your PC as a removable drive).

Mi Cloud

Google Drive

⚠️ Note: If you recorded a conversation on a microSD and then extracted it without safe extraction, the files could get corrupted, in which case it will be harder to recover – try PhotoRec (works with raw partitions).

How to change the location of the records?

If you don’t like the standard file layout, you can change it:

For the built-in "Phone" application:

1. Open the phone. → ⋮ (menu) → Settings → Recording of conversations.
2. Select the Save folder (not available on all firmware).
3. Specify a new folder (for example, on a memory card).

For Mi Sound Recorder:

1. Open the app, tap on. ⚙️ (setting).
2. Select the Conservation Folder → Select a folder.
3. Create a new folder (e.g. /storage/emulated/0/CallRecordsBackup/).

For third-party applications (such as Cube Call Recorder):

1. Open the application settings.
2. Find the Storage or Save Location section.
3. Enter the path to a memory card or cloud storage.

On some firmware (e.g. MIUI 14 Global), the option to change the save folder can be blocked, in which case only the use of third-party applications for writing will help.

FAQ: Frequent questions about recording conversations on Xiaomi

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If you record conversations frequently, set up automatic backups to the cloud or memory card, which will protect files from accidental deletion and save space in internal memory.