Have you turned on a call recording on Xiaomi but can't find the file? Or have you accidentally deleted an important audio recording and want to restore it? In this article, we'll take a closer look at where the call records on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones are stored, from standard storage paths to hidden folders and cloud backups.
The manufacturer doesn't always communicate the location of these files transparently, and the logic may differ across MIUI versions, and we've analyzed the recording behavior of models from Xiaomi 11T Pro to Redmi Note 12, and also looked at the nuances of working with Google Drive and Mi Cloud. At the end of the article, you'll find FAQs with answers to frequent problems, from lack of audio in the recording to errors in export.
Standard ways to store records on Xiaomi
By default, Xiaomi smartphones store conversation records in the device's internal memory, but the exact path depends on the MIUI version and model. On most devices (starting with MIUI 12), files are placed here:
- 📁 /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/ — main folder for records made through the standard Dictaphone application.
- 📁 /storage/emulated/0/Recordings/Call/ — alternative paths on some firmware (e.g, POCO F4).
- 📁 /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.android.providers.media/ — Metadata of records (not the files themselves) can be stored here!).
The files are 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.
It is important that you use it. SD-map as the main storage, the path may change /storage/XXXX-XXXX/MIUI/sound_recorder/, where XXXX-XXXX — A unique card ID. To check this, open the files. → Categories → Audio and find the Call folder or sound_recorder.
How to find records through the Files app
The easiest way to detect records is to use Xiaomi’s standard File Manager.
- Open the Files app (the folder icon on the desktop).
- Go to the Category section → Audio.
- In the list of folders, find a call or sound_recorder.
- Sort files by date (Sort → Date) to quickly find the desired record.
If there is no folder, try to enable the display of hidden files:
- 🔍 In the Files app, click on three dots (⋮) → Settings.
- 🔍 Activate the option to show hidden files.
- 🔍 Return to the root directory and manually navigate along the way /MIUI/sound_recorder/.
☑️ Search of records through the Files»
Note: on some models (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Ultra), records can be automatically archived in the Mi Cloud. To check this, open Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Backup and find the Conversation Records section.
Cloud Storage: Mi Cloud and Google Drive
Xiaomi offers two major cloud services for record backups: Mi Cloud and Google Drive. Their behavior is different:
| Service | Automatic synchronization | The path to the records | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Cloud | Yes (if included in the settings) | Mi Cloud → Backups → Recordings of conversations | 5GB free, records are kept for 30 days |
| Google Drive | No (manual export only) | Disc. → Call Recordings folder» | 15 GB free, with no deadlines |
| Local storage. | No. | /MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/ | Depends on the free space on the device |
To enable automatic backup in Mi Cloud:
- Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
- Select the backup of the device.
- Make sure the Call Record option is active.
- Click Start backup.
The critical nuance is that if you reset your phone to factory settings without prior backup, the local storage records will be permanently deleted, and you can only recover them through specialized programs like DiskDigger or Recuva (but success is not guaranteed).
Why records may be lost or not saved
Xiaomi users often face problems when records either don’t save or disappear after a reboot.
- 🚫 Lack of recording permission: If you do not give the Recorder or Phone app access to the microphone and storage, recordings will not be created. → Annexes → Permits.
- 🔋 Lack of space: if the device has less than 500 MB of free space, MIUI It can automatically delete old records. Clear the cache to Settings. → Warehouse.
- 🔄 Reset: After resetting to factory settings, all local records are deleted, and can only be restored from the cloud (if backup is enabled).
- 📵 Firmware error: on some versions MIUI 14 (like Redmi Note 11) has a bug that saves the recordings in a corrupted format.
How do you check if records are still being kept?
If the recordings are preserved but without sound, the reasons may be as follows:
- 🎤 The microphone is blocked by another app (such as WhatsApp or Zoom while calling).
- 🔇 The call settings have the recording sound turned off (check Settings). → Sound. → Recording calls).
- 🛠️ The audio codec is damaged (try to recode the file through the VLC or Audacity).
💡
If records are not saved on the POCO X5 or Xiaomi 12 Lite, try installing an alternative call recording app, such as Cube Call Recorder ACR or Boldbeast.They bypass the limitations of MIUI and save files to /CubeBackups/ or /Boldbeast/.
How to Recover Deleted Records of Conversations
If you accidentally delete a record, not everything is lost. Here are 3 working ways to restore it (from the most reliable to the most risky):
- Recovery from Mi Cloud: 🔗 Open Mi Cloud on your phone or through your browser (i.mi.com). 🔗 Go to Backups → Records of conversations. 🔗 Select the desired entry and click Restore.
Limitation: Files are only stored for 30 days.
Use of recovery programs:
- 💻 Connect your phone to your PC and run DiskDigger or Recuva.
- 💻 Select the Internal Storage section and run a deep scan.
- 💻 Look for files with extension.m4a or.
- Manual recovery via ADB: adb shell su -c "find /data -name '.m4a' -o -name '.amr" This team searches for audio files in system folders. Root rights required!
Additional settings:
- 📱 File format: C Settings → You can also choose between.m4a (Best quality and.amr (smaller size).
- 📱 Storage: you can change the way of saving through Settings → Warehouse → The default path for records.
- 📱 Notifications: Enable the option to Warn of Recording so that the interlocutor is aware of the conversation being recorded (required for legality in some countries).