Redmi and POCO smartphone owners often wonder how to find a specific conversation in a device’s memory. The standard MIUI or HyperOS shell hides system folders from the eyes of the average user, which creates certain difficulties. Understanding the logic of storing audio data allows you to quickly find the desired piece of conversation without using third-party programs.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the directory structure and explain exactly where Android and Xiaomi place audio files. We will look at both the standard file manager path and the hidden system partitions that require careful access. internal_storage/MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec It is key to manual management of archives.
There are several ways to get to the information you need, and each one has its own characteristics depending on the version of the operating system. Some users prefer to use embedded tools, while others search through the computer, and the method depends on how deep you are willing to dive into the file system of your gadget.
The standard path to the record folder
By default, all audio recordings created by the system’s regular tools fall into a strictly defined directory, designed to be easy to sort and prevent data loss when updating the firmware. The path to storage remains unchanged on most models, from the Redmi Note 8 to the latest flagships of the Xiaomi 14 series.
To access files, you need to open the Explorer or Files app. In the root directory of internal memory, you should find a folder with the name MIUI. Inside it is a directory. sound_recorder, And that's the one that's responsible for all the audio recorded by the recorder. call_rec, call-back.
- 📁 Open the “Conductor” app on your desktop.
- 📁 Go to the section "Internal drive».
- 📁 Find and open the folder. MIUI.
- 📁 Consistently enter sound_recorder and then call_rec.
Within this directory, files are usually sorted by date of creation, which makes it easier to search. The record format is most often.m4a or.mp3, depending on the codec settings in the system. If you can't see the MIUI folder, make sure that the Explorer settings include hidden files, although this is rarely required.
⚠️ Note: When connecting the phone to the computer USB-The folder structure can be displayed differently. Some PCs hide the Android system partitions, so direct access to the system is not possible. call_rec Sometimes the cable is restricted by access rights. MTP.
Search through the Dictator app
The easiest and fastest way to find a record is not to search for it in files, but to use an embedded application. The MIUI Recorder has a user-friendly interface for managing the call list, where the files are already sorted, have clear names, and are tied to contacts from the phone book.
Run the Dictophone app and look at the tabs at the top of the screen, and you're interested in the Phone section or the phone icon, and if you click on this tab, you'll see a list of all recorded conversations broken down by date, and that eliminates the need to dig through codecs and file formats.
If the standard interface seems overloaded, you can search inside the app, just type in a contact name or part of a phone number, and the system will give you all the matches, which is especially useful when you need to quickly find a specific conversation among hundreds of other records over a long period of time.
How to change the format of the recording to a better quality?
Working with files through a computer
For mass copying or backup of the call archive, the most convenient way to use a PC connection is to quickly move large amounts of data to the hard drive, but as mentioned earlier, direct access to the system folders may be limited.
Connect your smartphone to your computer with a cable and select file transfer mode (MTP). Open "My Computer" and find your device. Going the Internal Storage path. → MIUI → sound_recorder → call_rec, If the computer can't see the folder, try unlocking the phone screen and confirming permission to access the data.
| Access method | Difficulty | Speed of operation | Reliability | Required rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conductor (telephone) | Low. | Tall. | Tall. | No. |
| Application Dictator | Minimum | Instant. | Tall. | No. |
| Connection to PC | Medium | Medium | Medium | No. |
| Third-party file managers | Tall. | Depends on the software. | Low. | Often needed |
Using third-party file managers like Total Commander or FX File Explorer can provide more flexibility, but it’s worth remembering that on newer versions of Android (11, 12, 13 and higher), access to the Android/data folder and some system directories is severely restricted by Google’s security policies.
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Use the Favorites feature in the Dictaphone app for important conversations, which will allow you to filter the list and see only tagged entries, ignoring advertising calls or spam.
Set up automatic call recording
So, to avoid manually searching for files every time, you better set up automatic recording, which is built into the Xiaomi phone book and works in the background, so you don't have to press the record button every time you talk.
Open the Phone app (green handset) and click on the three dots in the top right corner. In the drop-down menu, select Settings. Find Call Record and activate Auto Record switch. Here you can configure settings: record all calls or only selected numbers.
- 📞 Go to the phone» → Settings.
- 📞 Select "Call Record».
- 📞 Enable “Automatic recording».
- 📞 If necessary, add numbers to the list of exceptions.
Importantly, in some regions (e.g. the European Union), this feature may be blocked by software due to privacy laws, in which case standard methods will not be able to enable the record, and you will have to look for workarounds or use third-party applications, although their effectiveness on new Android versions is questionable.
Problems with access and rights
Users often face a situation where the folder is empty or files are not played.This may be due to the MIUI system update, which changed security policy.New versions of Android strictly control the access of applications to the microphone and storage.
If you use a third-party app for calls (like from Google or Skype), it may save entries to its own folder rather than to the system’s system. call_rec. Check the settings of a particular application to find out the way to save. Often, these files are in a folder. Android/data/com.google.android.dialer.
⚠️ Warning: Clearing the cache of the Phone or Recorder app can result in deleting the list of records in the interface, although the files themselves may remain in memory. However, the risk of data loss is high, so make a backup of important files before any cache manipulations.
Another reason for the lack of files can be overflowing memory: if the device does not have any space, the system simply will not be able to save a new audio file, regularly check the free space in the Memory section and delete unnecessary videos or applications.
☑️ Checking the recording settings
Third-party applications and cloud services
Staff funds are sometimes not enough, especially if you need to sync with the cloud. Xiaomi's standard voice recorder does not always correctly sync recordings through Mi Cloud or Google Drive. In such cases, specialized applications from Google Play come to the rescue.
Popular solutions like Call Recorder - ACR or TapeACall have their own folders for storage, usually at the root of internal memory and called by the name of the application (for example, ACR), these programs often offer more flexible format and sound quality settings.
However, it is worth considering that with the release of Android 10 and higher, many such applications stopped working correctly without root rights. The system blocks access to the audio stream during a call.
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Third-party apps offer more customization options, but on modern versions of Android, their functionality is often limited by security, making a regular voice recorder a more stable choice.