How to record phone conversations on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8: all the ways to find and save audio

Have you had an important phone conversation on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 and turned on the recording, but now you can’t find the file? Or just want to know where the default audio recordings of calls on this smartphone are saved? In this article, we will take a detailed look at all possible storage locations of records, from standard MIUI folders to hidden directories, and also explain how to change the way you save and recover lost files.

The Redmi Note 8 (codenamed ginkgo) is based on MIUI firmware, which has its own features in processing conversation records. Depending on the version of the voice recorder used (home or third-party) and the memory settings, files can be stored in different places, and we will look at all scenarios, from recordings through the built-in voice recorder to automatically saved conversations through applications like Google Phone or Truecaller.

It is important to understand that on the Redmi Note 8 There's no hardware button for recording conversations, and that's what software does, so the path to files depends on what software you've used. If you've never manually set up the recording, you probably have files in a standard folder. MIUI/sound_recorder — But that's just one option.

Standard place for storing conversation records in MIUI

By default, MIUI firmware on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 saves phone records to the system folder if you used a built-in voice recorder.

/storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/

This directory is created automatically when you first turn on a conversation record, and the files here are either.m4a (AAC) or.amr (to save space) and are named by the template:

• 📅 CallRec_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.m4a — for high quality recordings (for example, CallRec_20260515_143022.m4a).
• 📞 Incoming_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.amr / Outgoing_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.amr — For incoming/outgoing calls in compressed format.
• 🔄 Missed_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.amr — If the recording started during a missed call (rarely).

To find this folder:

1. Open any file manager (e.g., Xiaomi Explorer or Total Commander).
2. Go to the root directory of internal memory (/storage/emulated/0/).
3. Find the file. MIUI, later sound_recorder and call_rec.

⚠️ Attention: If the folder call_rec Check the settings of the recorder - you may have changed the way of saving manually or the recording was done through another application (for example, Cube Call Recorder). Also make sure that the files are not hidden: in Explorer, enable the display of hidden folders in the menu ⋮ → Settings → Show hidden files.

How to check if the recording of conversations is enabled by default

On the Redmi Note 8, the call recording function is not activated out of the box, you need to manually enable it. If you didn't, the conversations didn't automatically save.

1. Open the phone application (pipe icon).
2. Press three points. ⋮ in the upper right corner and select Settings.
3. Go to the Recording of Conversations section (on some versions of MIUI it may be called Auto Recording).
4. Check whether the switch is on Record automatically or Record manually.

If the option is disabled, the recordings are not kept, in which case you will have to:

• 🔧 Enable automatic recording for all calls (not recommended due to legal restrictions in some countries).
• 🎤 Press the recording button manually during a conversation (appears on the call screen).
• 📱 Install a third-party recording app (such as Cube Call Recorder) if the built-in features don’t suit you.

Note that the Redmi Note 8 versions of MIUI 12.5+ may not have a built-in record due to Android 10/11 limitations.

💡

If your phone does not have a “Talk Record” option, try upgrading to the latest version of MIUI or installing alternative call software (e.g. Google Phone from Play Market).

Alternative Storage Places: Third-Party Applications

If you're using a third-party application, rather than a standard MIUI recorder, like Cube Call Recorder, Truecaller or ACR, the records will be saved to other folders.

To find records from third-party apps:

1. Open the file manager and go to the root folder of internal memory.
2. Look for directories with app names (like CubeBackup or Truecaller).
3. Inside these folders, there are usually subfolders like CallRecords or Recordings.

Some applications (like Truecaller) default to save records to the cloud, not to the device. To check this, open the app's settings and find the Call Records section. → Storage. If the Cloud is listed, you should search for files in your Google Drive account or on Truecaller servers (access via the web version).

⚠️ Note: Apps like Cube Call Recorder may conflict with built-in voice recorder MIUI. If you use both at the same time, records can be duplicated or saved in different formats. To avoid confusion, choose one solution and disable the record in the other.

How to Change the Place of Conversation Records

If the internal memory on the Redmi Note 8 is not enough, you can redirect the recordings to a microSD card or to the cloud.

1. Built-in dictaphone MIUI

Unfortunately, the standard MIUI recorder does not have the option of changing the save path, but you can manually transfer files after recording:

2 Third-party applications (Cube Call Recorder, ACR)

Most third-party recorders allow you to choose a storage location, such as Cube Call Recorder:

1. Open the application and go to Settings → Record folder.
2. Select External Storage (SD-map).
3. Indicate the path (e.g, /storage/XXXX-XXXX/CubeBackup/).
4. Save the settings and restart the application.

For ACR The path changes to Settings → Warehouse → Note that for the recording SD-The card may need to give the application permission to access external storage in Android settings.

3. Cloud services

Some applications (such as Truecaller or Google Recorder) support automatic uploading of records to the cloud.

• 📁 In Truecaller: Settings → Recording of conversations → Save to the cloud (Google account required).
• ☁️ In Google Recorder: Records are automatically synced to Google Drive if Backup is enabled.

💡

To save space on the Redmi Note 8, it is recommended to save entries to a memory card or to the cloud, but remember: cloud services may have limitations on the amount of free storage (for example, 15 GB in Google Drive).

Search for hidden or deleted records

If you are sure that the recording was conducted, but there are no files in the standard folders, they may:

• 🗑️ Deleted (but still in the file manager basket).
• 👁️ Hidden by the system (for example, after resetting settings).
• 🔍 Moved to another folder due to application failure.

Here's how to find them:

1.Basket check

The MIUI file manager has a recycle bin where files are stored 30 days after deletion:

1. Open the Conductor.
2. Go to the basket section (dumpster icon).
3. Look for files with the.m4a,.amr, or.mp3 extension.
4. If necessary, restore them by clicking Restore.

2.Date and format search

Use the built-in search in the explorer:

1. Open the Explorer and press the magnifying glass (search).
2. Enter the request:.m4a or.amr.
3. Filter results by date (for example, select the day the conversation was recorded).

3. Recovery of deleted files

If files have been permanently deleted, try recovery programs such as:

• 🛠️ DiskDigger (requires root rights for deep scanning).
• 🔧 Recuva (works through PC, you need to connect the phone in file transfer mode).
• 📱 Dumpster (a shopping cart application that saves deleted files).

⚠️ Warning: The more you use your phone after deleting your records, the lower your chances of recovering them. At the first sign of file loss, immediately turn off the recording of new data (don’t install apps, don’t take photos) and start restoring it.

Legal aspects of recording conversations

Before you record phone calls, make sure that it does not violate local law. Most countries have the following rules:

• 📜 Unilateral recording (without notice to the interlocutor) is allowed only in some regions (for example, in most states of the United States on the principle of one-party communication").
• ⚖️ Bilateral consent is required in the EU, Russia, Ukraine and other countries – you must notify the interlocutor about the recording.
• 🚫 Prohibition of publication – even if the recording is allowed, distributing it without consent may be illegal.

On the Redmi Note 8, when you turn on a recording via the built-in MIUI recorder, you automatically play a voice notification: "Conversation is recorded." This helps to comply with the requirements of the law of bilateral consent. In third-party applications (for example, Cube Call Recorder), such notifications can be manually configured:

1. Open the application settings.
2. Find the Notices or Legal Compliance section.
3. Turn on the option to play sound when recording.
4. Select the notification language (usually English, Russian, Spanish, etc.).

If you keep the record for personal use (e.g., to remember important information), the legal risks are minimal, but using the recordings in court, the media, or for blackmail can be a liability.

FAQ: Frequent questions about recording conversations on Redmi Note 8