Where Xiaomi saves call records: all possible storage locations

Did you record an important phone conversation on a Xiaomi smartphone but can't find the file? Or just want to understand how the audio storage system works in devices of this brand? Unlike photos or screenshots that usually lie in obvious folders, call recordings often hide in unexpected places - especially if you use the standard Dictator app or third-party solutions.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at all possible locations where Xiaomi (including Redmi, POCO, and Black Shark models) can store conversation records, from internal memory to cloud services, and how to change the way you save, why files can “disappear” and how to recover them if they are lost after the MIUI update.

Standard storage locations for call records

If you used a built-in voice recorder or a conversation recorder feature in the Phone app, the files are most often saved in one of three places:

• 📁 Internal memory: folder /storage/emulated/0/Recordings/ or /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/ (old-form MIUI).
• ☁️ Mi Cloud: Automatically if sync is enabled (check Settings) → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Backup).
• 🔄 Memory card: if the settings of the recorder indicate saving on SD-map (the path will be) /storage/XXXX-XXXX/Recordings/, where XXXX-XXXX — card).

On new smartphones with MIUI 14/15 (e.g. Xiaomi 13/14, Redmi Note 12), the default entries are saved to the Internal storage → Recordings → Call Recordings folder. However, the path may vary depending on the regional firmware: on the global versions (Global ROM) and Chinese (China ROM), the directory structure sometimes differs.

It is important to note that recordings made through the Phone app (during a call) may be stored separately from recordings of the recorder. POCO F5 They automatically get into the folder. MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/, on the Redmi. 10 — into Recordings/Phone/. To avoid confusion, check the recording settings in the application itself:

1. Open the phone. → press three points (⋮) → Settings.
2. Select the Conversation Recorder → Conversation folder.
3. This will show the current path (if the option is available in your firmware).

Hidden folders and system directories

Sometimes records are “hidden” in system folders that are not displayed in the standard file manager of Xiaomi Files.

• 🔒 Restrictions MIUI: Some directories are hidden to protect data.
• 📱 Features of firmware: on the Chinese versions, the paths may differ.
• 🔄 System updates: after upgrade MIUI files are sometimes moved.

To see hidden folders, follow the following steps:

Use a file manager (e.g. Solid Explorer or FX File)

Enable the option "Show hidden files" in the manager settings

Go to the root directory (/storage/emulated/0/)

Check folders:.recordings,.miui,.sound_recorder-->

For example, on the Xiaomi Mi 11 with MIUI 13, the entries can lie in:

/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.android.providers.media/module_metadata/


/storage/emulated/0/.miui/sound_recorder/

If you didn’t find files in these folders, try searching by extension: entries are usually.m4a,.mp3 or.amr. In the file manager, type in the search:

.m4a OR .mp3 OR *.amr

Cloud services: Mi Cloud and Google Drive

If your Xiaomi has Mi Cloud sync enabled, the records can be automatically uploaded to the cloud.

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Scroll down to the Device Backup section.
3. Click View Data and select Recorder or Call Records.

Note that the free Mi Cloud tariff only provides 5GB of storage. If the space is over, new records may not sync. Also check the settings of the Dictophone app:

• 🔄 Open the recorder. → press three points (⋮) → Settings.
• 📤 Check the Autoboot option in Mi Cloud or Cloud Backup.
• ⚠️ If the option is enabled but the files are not displayed in the cloud, try manually running sync.

Alternatively, Google Drive, where some users set up automatic downloads of records through apps like AutoSync or FolderSync, in which case the files will be in the Drive → My Storage → Audio folder or in the custom directory you specified.

💡

If you often record important conversations, set up an automatic boot to Google Drive via the Tasker or MacroDroid app.This will protect files even when your phone is reset.

Third-party applications for recording calls

If you're using third-party applications, rather than a standard voice recorder (like Cube Call Recorder, Call Recorder - ACR or Boldbeast), the way you save can be very different.

Important: Some applications (like Boldbeast) require manually specifying a save path when you first start up, and if you don’t set it up, the records can be saved to a temporary folder that is cleared when you reboot the device.

⚠️ Attention: Starting with Android 10, Google has tightened restrictions on recording calls. Many apps from Google Play can no longer record conversations without root rights. MIUI, Check its compatibility with your version of Android.

How to Change the Place of Records Saving

If you don’t like the standard file layout, you can redirect the records to another location, such as the location of the file. SD-It's a map or a cloud. Here's how to do it:

For the standard MIUI recorder:

1. Open the Dictator app.
2. Press three points (⋮) → Settings.
3. Select the save folder and specify a new path (for example, /storage/XXXX-XXXX/Recordings/ for SD-map).

For the phone application (recording conversations):

Unfortunately, in most versions of MIUI, the way you save the call records can't be changed through the interface.

1. Install a file manager with root access (such as Root Explorer).
2. Go to /data/user/0/com.android.providers.media/files/.
3. Copy the files to the right place (root rights required).

💡

If you want to keep records on SD-Format it as internal memory in your phone settings, or many apps won't be able to write it.

For third-party applications:

In most third-party recorders, the save path is set up in the Settings → Storage menu, for example, in ACR:

1. Open up. ACR → press three lines (☰) → Settings.
2. Select the Recording Storage folder.
3. Point the folder to SD-in the cloud or in the cloud (if supported).

What to do if the records are missing

If you are sure that the record was made but the file is gone, try the following steps:

1. Check the Recycle Bin: The file manager of Xiaomi Files has a Recycle Bin section where files are stored for up to 30 days.
2. Search: Enter the contact name or date of the conversation (e.g., 2026-05-15) in your file manager search.
3. Check the cloud: As described above, records could have been sent to Mi Cloud or Google Drive.
4. Restore from backup: If you did backup through Settings → System → Backup, try recovering data.

If files have been deleted recently, you can try recovery software, such as:

• 🛠️ DiskDigger (works without root, but with limitations).
• 🔍 Recuva (requires the phone to be connected to a PC).
• 📱 GT Recovery (require root rights for deep scanning).

⚠️ Warning: Don't install recovery software on the same partition where the records were stored! This can overwrite deleted files. Use SD-card.

Xiaomi with MIUI 14/15 has a built-in file recovery feature:

1. Open the files. → press three points (⋮) → Basket.
2. Select Restore for the desired files.
3. If files are not in the Recycle Bin, try Settings → Memory → Cleanup → File Recovery.

Differences in different Xiaomi models

The way the records are saved may depend not only on the version of MIUI, but also on the particular device model.

On Android One devices (such as the Xiaomi Mi A3), the save paths are standard for Android:

/storage/emulated/0/Recordings/


/storage/emulated/0/Podcasts/ (for some versions)

If your model is not listed in the table, check the path through the voice recorder or file manager settings with a search by the file creation date.

FAQ: Frequent questions about recording calls on Xiaomi