How to turn on the voice recorder on Xiaomi: all the ways and hidden opportunities

Recording voice notes, interviews, or lectures on Xiaomi smartphones can seem like a trivial task — until you find that the standard voice recorder app is either missing from the menu or acting unexpectedly. Unlike iPhones or Samsung, where voice recording is usually available out of the box, owners of MIUI devices often face nuances, from hidden settings to regional restrictions.

This article will not only explain how to turn on a voice recorder on Xiaomi, but also reveal little-known features like background recording during calls (where permitted by law), audio quality settings, and explain why some models (such as the Redmi Note 12 Pro+) may call the application Recording instead of the usual "Dictator", and we will also explore alternative ways to record through Google Assistant or third-party utilities - in case the standard tool refuses to work.

Special attention will be paid to the hidden mode of recording from the lock screen (not available on all versions of MIUI), which allows you to quickly start recording without unlocking your phone, a feature indispensable for journalists or students who need to quickly capture important information.

Where to find a standard voice recorder on Xiaomi

On most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, the voice recording app is built into MIUI firmware, but its location depends on the shell version and the firmware region.

• 📱 App menu: Swipe up from the main screen and search for "Dictorney" or "Sound recording" (on some models). The icon is usually stylized as a microphone on a blue or green background.
• 🔍 Search by system: swipe to the right of the home screen to open Xiaomi Search and type in a query.The system will show not only the app, but the associated settings.
• 📂 Tools folder: on some firmware (for example, MIUI 13 for the global market) tape recorder hidden in a folder with utilities next to the calculator and flashlight.

If the app is missing, it could mean one of three:

1. Your firmware is the Chinese version (China ROM), where the recorder is replaced by Mi Sound Recorder (requires a separate installation from the Mi App Store).
2. The application has been disabled in the settings (see the section below on enabling hidden utilities).
3. On your model (POCO F5, Xiaomi 13T, etc.), the recorder is integrated into Notes or Google Drive as an additional feature.

How to turn on the recorder if it is not on the menu

If the standard app doesn’t show up, try these methods:

Method 1: Enable via MIUI settings

Some system utilities (including voice recorders) can be hidden but not removed to return them:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner and select Show All Apps.
3. In the list, find the Recorder (or com.android.soundrecorder) and click on it.
4. If the Enable button is active, tap it. If the app is disabled, turn it on here.

Method 2: Installation via Mi App Store (for China ROM)

On Chinese firmware, a standard voice recorder is often absent, but it can be added:

1. Open the Mi App Store (green package icon).
2. Search for Mi Sound Recorder or (in Chinese).
3. Install the official app from Xiaomi Inc.

Check the battery level (minimum 20%)

Turn off the "Do Not Disturb" mode.

Close background applications that use a microphone

Wear headphones (if you need recording from an external microphone)-->

Configure the quality of the recording and file formats

Xiaomi’s standard voice recorder allows you to choose between three main audio formats, each suitable for different tasks:

To change the settings:

1. Open the recorder and tap on the icon. ⚙️ (or three points) in upper right corner.
2. Select Settings → Recording quality.
3. Set the desired format and bitrate. For most tasks, M4A (128 kbps) is enough.

Tip: If you record long lectures (more than 1 hour), choose an M4A with a bitrate of 64 kbps – this will save space without critical loss of quality for voice.

💡

Before an important recording, make a 10-second test file and check it on another device to avoid surprises with sound quality.

Hidden functions of the Xiaomi voice recorder

Few people know, but the standard Mi Sound Recorder app hides a few useful options:

• 🔊 Voice Amplification: In the recording settings, turn on Noise Reduction and Speech Enhancement – this will help when recording in noisy places (for example, on the street).
• 📱 Recording from the lock screen: MIUI 14 and later add the voice recorder widget to the lock screen via Settings → Lock screen → Widgets.
• 🔄 Auto-stop timer: in the settings you can set the automatic completion of the recording after a predetermined time (from 5 minutes to 2 hours).
• 📤 Autoboot to the Cloud: Link Mi Cloud or Google Drive to Automatic Backup Records.

On Xiaomi 13/14 Pro models, recording in Dolby Atmos format is available (activation required in Settings → Sound → Record quality). This feature creates surround sound, but the files weigh 2-3 times more than normal.

Solving the problems with the voice recorder

If the recorder is not turned on, the recording is interrupted or the sound is distorted, check the following points:

⚠️ Note: On some models (POCO X3 Pro, Redmi 9A) The microphone may conflict with Google Assistant. Disable the voice assistant in Settings → Google → Settings for Google apps → Search, Assistant and Voice.

If the problem persists, try resetting the app settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Recorder → Storage.
2. Tap Clear the data and Clear the cache.
3. Reboot the phone.

💡

Before resetting the voice recorder settings, export important records to the cloud or computer – they will be deleted along with the application data.

Alternative methods of recording sound

If a standard voice recorder is not satisfied, consider these options:

• 🎤 Google Drive: Google Drive has a built-in voice recorder (slip on the mobile app"+" → Recording audio recordings are automatically saved to the cloud.
• 📱 Voice Notes in Mi Notes: Notes from Xiaomi app lets you attach voice messages to text.
• 🔧 Third-party apps: Easy Voice Recorder – a simple interface with support FLAC and PCM. Hi-Q MP3 Recorder - high quality recording with customizable bitrate. Otter.ai - speech recognition and automatic decryption (subscription for long-term recordings).

Warning: When using third-party voice recorders, check permissions. Some applications (such as Call Recorder) may request access to Call Log and Contacts, which poses privacy risks.

How to transfer recordings from Xiaomi to your computer

Records of the recorder by default are saved in the folder:

/storage/emulated/0/Recordings/


or




/storage/emulated/0/SoundRecorder/

To copy them to the PC:

1. Connect your phone to your computer through USB-cable (select File Transfer Mode when connected).
2. Open the Recordings or SoundRecorder folder in Windows/macOS Explorer.
3. Copy the files you want (usually with the.m4a or.mp3) extension.

Alternative methods:

• 🌐 Cloud: upload records to Mi Cloud, Google Drive or Yandex.Disk, then download to PC.
• 📧 Email: Send files to your email as an attachment (limit to 25MB per email).
• 🔗 FTP-server: use applications such as FX File Explorer to create locally FTP-phone-server.

⚠️ Note: When sending messages via instant messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp), the sound quality may deteriorate due to compression. Use cloud services or direct cable transmission to maintain original quality.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi voice recorder