Where to look for a voice recorder on Xiaomi Redmi 9: hidden features and alternatives

Why can't users find a recorder on Redmi 9?

Xiaomi Redmi 9 smartphones (including Redmi 9A, 9C, 9T) come with a MIUI shell, where a standard voice recorder is often hidden in non-obvious menu sections. Unlike flagship models (such as Mi 11 or POCO F3), where the application is brought to the home screen, in the budget line it can be removed from the firmware or replaced by recording voice notes through Google Assistant.

Another common problem is that users confuse the recorder with the conversation recording function (available only in some regions due to legal restrictions).If you are looking specifically for recording surrounding sounds (lectures, interviews, music), then the standard solution from Xiaomi may not be available out of the box. Below we will discuss all the options from built-in tools to third-party applications with advanced features.

⚠️ Attention: Redmi 9 with firmware MIUI Global (European/Russian version) voice recorder may be missing due to memory optimization, in which case the installation of alternative programs or manual addition of a shortcut through Settings will help. → Annexes.

Method 1: Standard dictaphone in MIUI (if not removed)

If your Redmi 9 firmware isn’t “cut off,” try to find a voice recorder through a search:

1. Swipe your finger down the main screen to open the search bar.
2. Enter the request: Recorder or Recorder (in English).
3. If the application is found, hold its icon and drag it to the home screen or to the Tools folder.

If the search does not yield results, check the hidden folders:

• 📁 Tools folder – often a recorder is hidden together with a calculator and flashlight.
• 🔍 All Apps section – swipe right on the home screen and scroll down to the letter “D».
• ⚙️ Settings → Annexes → Application management – type in the search box com.android.soundrecorder (system name of the recorder).

⚠️ Note: On some versions MIUI 12.5 and above, the recorder can be deactivated by default:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the recorder in the list and tap it.
3. Select Enable (if the button is active).

Search the system via swipe down|Checking the Tools folder"|View all the apps on the menu|Search for com.android.soundrecorder in settings-->

Method 2: Recording sound through Google Voice Notes

If you don’t have a standard voice recorder, use Google’s built-in solution:

1. Open the Google app (an icon with the letter “G” on a color background).
2. Slip the microphone icon in the search box or say “OK, Google.”
3. After activating the voice assistant, say the command: “Write down a voice note.”
4. The audio file will be saved to Google Drive in the Voice Notes folder.

Advantages of the method:

• 🎤 Speech recognition and automatic text decoding (available at 10)+ language).
• ☁️ Sync with the cloud – recording will not be lost when resetting your phone.
• 🔍 Convenient search for the contents of notes.

Disadvantages:

• ⏱️ Limitation on recording time - up to 5 minutes per note.
• 📶 Requires an Internet connection to save to the cloud.
• 🔇 No pause function – recording is interrupted when stopped.

Standard from MIUI|Google Voice Notes| Third-party app |Not using-->

Method 3: Hidden recording function from lock screen

On the Redmi 9 with MIUI 12+, there is an undocumented ability to run the recorder directly from the locked screen - even if the application is removed from the menu.

1. Activate your phone screen (without unlocking it).
2. Swipe two fingers from the bottom up the screen – a quick action menu should appear.
3. If there is a microphone icon on the list (🎤), tap it to start recording.

The file will be saved in the folder. MIUI/sound_recorder If the microphone icon is not there, you can add it:

1. Go to Settings → Lock screen → Quick action.
2. Select the dictaphone (if it is in the list).

⚠️ Note: This feature does not work on all firmware. MIUI It has disappeared, try to revert to the previous version through Settings. → The phone. → Updating the system → Three points. → Selection of a service pack.

Comparison of voice recorders: standard vs third-party applications

If the built-in solutions don’t work, consider alternatives from Google Play. Below is a table comparing key parameters:

* On some Redmi 9 firmware, the limit is 1 hour.

Selection recommendations:

• 🎓 For lectures and interviews – Easy Voice Recorder (support for external microphones).
• 🎵 For recording music - Hi-Q MP3 Recorder (high quality up to 320 kbit/s).
• 📝 For quick notes – Google Voice Notes (Integration with Google Docs).

💡

To improve the recording quality on Redmi 9, connect an external microphone via a USB-C adapter (for example, BOYA BY-M1). In the voice recorder settings, select the sound source: External microphone instead of Built-in.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

Redmi 9 users often experience problems recording sound, and here are typical scenarios and ways to fix them:

1.The recorder does not save files.

Check it out.

• 📱 Memory of the device – if less than 500 MB is free, the records may not be saved.
• 🔧 Permissions – Go to Settings → Annexes → Dictaphone → Permits and enable access to Memory and Microphone.
• 🗑️ Reservation folder – by default, files are in /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/. If the folder is deleted, create it manually.

2.The recording is interrupted or distorted

Possible causes:

• 🔋 Battery savings - add a recorder to exceptions: Settings → Battery → Optimizing the battery → All applications → Dictaphone → Not optimize.
• 📶 Calls and notifications – turn off Media Interrupt in Settings → Sound. → Media Interruption.
• 🎧 Bluetooth devices – if headphones are connected, recording can go through their microphone (quality is worse.

3.The application flies out at launch

Decisions:

• 🔄 Cache cleanup: Settings → Annexes → Dictaphone → Memory. → Clear the cache.
• 📥 Reinstall Updates: In the same menu, click Three Dots → Remove updates.
• 🛠️ Resetting the application settings: Settings → Annexes → Dictaphone → Warehouse → Resetting settings.

💡

If the voice recorder does not work after resetting the settings, check the integrity of the system files through Settings → About the phone → Check the system. In extreme cases, flashing through the Mi Flash Tool (data loss!).

How to transfer recordings from Redmi 9 to your computer

The voice recorder files on Redmi 9 are stored in.m4a (AAC) or.mp3 (if you used third-party applications) format to copy them to your PC:

Method 1: Through USB-cable

1. Connect your phone to your computer via USB-C cable.
2. On your phone, select File Transfer (MTP) mode in the connection notification.
3. On PC, open the Explorer and go to the folder: This computer\Redmi 9\Internal storage\MIUI\sound_recorder
4. Copy the desired files to any folder on the computer.

Method 2: Through the cloud

If the USB is not working:

1. Install Google Drive or Yandex.Disk on your phone.
2. In the voice recorder, click Share → select the cloud service.
3. On PC, log in to the same account and download files.

Method 3: Wi-Fi (without wires)

Use applications to transfer files:

• 📲 Send Anywhere – 6-digit code generation for fast transfer.
• 🌐 LocalSend is an open-source analogue of AirDrop for Android/PK.
• 🔗 Pushbullet – sending files through the browser.

⚠️ Note: When transmitted via instant messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp), the sound quality may deteriorate due to compression. For professional recordings, use only original files.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions