Where to look for recorded conversations on Xiaomi: hidden folders, cloud and backups

Have you accidentally discovered that your Xiaomi is recording conversations but you don't know where to look for those files? Or have you specifically turned on the call recording function but now you can't find the saved dialogues? This problem is familiar to many owners of smartphones on MIUI - Xiaomi's proprietary shell hides audio files in non-obvious folders, and sometimes does not save them at all without additional settings.

In this article, we’ll look at all possible locations, from the standard Phone app to hidden system directories and cloud services, and learn how to listen to saved conversations, recover deleted records, and set up automatic call recording on Redmi, POCO, and Mi models (including new devices on MIUI 14/15).

1. Standard Phone app: where to look for records

If you have used the built-in recording feature in the Phone app, the files must be saved automatically. However, their location depends on the version of MIUI and the smartphone model. On most devices (Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4, Mi 11/12), the records are stored in:

• 📁 Local storage: /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/ (for MIUI 12-13) or /storage/emulated/0/Recordings/CallRecord/ (for MIUI 14+).
• 🔍 How to find: Open any file manager (such as Xiaomi’s Files), turn on the hidden folder display, and follow the path indicated.
• 🎧 File format: Records are saved in format.m4a or.amr with a species name Record_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.

If the folder is empty, check the recording settings:

1. Open the phone app.
2. Press three points (⋮) → Settings → Recording of conversations.
3. Make sure that the Auto Write option is enabled and the correct storage location (internal memory or storage) is selected. SD-map).

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If the recording settings do not contain the option “Save Place”, update the Phone app via Google Play or the MIUI App Store. In older versions, files could be saved in the Recordings root folder without subdirectories.

2 Hidden system folders: where else can there be records

Xiaomi sometimes saves call records in non-obvious places, especially if you’ve used third-party apps or MIUI features like Screen Recording with Sound.

To see these folders, you’ll need a root file manager or an FX File Explorer type application with the “Show Hidden Files” option enabled. Please note that some directories (Android/data/) may not be available without special permissions.

Important: If you don't find records in standard folders, check if they're saved to the Mi Cloud automatically, and that's in the next section.

3.Mi Cloud Cloud Storage: How to Recover Records

Many users are unaware that Xiaomi can default to synchronizing call records with the Mi Cloud, which is especially true for devices with MIUI 13+, where Backup is enabled by default.

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Check if synchronization is enabled for the Call Recorder or Recorder.
3. If yes, go to i.mi.com, log in and find the Records or Audio section.

In the cloud, files can be stored in.m4a or.mp3 format with original timestamps. If there are no records, try:

• 🔄 Update the page (sometimes files are delayed).
• 📥 Download full backup through Settings → Additionally. → Backup archive.
• 📧 Check the Remote folder (Mi Cloud files are stored 30 days after deletion).

Yes, successfully.|Yeah, but I didn't find the files.|No, I haven't.|I prefer local storage.-->

Note: If you haven’t turned on manual backup, there may be no cloud records, and Xiaomi limits free storage to 5GB – if you exceed the limit, old files are deleted automatically.

4. Third-party write apps: where they save files

If you used third-party programs to record calls (such as Cube Call Recorder, ACR or Boldbeast), the files may be stored in completely different folders.

To find the files:

1. Open the application where the recording was made.
2. Go to the "History" or "Records" section.
3. Click on the entry and select “Open folder” (if the option is available).

Make sure the app has access to microphone and memory

Check the recording settings (auto/manual)

Update the application to the latest version

View the history of records within the program-->

Note: Some applications (e.g. Boldbeast) require you to disable battery optimization for Xiaomi, otherwise the recording may be interrupted. You can do this in Settings → Applications → Battery Management → Application Selection → No restrictions.

5. How to recover deleted call records

If you accidentally delete the records, they can still be restored, but only if two conditions are met:

1. Files were not overwritten with new data (don’t save anything to your device!).
2. No more than 30 days have passed since the deletion (for Mi Cloud) or 7 days for local storage.

Recovery methods:

• 🗑️ Basket MIUI: Open the Files» → «Recycle Bin and find files with extension.m4a or.
• 🔄 Recovery software: Use DiskDigger, Recuva (for PC) or Undeleter. connect your phone to your computer in mode MTP And scan your internal memory.
• 📥 Backup copy MIUI: If you have been doing backup through Settings → Additionally. → Backup, restore data from there.

For recovery via PC:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your computer using a USB- cable.


2. Select File Transfer Mode (MTP).




3. Run a recovery program (e.g., Recuva).




4. Indicate scanning internal memory (not SD- card!).




5. Search for files by extensions:.m4a,.amr,.3gp.




6. Save the restored records to the computer.

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The faster you start recovering, the better the chances of returning deleted records, and each new file saved on the device reduces the likelihood of success by 10-15%.

6.Why records are not saved and how to fix it

A common problem on Xiaomi is that the call record turned on doesn't save files.

If the problem persists, try:

1. Update the phone app via Google Play.
2. Reset the application settings: Settings → Applications → Phone → Storage → Clear the data.
3. Install an alternative dialer (like Google Phone), but note that it doesn’t support recording on all Xiaomi models.

7.How to set up automatic call recording on Xiaomi

To avoid searching for records after each conversation, set up automatic save. Instructions for MIUI 12-15:

1. Open the phone app.
2. Press three points (⋮) → Settings → Recording of conversations.
3. Enable the option of Automatic Recording.
4. Choose which calls to record: 📞 All incoming 📱 All outgoing 🔢 Only contacts. 🚫 Delete certain numbers

Specify the location of the storage (internal memory or SD-map).

For POCO and Redmi models on Android 12+, additional audio recording permission may be required, if the "Recording Conversations" option is not available:

• Install Google Phone from Play Market (but recording won’t work on all firmware).
• Use third-party apps (like Cube Call Recorder), but note that they may not record the audio of the interlocutor on newer versions of Android.

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On some models (Xiaomi 13/14, POCO F5), call recording is blocked at the Android level, in which case only installing custom firmware (for example, Pixel Experience) or using a second recording device will help.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi conversation records