Where to Find and Listen to a Conversation Recording on a Xiaomi Phone: A Complete 2026 Guide

Have you accidentally deleted an important conversation or do not know where Xiaomi saves call records? You may have enabled automatic recording, but now you can not find files. In this article, we will analyze all possible storage locations on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, from standard folders to hidden system directories, and tell you how to recover deleted files and what applications will help if the built-in tools do not work.

It's important to understand that the way you store records depends on the phone model, the version of MIUI, and whether you've used third-party recording apps. For example, on the Xiaomi 13 Pro with MIUI 14, the default records are saved in one place, and on the Redmi Note 10 with MIUI 12.5, we've covered all the options, including features for Chinese firmware and global versions.

If you are looking for recordings of not phone conversations, but voice messages in messengers (for example, WhatsApp or Telegram), go straight to the section about cloud services - there are nuances for each application.

1. Standard place of storage of records in MIUI

By default, Xiaomi smartphones save conversation records in a folder MIUI/sound_recorder However, the path may differ depending on the firmware version:

• 📁 MIUI 12–14 (global): /Internal Storage/MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec — This is where files with extensions are stored.m4a or.
• 📁 MIUI China: /Internal Storage/Recordings/Call — often without subfolders, files are named by subscriber number.
• 📁 Old versions (MIUI 10–11): /Internal Storage/Recorder — folder can be hidden (enable the display of hidden files in the file manager).

To find the folder quickly:

1. Open the Files app (yellow folder icon).
2. Go to the Category tab → Audio.
3. In the upper right corner, click on three dots → Show hidden files.
4. Look for files with type names Call_+79XXXXXX_20260515_1230.m4a.

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If the folder is not available, check if the call recording function is enabled in the phone settings: Settings → Apps → Phone → Recording conversations.

An important nuance: on some models (for example, Xiaomi 12T), the records are automatically archived in MIUI/backup/AllBackup after 30 days.

2. How to listen to recordings through the built-in dictaphone

The microphone icon app in MIUI not only records voice notes, but it can also store copies of phone conversations if you've turned on sync. Here's how to find the recordings:

1. Open the Dictaphone app.
2. Go to the Records tab (or Call Recorder in English firmware).
3. Sort files by date by clicking on the calendar icon in the upper right corner.
4. Calls are usually marked with a pipe icon 📞, And voice notes, microphone. 🎤.

If there is no Call Recorder tab, then the records are stored only in the file system (see Section 1). On some firmware (for example, MIUI EU), the recorder does not support recording calls at all - in this case, use third-party applications.

Enable call recording in phone settings|Update the Dictaphone app to the latest version|Checking permissions to access the microphone|Clear the application cache (Settings) → Annexes → Dictaphone → Warehouse)-->

On models with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip (such as the Xiaomi 13 Ultra), the built-in voice recorder may not record calls due to the limitations of Android 13+.

3. Search records through the file manager (including hidden folders)

If standard methods don’t work, use a file manager with access to system folders (such as Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer).

1. Install the file manager from Google Play (recommended MiXplorer for MIUI).
2. Enable the display of hidden files: Manager settings → Show hidden files.
3. Go to /data/user/0/com.android.providers.media, where records metadata can be stored.
4. Check the folders: 📂 /Android/data/com.miui.voicerecord — tape-recording. 📂 /Android/media/com.xiaomi.midrop — If you use Mi Drop to transfer files.

If there are no folders, try searching for keywords:

• 🔍 Enter the manager's search: call_rec,.m4a,.amr voice_.
• 🔍 For Chinese firmware, look for hieroglyphs (conversation record).

On the POCO F5 and other MIUI 14 models, the entries are sometimes duplicated in /MIUI/music/recorder – check this folder too.

4. Recovering Deleted Records of Conversations

If you accidentally delete a record, you can restore it with specialized utilities, and the main rule is: do not write new files to your phone so as not to overwrite deleted data.

Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Select Basic Scan (Free Version)
3. Mark the file types: Audio (M4A, AMR, 3GP).
4. Click Start Basic Search and wait for the scan to be completed.
5. Listen to the files found right in the app and save them to a safe place.

Yeah, and I couldn't get it back |Yes, but I did. |No, I always do backups |I don't record conversations-->

⚠️ Note: When recovering via PC (for example, using Recuva), connect your phone in File Transfer mode (MTP). Do not use Charging mode – it blocks access to memory.

5. Cloud Services: Where else records can be stored

If you used cloud sync, the records could automatically be downloaded to:

• ☁️ Mi Cloud: Go to i.mi.com → Devices → [Your phone] → Backups. Look for archives marked CallRecords.
• ☁️ Google Drive: Call folder (if sync is enabled via Google Phone).Way: drive.google.com → Recycle Bin (if files have been recently deleted).
• ☁️ Dropbox/OneDrive: If you have set up automatic downloads through an application like Automatic Call Recorder.
• 📱 WhatsApp: Records are saved in the /WhatsApp Media/Voice Notes. Telegram: voice messages in /Telegram/Audio. Viber: /Viber/Media/Viber Voices.

It's important for Mi Cloud to know that records are only stored for 30 days at a free rate.

1. Open Settings → Xiaomi Accounts → Mi Cloud → Backup.
2. Select the last backup and click Restore.
3. Once restored, the recordings will appear in /MIUI/backup/AllBackup/CallRecords.

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If you used the Truecaller app to record calls, check its cloud storage: Truecaller Settings → Call Records → Cloud.

6. Third-party applications for recording and listening

If the built-in MIUI tools don't work, consider alternative applications, which offer more features: automatic cloud upload, speech-to-text transcription, and password protection.

To transfer records from a third-party application to system storage:

1. Open the recorder app.
2. Go to Settings → Save folder.
3. Show me the way. /MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec.
4. Copy old records into this folder through the file manager.

⚠️ Attention: On Android 12+ Many applications for recording calls require special permissions. → Annexes → Special access → Record audio and enable access for the recorder.

7. Listening to PC recordings

If it is more convenient to work with records on your computer, connect your phone to your PC and follow the instructions:

1. Use a USB Type-C cable (new Xiaomi models may require original cable to transfer data).
2. On your phone, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
3. On PC, open this computer. → [Your phone].
4. Go to the Internal Storage folder → MIUI → sound_recorder.
5. Copy files with the.m4a or.amr extension to your hard drive.

For listening on PC:

• 🎧 Use a standard Windows Media Player or VLC (supports all formats).
• 📝 To transcribe speech into text, use Otter.ai or Google Docs (download the file and select Tools). → Voice input).

If the recordings are not reproduced:

• 🔊 Check the codecs: install the K-Lite Codec Pack.
• 🔄 Convert files to.mp3 Online Convert or Audacity.

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To quickly find all entries on your PC, type:.m4a OR type:.amr in the folder with your phone in Windows search.

8 Security: How to Protect Records from Unauthorized People

Records of conversations may contain confidential information to protect them:

• 🔒 Encryption: Use Folder Lock or built-in feature MIUI — Settings → Privacy → File protection.
• 🌐 Cloud with Password: Upload records to Proton Drive or pCloud (with client encryption).
• 📱 Hidden folders: Rename the folder with records by adding a dot at the beginning (for example,.secret_calls).
• 🚫 Access restriction: in Settings → Annexes → Allows to disable microphone access for unnecessary applications.

To delete records without the possibility of recovery:

1. Use Shreddit or Secure Eraser to overwrite files.
2. In MIUI, enable Settings → Additional → Privacy → Irreversible Deletion.

⚠️ Note: In some countries, recording conversations without the consent of the interlocutor is prohibited by law. Before using the recorder, check local regulations (for example, in Russia, notification of the second participant in the conversation is required).

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi conversation records