Where to find a recording of a conversation on Xiaomi phone: a full guide

Xiaomi smartphone owners often face the need to save an important phone call for later listening or as evidence. However, the standard MIUI shell and the new HyperOS have their own features of storing such files that can confuse an inexperienced user.

In this article, we will discuss in detail where to watch the recording of a conversation on Xiaomi’s phone, how to set up automatic saving and what to do if the feature stopped working after the system update. Understanding the structure of the Android file system will allow you to quickly find the information you need.

Note that file layouts may vary slightly depending on the operating system version and regional settings of the device, and we will look at all current search methods, including the use of standard Explorer and third-party applications for file management.

Standard location of files in the Android system

By default, all audio files generated by the system recorder or call recording function are stored in the device's internal memory. Modern versions of Android have changed security policies since version 11, and access to some system folders is limited.

To find the file manually, you need to open the Explorer (or File Manager) application, which is preinstalled on each Xiaomi smartphone. Next, go to the Internal Drive section and find a folder called MIUI. This is where most of the shell system data is stored.

Inside the folder. MIUI Interested in catalogue sound_recorder, and then subfolder call_rec. Exactly along the way. /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec You can use all of your saved dialogs. Files usually have an extension.m4a or.mp3 and named according to the date and time of the call.

⚠️ Note: If you use a third-party file manager with root rights, do not delete system files from this folder, this may cause the Phone application to malfunction».

In some cases, especially on global firmware versions, the path may look different, so you should check the root directory of internal memory for a Recordings or Call folder, which the system could have created when you first turned on the write function.

Search through the application "Dictophone" and "Phone"

The easiest way to find the right record is not to dig through the files, but to use the built-in interface. The Dictaphone app on Xiaomi smartphones has a convenient interface for sorting records by type: “Everything”, “Sound”, “Interview” and “Phone conversation”.

Open the app, go to the "Telephone Conversation" tab, which shows you a list of all recorded calls in chronological order. When you click on a particular record, you can listen to it, rename it or delete it. To manage the file in more detail, click on the three dots in the upper right corner or hold your finger on the record name.

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Use the Favorites feature in the Dictaphone app to mark important conversations with an asterisk, so they will be easier to find in the general list.

Alternatively, if you're logging automatically or manually during a conversation, a special icon (usually a small cassette or microphone) appears next to the subscriber's number in the log, and if you click on that icon or select a number and go into the details, you can immediately start playing.

But remember, this only works if the number that called is in the history, and if the number was hidden or the log was cleared, you can't find the record through the phone interface, and you have to use a file manager.

Set up automatic call recording

To avoid worrying about manually turning on the recorder during an important conversation, it is best to set up an automatic recording, which ensures that no word is lost, even if you forgot to press the button.

To activate this function, open the Phone app (green handset). Click on the settings icon (three dots or gear) and select "Call Record" where you need to activate the Auto Record switch.

You can also flexibly configure the rules in the same menu, such as choosing the option to "Write down all numbers" or "Write only selected numbers," the second option is useful if you want to save only conversations with specific services or people, saving space on the disk.

⚠️ Note: In some regions (e.g. Europe) due to privacy laws, the automatic recording function may be disabled by the manufacturer at the firmware level.

You can also set up the settings to tell the person you're recording by voice message, which is an important ethical and legal issue that you should not forget.

Use Google Phone instead of MIUI Dialer

In recent years, Xiaomi has been moving its smartphones to the standard Google Phone app instead of its own MIUI Dialer, which creates confusion because the logic of working and storing files here is completely different.

If you have a Google Phone installed on your device, the recording function may not be available at all or work with voice alerts for both parties, in which case the recordings are often stored not in the file system as a separate file, but in the cloud or in a secure area of the application, accessible only through the interface of the “caller”.

To check for a feature, open the settings of the Google Phone app. If there is no call record, it is blocked in your region or for your carrier. Bypasses exist, but they require the installation of modified versions of the applications.

Users who are critically important to recording calls often have to put up with a voice alert, “This call is being recorded,” which is a requirement of Google’s security policy and cannot be circumvented by regular means.

Comparison of file paths in different versions of MIUI

The storage structure changed from version to version, and to make it easier for you to navigate, we created a table with the current paths for different versions of the shell.

As you can see from the table, with the release of HyperOS and the update of Android to versions 11, 12 and 13, access to the Android/data folder for third-party explorers became limited. Xiaomi's standard Explorer still sees these files, but if you connect the phone to your computer, the folder may appear empty.

In such cases, it is recommended to use the built-in Files app or specialized managers who request special permissions to access system files.

Recording problems and their solution

Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the record seems to be going, but the file is not saved or silence is played, most often the problem lies in the permissions of the application, the Phone or Dictator application may be denied access to the microphone or memory.

Check this out in Settings → Apps → All Apps. Find the Phone or Recorder list, go to App Permissions and make sure that access to Microphone and Memory (or Files and Media) is allowed.

Another reason could be a crowded cache: Clearing the cache of the Phone app often helps to return functionality, and to do this, select “Clean” → “Clean” → “Clean the cache” from the app menu (in the information section about it), and contact data will not be affected.

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If after all the manipulations, the recording does not work, check if you have a Do Not Disturb mode or Silent Mode, which can block the operation of audio codecs.

Also worth checking for system updates. In security patches, Xiaomi regularly fixes audio subsystem errors. Go to Settings → About phone and click on MIUI to check for updates.

Third-party recording applications

If you don’t like or work in your local area, you can always turn to third-party solutions. There are many applications on the Google Play store, such as Call Recorder – ACR or TapeACall.

However, with Android 9 and higher, Google has closed the API for recording calls from third-party apps, meaning that many apps either don’t work, record conversations only through the speaker (which reduces quality and records all ambient noise), or require complex setup via ADB.

The most effective method for advanced users is to install modified versions of system applications, but this requires unlocking the bootloader and obtaining root rights, which can void the warranty.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)