Xiaomi smartphone owners often face the need to keep an important phone conversation, whether it’s a business deal or a personal conversation. Redmi 5, despite its age, remains popular due to the stability of the MIUI system. However, users often get lost in the folders of the system, trying to find the saved audio file immediately after the call is completed.
Finding a record can be difficult because file paths may differ from firmware to firmware. Also, the standard Phone application doesn't always have a visible play button in the call log. You need to understand the logical structure of storage in the Android operating system to quickly find the information you need.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all possible ways to locate recorded dialogs, we will look at both standard system tools and third-party file managers that will help you get to hidden directories.
Search through the standard Dictaphone application2> The easiest and most obvious way to find a stored dialog is to go to the built-in Dictaphone app. MIUI All audio recordings, including phone conversations, are aggregated by default here. Open the app and notice the tabs at the top of the screen. Usually, the recordings are divided into categories: "Everything," "Conversations," and "Records." You need to go to the Conversations tab. And here, files are sorted by call date and time, which makes it much easier to navigate through the archive, so if you just finished a call, the file will be at the top of the list. ⚠️ Note: If there is no Conversations tab, it is possible that the system records display is disabled in the voice recorder settings or another storage is selected. To listen, just click on the file name, which is usually formed from the contact name or phone number. In the player interface, you can not only play audio, but also perform basic actions: cropping, renaming or sending a file to the interlocutor through messengers. 💡Use the Favorites feature in the recorder to mark important conversations with an asterisk – this will save them from accidentally deleting when clearing the cache.
Using a File Manager for Manual Search
If the standard voice recorder interface seems uncomfortable or files are not displayed, you can use the system explorer. The Explorer (or File Manager) app allows you to see the real folder structure on the internal device drive, which gives direct access to the source without intermediaries.
Records of telephone conversations in MIUI It's often stored along a path that can vary depending on the version of Android. MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec. However, in some cases, the system can use the Recordings/call_rec.
When searching manually, look for file extensions. The standard format for Redmi 5 is.m4a or.aac. These formats provide good sound quality with a minimum file size. If you see files with a.mp3 extension, chances are they were created by a third-party application, not a system recorder.
- 📂 Open the “Conductor” app on your desktop.
- 📂 Go to the folder "Internal Storage).
- 📂 Find the file. MIUI, later sound_recorder and call_rec.
- 📂 Sort files by date of change to find the record.
Automatically save dialogs
Before you search for files, make sure that the recording function is activated and configured correctly. In Redmi 5, managing these settings is deep in the call settings menu. Incorrect configuration can lead to conversations simply not being saved to the disk.
Go to the Phone app and click on the menu button (three dots or bars). Select Settings, then find Call Record, where you can enable automatic recording for all incoming and outgoing calls, or select specific numbers.
☑️ Checking the recording settings
The important thing is to choose the source of the sound. In some regions, due to legal restrictions, the recording function can be blocked or work with the interlocutor's warning. Make sure that the region settings (in the general settings of the phone) do not have a restriction that blocks this feature.
| Parameter | Recommended value | Impact of search |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic recording | Included. | Files are created by themselves. |
| Record selected numbers | If necessary, | Filtering too much |
| Warning of the record | As you wish. | Legal aspect |
| File format | M4A / AAC | Compatibility of players |
| Storage | Internal memory. | Speed of access |
Search for records on the SD memory card
If your Redmi 5 has a microSD card installed and the settings say you save your data to an external medium, the path to the files will change. The system creates a similar folder structure on the map, but it can sometimes be harder to find them due to the nature of the storage mount.
Open the Explorer and select the file display on SD-The path will look like a map. MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec It's right at the root of the map. MIUI, Check if the system files are hidden in the settings of the conductor.
⚠️ Note: When you remove a memory card without first disabling in the settings (“Unmount”), the records files may become corrupted or unreadable.
The advantage of storing it on a memory card is that when you flash your phone or reset it to factory settings, your audio recordings will remain intact. Just don't format the card while you're servicing the phone.
Third-party recording applications and their databases
Xiaomi’s standard tools don’t always meet users’ needs, especially if you want to record calls via Viber, WhatsApp or Telegram. Third-party applications like Call Recorder or TapeACall are installed for these purposes.
The files of such programs are usually in the folder. Android/data/ Then you specify the application package (e.g. com.skvsoft.callrecorder). Inside, look for files or Recordings folders. The structure can be confusing, so it is better to use a search for file extensions inside the guide application.
Why can’t third-party recorders work on Android 9+?
If you use such an application, searching files through a standard MIUI recorder is useless. You will have to open the application through which the recording was made, or go deep into the file system manually.
Problems with reproduction and file formats
Sometimes a file is found, but the phone refuses to open it or only makes noise, which can be due to the lack of the right codec or damage to the file header. Redmi 5 supports most popular formats, but conflicts can arise.
Try using a third-party video player, such as VLC for Android or MX Player. These apps have built-in codecs and can often play things that a standard player can't. Also make sure the file doesn't have a Read Only attribute, although this is rare for audio files.
- 🔇 Check if the phone is in “no sound” mode».
- 🔇 Make sure the volume of the media (not the bell!) is twisted upwards.
- 🔇 Try copying the file to another folder and renaming it.
💡
If the standard player doesn’t open the file, install the VLC Player, which solves 99% of Android codec problems.
Recovering Deleted Records of Conversations
There are situations where an important record has been accidentally deleted, and if it's been a while since it was deleted, the data may still be in the phone's memory, just marked as free space, and you'll need special utilities to find it.
Data recovery applications like DiskDigger can scan internal memory, but deep scanning on Redmi 5 often requires root rights. Without them, recovery efficiency is much lower because access to system partitions is limited.
It's also worth checking the Recycle Bin in Google Drive or Xiaomi Cloud if you've had sync enabled. Often deleted files get there and are stored for 30 days before final destruction.
⚠️ Note: If you detect a deleted file, immediately save it to another medium. Any new record on the phone can overwrite the memory sector where the deleted file was lying, making recovery impossible.