Owners of smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO They often have to listen to a tape of a phone conversation, whether it's an important business call, an interview, or simply saving valuable information. MIUI Not always obvious, and records can be hidden in unexpected folders or disappear after updates. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to access call records, including hidden firmware functions, third-party applications and methods for recovering deleted files.
Xiaomi’s feature is that recording conversations can be blocked at the regional settings level (for example, in the EU and Russia, this feature is often disabled by default due to privacy laws). But even in these cases, there are workarounds, from manually turning on ##4636### to using alternative dialers. MIUI 12-14 and identified those that work stably.
Important: if you don't find a record in a standard place, it doesn't mean that it's deleted. The files of the call records on Xiaomi are stored in encrypted form and may not be accessible through a regular file manager without root rights.
Where are the default conversation records on Xiaomi stored
On most Xiaomi devices, call records are saved in the system folder, but the path to them depends on the version. MIUI And the smartphone models. Here are the standard locations:
In the firmware MIUI 12–14 Record files are usually located at the address: /sdcard/MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/
or
/storage/emulated/0/Recordings/Call/
File format —.m4a or.amr, the name contains the date, time and number of the subscriber (for example, 20260515_143025_+79123456789.m4a).
In some models (for example, POCO F5 or Redmi Note 12 Pro+) path may differ: /sdcard/CallRecordings/
Or even inside the Dictaphone application folder:
/Android/data/com.miui.voicerecord/files/
To quickly find the records:
1. Open the File Manager application.
2. In the search box, enter call_rec or.m4a.
3. If nothing is found, check the hidden folders (turn on the display in the file manager settings).
⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI European region (EEA) Call recording can be completely disabled in the standard dialer, in which case you will need to install an alternative application for calls (see section below).
How to Enable Conversation Recording When the Function is Hidden
If your Xiaomi doesn’t have a recording button during a call, it doesn’t mean you can’t activate it. Here are 3 working ways to enable the feature:
###1. Through the engineering menu (for firmware without regional restrictions)
1. Open the Phone app and type the code:
##4636##2 Go to the section "Phone Information" (or Phone Information).
3. Scroll down and find the item "Call Recording".
4. Select Automatic Recording or Recording All Calls.
⚠️ Note: On some models (Xiaomi) 13T, Redmi K60) This method may not work because of the manufacturer's lockdown. №2.
###2. Through the settings of the phone application
1. Open the "Phone» → press ⋮ (three-point) → «Settings».
2 Go to Call Record (some firmwares call the item "Talk Record").
3. Activate the option “Write Automatically” or select “Write Manually” (a button will appear during the call).
If no paragraph:
Update the Phone app via Google Play.
Install an alternative dialer (see the next section).
### 3. Resetting the settings of the Phone app
Sometimes the recording settings are reset after the update. MIUI. To get back the function:
1. Go to "Settings» → «Annexes» → «Application management».
2. Find the "Phone» → «Warehouse» → «Clear the data».
3.Reboot your smartphone and check for the recording button in the dialer.
Check the version of MIUI (Settings → About the phone)
Update the Phone app in Google Play
Clean the dialer cache (Settings) → Annexes → Phone. → Warehouse)
Try the engineering menu (#4636##)
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Alternative applications for recording calls on Xiaomi
If the standard methods do not work (for example, on Xiaomi). MIUI EEA), Install one of the apps we tested, and we tested them for compatibility with Android 12-14:
| Annex | Free version | Recording of both sides | Auto-recording | Works on MIUI 14 |
|--------------------------|-------------------|---------------------|------------|---------------------|
| Cube ACR | Yes (with advertising) | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. |
| Call Recorder - ACR | Yes. | Yes (on some devices) | Yes. | Partially* |
| RMC: Android Call Recorder | No. | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. |
| Truecaller | Yes. | No, only incoming) | No. | Yes. |
| Google Phone | Yes. | No** | No. | No. |
*Xiaomi. 13/14 The series may require manual recording start.
**On Google Phone, the recording is only available in certain regions (e.g. the United States).
🔹 How to set up a Cube ACR (recommend!):
1. Install from [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cube.callrecorder).
2. At the first start, grant permissions for microphone, storage and calls.
3. In the settings, select:
- File format: M4A (quality).
- Sound source: Loud communication + microphone (for recording both sides).
- Conservation folder: /CallRecordings/ (Not to be confused with system files).
⚠️ Attention: On Android 12+ Apps are prohibited from recording sound from the line during a call without notifying the interlocutor. ACR This is not limited to the use of the application, but in some countries (e.g. the EU) the use of such applications may violate privacy laws.
Why not? MIUI EEA No record of calls?
How to Recover Deleted Records of Conversations
If you accidentally delete a record or it disappears after resetting, try these recovery methods. Success depends on how long it has been since you deleted - the faster you act, the better the chances.
###1. Through the File Manager Recycle Bin
1. Open the "Files» → «The basket (or Trash).
2. Find files with extension.m4a or.
3. Select the ones you need and click "Restore."
🔹 If the basket is empty, move on to the next method.
###2. Using Recovery Apps
We recommend DiskDigger or Recuva (for PC).
1. Install. [DiskDigger](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.defianttech.diskdigger from Google Play.
2. Start the scan (select "Full analysis").
3. filter the results by type "Audio".
4. Save the recovered files to the cloud or memory card.
⚠️ Note: Do not save recovered files to the same memory partition where they were deleted – this reduces the chances of success.
###3. Through Google Drive Backups
If you have automatic backup enabled in Google:
1. Go to the [drive.google.com](https://drive.google.com) PC.
2. Type:audio call in the search.
3. Check the Backups or Downloads folders.
🔹 If there are no records in the cloud, try connecting your smartphone to your PC and scan it with Recuva (debugging is required). USB).
💡
Before recovery, turn off the automatic storage optimization in MIUI (Settings → Memory. → Optimization: This feature can permanently delete “unnecessary” files, including records.
Why Call Records Are Not Saved or Disappeared
Xiaomi users often face problems when entries:
It does not start automatically (although the function is enabled).
- Save but not reproduced (file corrupted).
- Disappear after the reboot.
Here are the main reasons and solutions:
| Problem | Possible cause | Decision |
|-----------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| No record button in the dialer | Regional restrictions (MIUI EEA) | Install an alternative dialer (Cube) ACR, RMC). |
| Records are not retained. | Not enough disk space. | Clean up the memory (minimum 1GB free) or save on SD-map. |
| Files are corrupted (not reproduced) | Codec error | Try to reproduce through VLC Player or convert to MP3. |
| Records disappear after update | Resetting the settings of the “Phone” application» | Restore records from the cart or backup. |
| Only your voice is recorded. | Limitations of Android 12+ | Use applications that bypass restrictions (Cube) ACR root).|
🔹 Additional checks:
- Make sure that the security settings (Settings) → Annexes → Permissions) the Phone or Recorder app has access to the microphone and storage.
- Check if the recording is disabled in power saving mode (Settings) → Battery → Energy saving regime → Applications without restrictions).
💡
If records disappear after the update MIUI, The reason is to reset your system application settings. Always back up your folder. /MIUI/sound_recorder before updating!
How to listen to recordings on a PC or other device
If you need to transfer the recordings to your computer or play them on another smartphone, follow this instruction:
### Method 1: Through cable USB
1. Connect Xiaomi to the PC via USB-cable.
2. In the notification curtain, select the "File Transfer" mode» (MTP).
3. On the PC, open the folder "This computer» → «[Your phone name]» → «Internal memory».
4. Move to the /MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/ or /Recordings/Call/.
5. Copy the files.m4a or.amr on PC.
🔹 If the file's not there:
- Enable the display of hidden files in Windows Explorer (view) → hidden-point).
Use the Total Commander file manager on your PC – it shows Xiaomi system folders.
### Method 2: Through Cloud Storage
1. On your smartphone, open the folder with records (see the section "Where files are stored").
2. Select the required files → «Share» → Select Google Drive, Yandex.Disk or Telegram.
3. Download files from the cloud on PC.
### Method 3: Play on another smartphone
Send files via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct or messenger (Telegram, WhatsApp).
- For.amr formats, a player may need to be installed (e.g, VLC or MX Player).
⚠️ Attention: Files.m4a Call records can contain metadata (phone number, date) and if you share them with third parties, delete the metadata using applications like Metadata Remover.