Why Xiaomi Call Records Are Hard to Find
You turned on a recording of a conversation on Xiaomi, but now you can't find a file? This problem is familiar to many smartphone owners of the brand. The fact is that the MIUI system hides audio files of records in non-obvious folders, and the standard Phone application does not always save them in the expected format. Moreover, after firmware updates, storage paths may change โ what worked on MIUI 12 is no longer relevant to MIUI 14.
Another catch: some models (like the Redmi Note 11 or POCO X5) record calls in.amr format by default, which not all players play correctly. And if you used third-party applications like Cube Call Recorder or ACR, files can be stored in the cloud or encrypted at all. In this article, we will analyze all possible scenarios, from standard tools to recover deleted records.
Method 1: Standard MIUI Storage โ Where to Look for Files
If you recorded calls through the built-in Phone app, the files must automatically be stored in the device's internal memory. MIUI:
- ๐ MIUI 12โ14: /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/
- ๐ MIUI 11 below: /storage/emulated/0/Recordings/CallRecord/
- ๐ For Android models 13+: /storage/emulated/0/Android/media/com.android.providers.media/recordings/
To open the folder:
- Connect your phone to your PC via USB (select File Transfer Mode).
- Use Windows Explorer or a file manager on your phone (such as Mi File Manager).
- Enable the display of hidden files (in Mi File Manager: โฎ โ Settings โ Show hidden files).
๐ก
If the folder is empty, check the recording settings in the Phone application": โฎ โ Settings โ Recording calls โ The save folder, maybe the path was changed manually.
Record files usually have names in the format:
- CallRecord_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.amr โ standard-format MIUI.
- INCALL_XXXXXXXXXX_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.mp3 โ if a third-party recorder was used.
Method 2: Listening through the Dictator app
On many Xiaomi models (such as the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ or Xiaomi 13T), call recordings are integrated into the standard Dictator app (com.miui.soundrecorder) to find them:
- Open the application "Dictophone" (mic icon).
- Go to the Call Records tab (or Call Recordings in global firmware).
- All saved conversations will be displayed here, indicating the number, date and duration.
If there is no tab, update the app via Google Play or check your settings:
Settings โ Applications โ Application Management โ Recorder โ Permissions โ Access to microphone and storageWhat to do if the recording is not reproduced?
Method 3: Search through the file manager (if the folder is hidden)
Sometimes the call records are stored in secure system folders that don't show up without root permissions.
- Install a file manager with access to root folders, such as FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer.
- Enable Root access mode (requires an unlocked bootloader and superuser rights).
- Cross the path: /data/user_de/0/com.android.providers.media/documents/recordings/ or /data/media/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/
Important: without root rights, these folders will not be available; the alternative is to connect via ADB (see Method 5).
| Xiaomi model | A typical path to the records | File format |
|---|---|---|
| Redmi Note 10/11 | /MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/ | .amr (8 kbit/s) |
| POCO F3/F4 | /Recordings/CallRecord/ | .mp3 (128 kbit/s) |
| Xiaomi 12/13 | /Android/media/com.miui.voicerecord/ | .m4a (AAC) |
| Black Shark 5 | /BlackShark/CallRecords/ | .wav (PCM) |
Redmi Note 10/11/12|POCO F/X/M|Xiaomi 12/13/14|Black Shark|Another model-->
Method 4: Recovering Deleted Call Records
If the records are missing after resetting or cleaning the memory, you can try to restore them.
- Stop using your phone immediately so you donโt overwrite deleted files.
- Install a recovery application, for example: ๐ ๏ธ DiskDigger (no root required for scanning a memory card). ๐ ๏ธ Recuva (works through PC, you need to connect the phone in mode) USB Mass Storage). ๐ ๏ธ EaseUS MobiSaver (paid version recovers files from internal memory).
/MIUI/
/Recordings/
.amr
.mp3
.m4a
Chances of success:
- โ High if less than 24 hours have passed and memory is not overwritten.
- โ ๏ธ Medium if the phone was actively used (files could be overwritten).
- โ Low if reset to factory settings was performed.
Turn off Wi-Fi and mobile data | Charge your phone at least 50% | Install the recovery app |Do not write new files to your device-->
โ ๏ธ Warning: Donโt save recovered files back to your phone โ use the cloud or PC. Re-write to the same device can permanently destroy the remaining pieces of data.
Method 5: Access via ADB (for power users)
If standard methods donโt work, you can try extracting records through Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires command line skills but allows you to access hidden folders without root rights.
Instructions:
- Install ADB Tools on your PC.
- Turn on USB Debugging on your phone: Settings โ About Phone โ MIUI Version (Tap 7 times) Settings โ Additional โ For Developers โ Debugging on USB
- Connect your phone to your PC and execute the commands: adb devices adb shell su (if root is available) ls /sdcard/MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/
- Copy files on PC: Adb pull /sdcard/MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/ C:\CallRecords\
If the folder is empty, check the alternative paths:
ls /data/user_de/0/com.android.providers.media/documents/recordings/
ls /data/media/0/Recordings/CallRecord/๐ก
ADB allows you to bypass the MIUI restrictions on access to system folders, but does not guarantee the recovery of deleted files - only those that are still physically present on the device.
Why Call Records May Be Lost and How to Prevent It
Xiaomi users often experience recordings suddenly disappearing.
- ๐ Autocleaning: MIUI Can delete old files if there is a lack of memory (check Settings) โ Warehouse โ Autocleaning).
- ๐ฑ Firmware Update: After May 2023 updates, many users lost records due to folder structure changes.
- ๐ Encryption: Some models (such as Xiaomi 13 Ultra) encrypt records and become inaccessible after flashing them.
- ๐ต Resetting: When returning to factory folder settings /MIUI/sound_recorder/ cleansed.
How to secure records:
- ๐ค Regularly copy files to your PC or cloud (Google Drive, Mi Cloud).
- ๐ง Turn off autoclean for the records folder: Settings โ Warehouse โ Make room โ Exceptions โ Add the folder. call_rec
- ๐ฑ Use third-party recorders with cloud backup (for example, ACR orboldbeast).
โ ๏ธ Attention: On models with Android 12+ and MIUI 13+ In this case, the standard Phone app will show a notification "Record is impossible" - you will need a third-party recorder with circumvention of restrictions.