Recording calls to Xiaomi: The full guide 2026

Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often face the need to record important information during a phone call, whether it’s a confirmation order, a customer agreement, or just a valuable instruction from management. However, with the release of new versions of Android (especially versions 13, 14 and 15), privacy policies have tightened and the standard recording feature has become unavailable in many regions by default.

To make matters worse, Google has been actively blocking third-party apps from accessing the audio stream during a call, and while it was once possible to download any voice recorder from the Play Market, it now forces conversation to be held when recording is turned on or blocks the feature altogether, with users having to look for workarounds, change regions or use specialized software.

In this article, we will look at all the current solutions in 2026, how to activate a hidden feature in a standard call, which applications work without root rights, and why some POCO models require a special approach, and we will also look at the technical details of how the microphone works in hands-free mode.

Why the recording of calls to the new Xiaomi was missing

The main reason for the disappearance of the familiar “Write” button is the security policy changes of the Android operating system. Beginning with version 10 and later releases, Google closed the API that allowed applications to record internal audio streams, this was done to protect users’ personal data from unauthorized listening.

Xiaomi, which uses the MIUI shell (and now HyperOS), has to follow these rules, especially on global firmware versions. While the Chinese versions often feature this feature out of the box, European and Russian users get stripped down functionality, the system forcibly puts the call into hands-free mode if you try to use third-party software.

It is important to understand the difference between recording through a microphone and recording an internal audio stream. In the first case, the phone records what the speaker and your voice "hear" through the main microphone, which often leads to poor quality. In the second case, the digital signal is stored directly from the line, providing crystal clear sound on both sides.

Verification and activation of the built-in function

Before installing third-party software, you need to make sure that your version of the shell is really missing native feature. Often the feature is simply hidden or disabled by default in the region settings. To check, open the standard "Phone" application (Google Dialer or Mi Dialer) and find the gear icon or three dots in the corner of the screen.

Go to Settings → Call Record. If you see the Automatic Call Record switch, you're lucky that it's available. In some cases, you need to select specific numbers to record or enable a record of all incoming and outgoing calls. If there's no Call Record at all, your region or firmware version is blocking this option.

There is a method that sometimes helps to return the record button without complicated manipulation: try changing the region of the phone to India, Thailand or Vietnam through the Settings menu → Additional settings → Region. After changing the location, restart the smartphone and check the settings of the call again. In some regions, the legislation allows you to record without notifying the interlocutor, so Xiaomi activates this feature.

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After changing the region, be sure to check the date and time settings, as some Google services may not work properly when out-synchronizing.

Use of third-party applications (Cube ACR and analogues)

When embedded tools are not available, third-party developers come to the rescue, and Cube ACR has been a leader in this niche for many years, and it can bypass system limitations using Accessibility Service, but it requires careful configuration to work properly on Android 13-15.

Once you install the app, you'll be asked to grant a number of permissions. It's critical that you don't miss the Cube ACR App Connector setup step in the feature menu. Without that, the app won't be able to "intercept" audio control during the call, you'll also need to allow the background to work and turn off battery savings for that app.

• 📱 Permissions: Give access to microphone, contacts, phone and storage.
• 🔌 Special Features: Activate Cube Switch ACR system settings.
• 🔋 Battery: Select "No Limits" mode to work in the background.
• 📞 App Connector: Enable Cube in the settings of the app itself ACR.

It’s worth noting that even Cube ACRs on newer versions of Android can record latency or require hands-free communication. Alternatively, apps like Call Recorder – SKVALEX can be used, but they are often paid and require more in-depth customization. The free counterparts from the Play Market in 2026 are extremely unstable.

⚠️ Note: Call recording apps may conflict with messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp) if they use VoIP protocols. ACR The correct sound source (Voice Call or Mic).

Replace Google Dialer with Mi Dialer (Root Requires)

For advanced users who are ready to take full control of the device, there is a way to replace the system application "Phone." The standard Google Dialer has strict restrictions, while the good old Mi Dialer (or its modified versions) is free of these problems. However, on global firmware, it will not simply install it - the system will block installation on top of the system application.

Root rights are required (usually through Magisk) to implement this method, and the process involves unlocking the bootloader, which will result in a reset of all data (Wipe Data), after obtaining access rights, you must remove or freeze the standard Google Phone application and install the system version of Mi Dialer with Google's signature to pass the integrity check.

This method ensures that native recording is in high quality without warning or delay. MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec. However, keep in mind that banking apps and some games may stop working on a rooted device without additional root rights concealment settings (Magisk Hide/Zygisk).

Bypassing restrictions through ADB (No Root)

If you don't want root rights, you can try the hidden USB debugging (ADB) method, which doesn't require unlocking the bootloader, but requires a computer, and the idea is to force the hidden flags of the system that are responsible for the functionality of the call.

To start, activate the developer mode by tapping the build number seven times in the About Phone menu. Then turn on "Debugging by USB." Connect your smartphone to your PC and start the command prompt with ADB installed. You will need to enter a command to activate the hidden test menu:

adb shell am start -n com.android.phone/.TestingDebug

The menu that opens (if available on your firmware version) can find options related to VoLTE or call recording. However, in recent versions of HyperOS, Google closes these loopholes, and it may be more effective to use commands to reset the phone app to factory settings, which sometimes returns functionality:

adb shell pm clear com.google.android.dialer

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The ADB method does not offer 100% warranty on new versions of Android, as Google blocks these features at the core level, not just the interface.

⚠️ Attention: Inexperienced use of commands ADB This can cause the call system to be unstable.

Recording quality problems and their solution

Even when a recording is successfully activated, users often complain about the voice being quiet or completely absent, because the second microphone may not work properly in recording mode, or the app captures sound from only one channel, and the solution often lies in setting the sound source.

In recorder applications, try switching the recording source from Voice Call to Mic and turning on the hands-free mode automatically, which will lower the quality, but ensure that the voice of the interlocutor is heard, and also check if the case covers the bottom microphone located next to the charging port.

If you use a Bluetooth headset, you may not be recording at all, as the audio stream goes directly to the headset, bypassing the main channels of recording the smartphone, in such cases, it is recommended to translate important conversations to the phone speaker before recording.

• 🔊 Volume: Increase the volume of media while talking if the recording is through a microphone.
• 🎧 Headset: When using headphones, recording is often impossible without root rights.
• 📶 Network: In case of poor signal (VoLTE/VoWiFi) The recording may be interrupted or distorted.

Where are the records stored and how to find them

Once a file is successfully written, it needs to be saved somewhere, depending on the method chosen, the path to the files will be different. In the standard Xiaomi app (after changing the region), the files usually lie along the path:

/storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/

Apps like Cube ACR create their own folder, often called CallRecorder in the root of internal memory or in the Android/data folder. Note that Android 11+ has limited access to the Android/data folder for file managers. You will need a special file manager with permissions to access system folders (such as Material Files or Solid Explorer) to copy the records from there.

For easy search of records, you can use the built-in file search by entering the date or name of the contact. It is recommended to periodically transfer important conversations to the cloud storage or to the computer, as when resetting your phone settings or deleting the application, these files can be lost.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)