How to record a phone call on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Modern smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO, running on the Android operating system, have powerful functionality for multimedia and communication. However, in the latest versions of the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS, developers often change the logic of system applications, which raises questions among users, especially the voice recorder function during a call, which can be hidden or work with restrictions depending on the region of the firmware.

The need to keep an important conversation with a customer, relative or customer support routinely arises. Unfortunately, standard methods that worked on Android 9 and 10 have ceased to be universal, and users now have to look for workarounds, customize special applications or change the region of the device to activate automatic recording of incoming and outgoing calls.

In this article, we will look at all the current ways to implement this feature, we will look at the built-in system tools, settings for different versions of MIUI, as well as third-party solutions that are guaranteed to work even on new models of smartphones, you will learn how to avoid losing important audio data and where to look for saved files.

Built-in voice recorder capabilities in MIUI and HyperOS

For starters, Xiaomi is initially embedding conversation recording into its standard call interface, which is the most stable and high-quality method, as it works at the system level, recording audio directly from the microphone and dynamic speaker without loss of quality.

Global ROMs, which are pre-installed on most phones sold in Europe and other regions, are often blocked due to strict data privacy laws (GDPR).If you are in Russia or CIS countries, you may need to change the region in the settings menu to unlock hidden system features.

💡

Before changing your region, check to see if you have any specific widgets or themes, as the content in the theme store is also tied to the selected country.

To check for the feature, open the Phone app and click on the gear icon or three dots in the corner of the screen. Find Call Record. If it's missing, your current region doesn't support this option out of the box, in which case switching from China, Singapore or India to Settings → Additional Settings → Region will help.

• 📱 China: Full Recording Support with and Without Notifications.
• 🇮🇳 India: Often includes automatic recording.
• 🇷🇺 Russia: Support depends on the specific version MIUI model.
• 🇪🇺 Europe: Most often blocked by law.

When you change region, reboot your smartphone and check your call settings again. In most cases, Call Record will appear immediately. This is the easiest way to do this without having to install any additional software.

Set up automatic recording of conversations

If the recording function is available in your firmware version, it is critical to adjust its behavior correctly. By default, the smartphone can ask permission to record each call or not record them at all without your participation.

Go to the call settings and find the Call Record section. Here you will see the Auto Record switch. Activate it. Below you will see the menu for selecting the numbers to record. You can select All numbers to save each incoming and outgoing call, or Selected numbers, adding only important contacts to the list.

Also worth paying attention to the item "Warning about recording" If it is on, your interlocutor will hear a characteristic beep or voice message that the conversation is being recorded, this is a requirement of the legislation of many countries. If you need to record secretly (at your own risk), this item should be disabled if the firmware allows you to do this.

It's important to understand that when you write files automatically, you can take up a lot of memory. Make sure that your device has enough free space. The system doesn't usually alert you to a memory overflow when you call, it just stops writing, which can lead to loss of important information.

Changing the region as a way to activate the function

As mentioned earlier, region change is a key method to unlock hidden MIUI features. Many users successfully activate call recording by simply switching the country in settings. This method is secure, does not require root rights and does not violate warranty, since you use the regular system features.

The process of changing the region is simple: go to Settings → Additional settings → Region. Select India or China from the list. The system interface can become a little different, local applications and services that can be ignored or deleted will appear, the main thing is that after changing the region, go back to the settings of the calls and check for the right switch.

⚠️ Note: If you change region to China, Chinese-language ads and news may appear on the lock screen, which is standard behavior for the region, which can be disabled in the lock screen settings or simply resigned to the recording feature.

Some users have noted that after a region change, notifications from Mi system applications in the language of the selected country begin to arrive, a temporary inconvenience that does not affect the basic functionality of the phone, and if the recording function appears but disappears after the system update, the procedure for changing the region can be repeated.

It’s worth noting that on the latest versions of Android (13 and 14) and the HyperOS shell, Google is tightening security policies, and in some cases, even changing the region doesn’t help if Google blocks access to the microphone for system calling in the background, and in such situations, you have to resort to more radical methods.

Third-party applications for recording calls

If the built-in tools fail to activate recording, third-party apps come to the rescue, but this is the main problem with modern versions of Android: the system prevents applications from recording sound directly from the communication line, as a result, many programs record silence or only your voice through the microphone, and the voice of the interlocutor remains behind the scenes.

But there are solutions that can circumvent these limitations, and one of the most reliable options is to use applications that use special accessibility services, which emulate tapping on the hands-free screen to record a conversation through an external microphone.

• 🎙️ Cube ACR: One of the most popular apps, VoIP (WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram) and regular calls, requires setting up the sound source.
• 📞 TapeACall: A paid solution that works through conferencing. Reliable but requires subscription fees.
• 🤖 Call Recorder - ACR: A powerful tool with many settings, but may require a complex initial configuration.

When installing these applications, follow the setup instructions carefully. Often you need to give the application permission for "Special Features" so that it can automatically turn on speakerphone. Without this step, the recording will be poor quality.

It’s also worth considering that third-party apps can use up battery power faster, as they constantly monitor the condition of the phone and use the microphone.It’s a good idea to test several options to find the one that works best on your particular smartphone model.

Where to look and how to manage recorded files

Once the recording has taken place, it is important to know where the audio file is stored. Depending on the recording method (built-in or third-party), the path to the files will be different. For a built-in Xiaomi voice recorder, files are usually saved in a standard media folder.

Open the Explorer or Files app and go along the way: MIUI → sound_recorder → call_rec. This is where all the records that the system call made are.m4a or.mp3 and named by date and time of call or contact name.

If you’ve used a third-party app, look for the folder with the app’s name in the root of internal memory or in the Android → media folder. For ease of recording management, you can use an integrated player or a third-party audio player that supports accelerated playback.

It is recommended to periodically transfer important records to your computer or cloud storage, so as not to lose them when resetting or breaking your smartphone.

Solution: Why there is no sound or recording

Users often experience a situation where the recording seems to be going on, but the file is empty or contains only silence. The most common reason is the Android restrictions, which were discussed above. If you use a third-party application, try to turn on speakerphone while you talk manually before you start recording.

Another common problem is the lack of access rights. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find your recording app (or system call) and check the Permissions section. Make sure that access to the Microphone, Phone and Memory is allowed and is in Always or Allow mode.

⚠️ Note: If after the update MIUI The recording stopped working, try to clear the cache of the Phone app. To do this, go to the app's settings and click "Clear cache." Don't confuse it with the "Clear all data" button so you don't lose your call history.

In some cases, the problem is conflicting with other applications that have access to the microphone (such as voice assistants or other voice recorders). Try closing background apps before an important call. Also make sure that the phone does not turn on Do Not Disturb mode with special settings that can block audio services.

💡

If the embedded recording doesn’t work even after a region change, chances are your Android version is blocking it at the hardware level, in which case the only solution is to use third-party apps with hands-free emulation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)