Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often face the need to keep an important conversation, whether it’s a business arrangement or an order confirmation. However, after upgrading to global versions of MIUI 12 and later, the standard recording feature has become less obvious or gone altogether, due to Google’s tightening privacy policies and differences in regional laws.
To make matters worse, for some users, the menu remains in place, while for others, the option simply disappears. Android systemically restricts applications from accessing the microphone at time, which makes third-party recorders unstable. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to return call recording to your smartphone using built-in system tools or proven workarounds.
Don't panic if you don't find the right button right away. Often the problem lies in the settings of the region or shell version. We have prepared step-by-step instructions to help you activate the feature on even the latest versions of HyperOS. Read carefully to choose the method that is right for your model.
⚠️ Warning: Before activating the feature, make sure you do not violate the laws of your country.In some regions, recording a conversation without warning the interlocutor is prohibited by law.
Built-in voice recorder function in the Phone application
The most reliable and high-quality way is to use the standard functionality, which was originally laid down by Xiaomi engineers. In most cases, the Phone application already contains a recording module, but it can be hidden or disabled by default. To check, open the “ringer” and click on the three dots in the upper corner of the screen.
In the drop-down menu, select Settings. You should look for Call Recording. If you have one, you're lucky: the system allows you to record automatically or by button, and the sound quality in this mode is maximum, because it captures the digital stream, not the sound from the microphone.
However, if you are in a region with strict privacy laws (e.g., the EU or India), this clause may not work, in which case standard methods will not work, and you will have to resort to changing the region or installing third-party modules.
- 📞 Open the phone app on the home screen.
- ⚙️ Click on the gear or three points to enter the menu.
- 🔍 Find the "Call Record" item in the settings list.
- ✅ Activate the switch "Automatic recording».
Once activated, you can configure the rules, for example, to include a record only for numbers from contacts or, conversely, for all unknown numbers, which is very convenient for filtering important information. Files are saved to a separate folder, accessible through the file manager.
⚠️ Note: When using the built-in function, the interlocutor may hear a characteristic beep or voice warning about the start of recording. This is a system restriction that cannot be disabled software without root rights.
Changing the region as a way to activate hidden options
If your smartphone doesn't have a record point, the easiest solution is to change the region temporarily. MIUI and HyperOS have different feature sets for different countries, for example, in the regions of India, Indonesia or Singapore, the record function is often enabled by default, even if it is not in the "Russia" or "Germany" section.
To do this, go to Settings on the main menu of the phone. Find the section Additional or immediately in search of settings, type the word "Region". In the list that opens, select any country where the function is guaranteed to work. After changing the region, a reboot is usually not required, changes are applied instantly.
Check the Phone app again. If Call Recording appears, activate it. Then you can safely return the region back to Russia or your current one. In 90% of cases, the feature will remain active and work correctly. It is a safe method that does not require additional software installation.
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After changing region, check geolocation and local services, as some applications can change behavior depending on the country you choose.
Note that newer versions of MIUI 14 and HyperOS don’t always work smoothly. Google actively blocks these loopholes, so if changing your region doesn’t help, move on to the next section.
Use of third-party recorder applications
When the built-in tools are powerless, third-party apps come to the rescue, but starting with Android 10 and up, the system blocks access to the internal audio stream, which means that many recorders will record silence instead of the voice of the interlocutor or require the speakerphone to turn on.
One of the few solutions that works is ApkPure's Automatic Call Recorder or Tapet, which uses special Accessibility services to emulate the taps and turn on the speakerphone at the time of the call, and allows the microphone to pick up the voice of the person.
To set up an application like this, you'll need to give it advanced permissions. Once installed, follow the instructions on the screen. The application may ask you to turn off battery optimization so that the recording process is not interrupted by the energy saving system. This is a critical step for stable operation.
| Annex | Type of record | It requires speakerphone. | Compatibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in dictaphone | Digital (flow) | No. | Depends on the region. |
| Automatic Call Recorder | Through the microphone. | Yes (automatically) | Android 10-14 |
| Call Recorder - ACR | Mixed | Often | All versions. |
| Cube ACR | Special driver | Depends on the model. | Tough setup |
The main disadvantage of third-party solutions is sound quality, voice can be quiet, with echoes or noises of the environment, and these applications often contain advertising in free versions, but this is the only working option for smartphone owners with a “clean” Google Dialer without regional crutches.
Setup of automation and exceptions
If you've managed to activate a record (embedded or via an app), it's important to configure it correctly so that you don't fill your phone's memory with unnecessary files. Automation allows you to only record certain categories of numbers, which is especially true for business users.
In the recording settings, you can select All Numbers, All Numbers Except, or Selected Numbers. The most logical option is to use Exclusion Mode, for example, you can record all incoming contacts except those from the Family or Friends list, so you don't save personal conversations.
Also worth paying attention to is the save format. Some applications allow you to choose between MP3 and WAV. The WAV format takes up more space but provides better quality, which is important if you plan to use the record as proof. MP3 is better suited for daily needs and saves space.
- 📂 Clean your records folder regularly so you don’t overflow your memory.
- ☁️ Configure sync with the cloud (Google Drive, Mi Cloud) to save data.
- 🔒 Set a password to the folder with the records in the “Hidden Albums».
- 📅 Use date sorting to quickly search for old conversations.
Remember that records files take up space in the “Other” section or in the folder. MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec. Periodic audits of these files will help keep the smartphone clean. In modern models with a large amount of memory, this is not so critical, but for public sector employees, it is not necessary to use the device. 64 GB is important.
Problems with recording on Android 13 and 14
With the release of Android 13 and especially Android 14, Google has introduced even stricter restrictions on access to the microphone. Now even turning on the speakerphone does not always guarantee the recording of the voice of the interlocutor.
Owners of Xiaomi 13, Xiaomi 14 and more new models that have been updated to the latest versions of HyperOS may face a complete inoperability of third-party recorders, in which case only the use of a special plugin or changing system files, which requires the presence of Root rights, helps.
Without the superuser rights, we can hope to update the phone app itself from Google, periodically in beta versions codes appear to activate hidden functions, for example, entering a combination in the dialer sometimes opens up access to the test menu.