Xiaomi’s modern smartphones offer users an incredible number of features that are often hidden in the depths of the menu. One of the most sought-after features is built-in automatic phone recording. Unlike many competitors, Xiaomi embeds this tool directly into the system “bell ringer”, without requiring the installation of third-party software, which often works unstable or paid.
However, due to regional limitations and the peculiarities of the laws of different countries, this feature can be hidden by default or not work correctly. Users often wonder why the new device does not have a write button, although it was on the old one. The interface of MIUI and the new HyperOS shell periodically changes, transferring settings to new sections, which creates confusion.
In this article, we will discuss in detail how to activate recording conversations on any current Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphone. You will learn about the intricacies of audio quality tuning, file formats and ways to bypass regional locks if the standard method did not work.
Basic activation of the function in the Phone application
The easiest way to start recording conversations is to use a standard application that's pre-installed in the factory, which is simply called the Phone, and it has a green tube icon, and that's where all the switches that you need to control the audio stream capture during the call are hidden.
To get started, you need to open the app and find the gear icon or the three dots in the top right corner of the screen, and clicking on them will take you to the Settings menu. That's where the Call Record item is located, which is responsible for the feature we're interested in. In some firmware versions, this item may be called Call Recording.
Once you enter the recording settings menu, you'll see the "Automatic Talk Recording" slider, which, if you move it to the active state, will start saving every call you make and every call you make without you, which is convenient for those who are in business negotiations and don't want to manually turn on the recorder every time.
⚠️ Note: When you activate automatic recording, the system can warn you that the interlocutor will be heard an audible signal or a voice message about the beginning of recording. This is a requirement of some countries' legislation, and it cannot be circumvented by software standard means.
It’s important to understand that recording quality is directly dependent on the hardware of your device and the codec used. On budget models, the sound can be quieter, so it’s worth experimenting with the speaker volume settings during a conversation.
Fine adjustment of recording parameters
Simply turning on the feature is not enough for comfortable use. The system offers flexible settings to filter unnecessary dialogs and save space in memory. In the Call Record menu, you will find the Record Settings section, where you can choose which numbers should be included in the archive.
You can set up a record only for numbers that aren't in your phone book, which is ideal for those who are waiting for an important call from a courier or client, but don't want to save thousands of conversations with friends and family, and there's also an option to record only certain contacts.
The current version of MIUI allows you to choose between.m4a and.mp3 formats. The first option provides better quality with a smaller file size, the second is more versatile and opens on any, even the oldest device.
- 🎙️ Sound quality: Select High for important conversations, but remember that files will take up more space.
- 📁 Storage folder: by default, files are in the directory MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec, But the path can be changed in the file manager.
- 📞 Exclusion List: Add numbers you never need to write down to avoid clogging the archive.
Remember to check the records folder periodically. Files can take up a significant amount of internal memory, especially if you communicate frequently via video link or in high quality. Regular cleaning of the archive will help to avoid a situation where new important conversation will not be recorded due to lack of space.
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Use cloud services to automatically upload conversation records so you don’t lose them when you change your phone or accidentally reset your settings.
Instructions for different versions of MIUI and HyperOS
Xiaomi’s shell interface has changed over the years, and the location of settings may vary depending on the software version. Owners of older devices with MIUI 11 or MIUI 12 should look for settings directly in the call menu by clicking on the menu button during a conversation.
In newer versions, such as MIUI 13 and MIUI 14, the logic has changed, and now all controls are put into a static menu of app settings, which is available even without making a call, and this is done for the convenience of users who want to customize scripts in advance.
With the release of Android 14-based HyperOS, Xiaomi has begun unifying interfaces, and in some regions, the record button can be hidden completely if the region of the device is installed in the EU or the United States, where strict privacy laws apply.
☑️ Checking the recording settings
If you upgrade to the latest firmware and the feature is gone, try changing the region in the general settings of your smartphone. Switching to Singapore, India or Russia often brings back lost features, as recording conversations is allowed by law in these countries.
Solving problems with the lack of a record button
Often, users are faced with a situation where the settings menu simply does not have the item "Record call"; this does not mean that the phone is broken. Chances are your device has global firmware (Global ROM), but the region in the settings is "Germany" or "USA", where this feature is blocked software.
To fix this, you don't need to reflash your phone. Go to Settings → Additional Settings → Region and select any country where recording is allowed. After changing region and rebooting the device, the desired item should appear in the Phone app.
Another reason could be the use of a third-party call app, such as Google Dialer in its stock form, which often replaces Xiaomi’s native call on global versions, in which case the functionality depends on the version of Google Phone, rather than on the MIUI shell.
⚠️ Note: Installing modified versions of Google Dialer from unverified sources may lead to a leak of personal data. Use only official region-change methods to activate the feature.
If the region change didn’t help, you may have a stripped-down version of the firmware installed on your device for a particular carrier, in which case you should reset the settings with a pre-replacement region, or turn to the global version of the device without binding to the operator.
Where records are stored and how to manage them
All the saved dialogs go to a special folder inside the smartphone file system, and you can find them through the standard Files Explorer. The path usually looks like this: internal memory, folder. MIUI, later sound_recorder finally call_rec.
Inside this folder, files are called year-month-day-time-number, and this sorting makes it easy to find the right conversation by simply sorting the files by the date of the change, but it's best to listen to them directly through the Dictator app or in the call history.
In the call history, a little tape recorder icon appears next to the caller's number, if the call has been recorded, and by clicking on that icon or selecting "Listen" in the details of the call, you can play the dialogue without leaving the call interface.
| Parameter | Default value | Recommended value |
|---|---|---|
| File format | M4A | M4A (to save space) |
| Quality. | Normal. | High (for important meetings) |
| Sound source | Microphone | Microphone (speaker not available) |
| Automatic recording | Off | VL (for all or selected) |
What to do if the file is not reproduced?
Using a voice recorder during a conversation
In some situations, the built-in recording function may be unavailable or denied by the interlocutor, and in such cases, the standard Dictator app comes to the rescue, which allows you to record through the microphone while you are talking on speakerphone.
To do this, launch a voice recorder, press the record button, and only then make a call, be sure to turn on speakerphone. The sound quality will depend on the acoustics of the room and the distance to the microphone, but this is the only legal way to record a conversation without the system restrictions.
There are also third-party apps from the Play Market that use special Accessibility services to capture audio, but they are unstable on newer versions of Android due to Google’s enhanced security measures blocking access to the audio stream for third-party programs.
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Built-in recording via the Phone app always gives better quality than recording via a voice recorder, as it captures a digital signal rather than sound from speakers.
Legal aspects and ethics of recording
Using the recording function, it is important to remember the legislation of your country. In the Russian Federation, according to article 77 of the CPC of the Russian Federation and the established judicial practice, a recording of a conversation made by one of the participants is admissible evidence in court, even if the second participant was not warned.
However, distributing such records to third parties or posting them online without the consent of the interlocutor may result in liability for violation of the right to privacy.
In the business world, it's common to warn the client about the record at the beginning of a conversation, and it's not only legal, it's also good for the company. CRM-Telephony systems are integrated with telephony for automatic warning and recording.