How to Enable Conversation Recording on Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face the need to save an important phone call, whether it’s a confirmation order, a customer agreement, or just a personal conversation that you want to keep in the archive, but after updating the MIUI interface and switching to HyperOS, many users found that the usual recording button disappeared or became unavailable.

To make matters worse, Google’s privacy policies and changes in laws around the world are forcing manufacturers to hide or remove this feature from a standard call. Depending on the firmware region and operating system version, the algorithm will be radically different. In this article, we will look at all the current ways, including hidden codes and installing alternative applications.

What worked on the Redmi Note 9 three years ago may not work on the Xiaomi 14 with the latest security update. The key factor is not the phone model, but the region specified when the device was first turned on and the version of the dialer app installed. We will look at options from simple settings to complex methods of circumventing restrictions.

Why the recording of conversations on the new Xiaomi was missing

The main reason for the feature’s disappearance is the switch to Google Phone (Google Dialer) – unlike the native MIUI Dialer, Google’s version has strict restrictions on recording conversations in the background, in favor of the search giant’s privacy policy, which prohibits hidden recording of dialogs without warning.

Xiaomi has also started to strictly divide firmware by region, and if you buy a global smartphone (Global ROM), the recording function can be software-locked at the system level, while Chinese (CN) or Indian (IN) firmware often remains available out of the box.

⚠️ Warning: Trying to reflash the phone from global to Chinese for the record feature could lead to a loss of warranty and inoperability of banking applications.

Also worth considering is the Android version. Starting with Android 9 and up, access to the microphone for third-party applications has been severely limited, meaning that the old methods of recording through third-party programs have ceased to work effectively, as the system blocks the capture of the interlocutor’s sound.

The standard way to enable via MIUI and HyperOS

If you’re lucky enough to have a native Xiaomi call installed on your device, it takes a couple of seconds to activate the feature, and this method is relevant for devices released before the mass transition to Google Dialer, or for regions where restrictions have not yet been introduced.

First, you open the Phone app and go to the settings, which are usually hidden behind three dots or a gear at the top of the screen, and here we're looking at the section that records incoming and outgoing calls.

You'll need to find the "Call Record" option in the settings menu. After you log in, you'll need to activate the "Automatic Record" switch, which will allow you to save all incoming and outgoing calls without you.

You can also customize the rules, like turning on the contact record only from the phone book, or, conversely, ignoring certain numbers. MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec or are available directly through the call interface.

• 📞 Open the Phone app and click on three dots in the corner.
• ⚙️ Go to Settings. → Recording calls.
• 🔘 Activate the switchboard Automatic recording.
• 📂 Check the storage folder at View recorded calls.

Using Google Dialer and circumventing restrictions

Most modern Xiaomi smartphones have Google Phone installed by default, and the recording function is formally present, but has a critical drawback: when you press the recording button, the interlocutor hears a loud voice notification “Talk recording has begun.” You can’t hide it with regular means.

However, there is a method that allows you to enable automatic recording even in Google Dialer, if this option is hidden in your region, this will require changing the region of the device or using special codes, although their performance depends on the specific version of the application.

Try entering the following code in the dialing field: ##2255##. If the hidden menu "Debug Info" opens after entering, find the "Call Recording" item there and activate it. If the code does not work, change the region in the phone settings.

If the automatic recording doesn't turn on, it's manual mode, so you'll have to press the Record button on the screen during a conversation, and remember the voice alert, which is a Google security requirement that you can't get around without root rights or modifications to system files.

Third-party applications for recording calls

When embedded tools fail or malfunction, third-party developers come to the rescue, but due to the limitations of Android 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14, most of these applications require complex access to special features (Accessibility).

One of the most stable solutions at the moment is the Cube ACR app, which can bypass microphone locking using special accessibility services, and when it first starts, it will guide you through all the necessary setup steps.

Other popular options include TapeACall or Call Recorder - ACR. It is important to understand that free versions often have time or record limits.In addition, after each major Android update, the functionality of such programs may temporarily be disrupted until a patch from the developer is released.

Technical nuances and file formats

The quality of the recording depends on the codec used and the sound source. Xiaomi’s standard call often uses the format.m4a or.mp3, which provide good quality with a small file size. Third-party applications can save data in.wav or.3gp.

It is important to keep an eye on the storage space of your phone. Long conversations in high quality can take up a significant amount of time, and it is recommended to periodically transfer archives to your computer or to cloud storage, for example, in Xiaomi Cloud or Google Drive.

No, the standard cache cleaner doesn't usually touch the call record folder, but it's better to double-check the "Cleanup" settings in the "Security" app so you don't accidentally delete important dialogs when you deep clean the system.

• 📁 The Standard Way: Internal Memory → MIUI → sound_recorder → call_rec.
• 🎧 Formats: M4A (quality), MP3 (compatibility), WAV (compressively).
• 🗑️ Automatic Deletion: You can configure the call settings (store for 30 days, a year or indefinitely).

Legal aspects and ethics of recording

The use of the telephone recording function is regulated by the laws of your country. In many jurisdictions (for example, in the Russian Federation), recording a conversation initiated by yourself for personal purposes is allowed, but the use of this recording as evidence in court or publication in the public domain may be prohibited without the consent of the second party.

In some states in the U.S. and Europe, the principle of “bipartisan consent” is applied, which means that you need to alert the interlocutor about the recording, which is why Google has implemented mandatory voice notification in its dialer.

⚠️ Note: Using recordings of conversations for blackmail, publishing third party personal data, or commercial use without a contract may result in criminal liability.

If you use a smartphone in the corporate sector, make sure that your customer record actions comply with the company’s internal regulations and the law on the protection of personal data (for example, 152-FZ in Russia).

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Save important conversations right after you finish. Don't wait for a system update or a reset, as files in system folders can be deleted during formatting.

Decision (FAQ)

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The most reliable way on new Xiaomi is to use native MIUI call (if available) or customize Cube ACR with special features enabled. Google Dialer writes with a warning.