Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones have become powerful multimedia centers that allow you not only to consume content, but also actively create it. One of the most popular features for bloggers, gamers and ordinary users is the ability to capture what is happening on the display.
However, standard screen recording without audio often loses half of its value.Sound effects, dialogue in games or user comments make the video lively and understandable. Fortunately, the MIUI shell and its successor HyperOS provide built-in tools for capturing audio, but their tuning is not always obvious to the beginner.
In this article, we will take a look at the nuances of screencasting on Xiaomi devices, how to activate an internal microphone or system sound, what bitrate settings will ensure the best quality, and what to do if a standard recorder fails to cope with the task, and we will also look at alternative solutions for cases where advanced functionality is required.
Setting up the built-in screen recorder
Starting with earlier versions of the MIUI shell, Xiaomi has integrated a full-fledged screen recording tool directly into the system menu. You don't need to download third-party software that may contain ads or viruses. To activate this feature, you just lower the notification curtain and find the Screen Record icon. If it's not in the visible part of the list, click on the edit button (usually three dots or a pencil icon) and drag the widget to the workspace.
The first run may require permissions. The system will request access to the microphone, storage and possibly display over other windows. It is critical to give all the rights requested, otherwise the application will simply not be able to function correctly. Once set up, the label will remain in the curtain for quick access at any time.
The recorder interface is minimalistic, but it hides important settings. Before recording, it is recommended to click on the gear icon or the tripod in the corner of the widget. This is where the sound source switch is located. The default mode is often No Sound or Microphone, which is not always convenient. To record gameplay, you should choose System Sound, if it is available on your Android version.
⚠️ Note: On some global firmware versions, due to Google’s licensing restrictions, the system’s internal sound recording option may be blocked or unstable, in which case the phone will only record what enters the microphone.
The quality of the final file depends on the resolution and frame rate you choose. For social networks like Instagram Stories or TikTok, standard settings are enough, but if you plan to edit a video or upload it to YouTube in high quality, it is worth experimenting with bitraid.
Sound Sources: Microphone vs. System
Understanding the difference between audio sources is key to professional recording. When you choose Microphone mode, your smartphone records all the sounds around you, whether your voice, keyboard noise, a fan running, or people in the room, which is perfect for creating video tutorials where you want to comment on actions, or for recording calls.
System Audio captures the digital audio stream directly from the operating system, which means that only the sounds of the applications — music, game effects, notifications — are captured in the video. There is no extraneous noise, but there is a technical limitation: many streaming services (Netflix, Spotify) and instant messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp) block the recording of protected content for copyright and privacy reasons.
In such cases, you'll see a black screen or be notified that you can't play audio in a recorded file, which is normal Android security behavior that you can't get around with standard means without getting root rights. If you want to record sound from a secure application, you'll have to use an external voice recorder or another smartphone.
- 🎤 Microphone: Records user voice and environmental sounds; suitable for comments and calls.
- 🔊 System sound: Records a clean digital audio stream of the app; ideal for gameplay and tutorials.
- 🔇 No Sound: Video is created without audio track; useful for creating GIF or quick demonstrations of the interface.
It's worth noting that when you use a microphone, the sound quality depends on how you hold the phone. If your fingers block the microphone hole, the recording will be deaf, and it's also recommended that you turn off the vibration of the keyboard so that the characteristic crackle doesn't get into the audio track.
Optimal video parameters and bitrate
Screen recording quality is a balance between image clarity and file size. In the Xiaomi recorder settings, you can choose resolution. For most modern smartphones, the optimal is the native screen resolution, for example, 2400×1080 or 2340×1080. Decreasing the resolution to HD (1280×720) only makes sense if you plan to send video through heavy compression messengers.
Frame rate (FPS) is the second important parameter. The standard 30 frames per second is enough for static interfaces and training videos. However, for dynamic games such as shooters or racing, you need to install 60 FPS. This will ensure smoothness of the picture, but will increase the load on the processor and file size.
☑️ Checking settings before recording
Bitrate determines the amount of data used to encode each second of a video. High bitrate gives a better picture, but the file will "weigh" a lot. Low bitrate can lead to compression artifacts, especially in a rapidly changing picture.
| Use case scenario | Permission | FPS | Recommended bitrate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social media (Stories) | 1280×720 | 30 | 4-6 Mbps |
| YouTube/Education | 1920×1080 | 30 | 8-10 Mbps |
| Gaming (Action) | Native. | 60 | 12-16 Mbps |
| Interface demonstration | 1920×1080 | 30 | 6-8 Mbps |
Don't chase the maximum values unless you need to. Recording in 4K on a smartphone can cause the device to overheat and trottling (decreased performance), which will lead to jerks in video. Full HD is more than enough for most tasks.
Third-party applications for extended functions
If you don't have the built-in MIUI functionality, Google Play offers a variety of alternatives. One of the market leaders is the InShot XRecorder app, which lets you overlay a webcam, draw on a real-time screen, and has a built-in editor.
Another popular option is AZ Screen Recorder, which is known for its stability and high-resolution recording capability even on older devices, and it also supports streaming to YouTube or Facebook directly from the program interface.
However, third-party software comes with risks: Many free versions are overflowing with ads that may pop up at the wrong time, and applications often require broad permissions to access data, which can affect the autonomy of a smartphone.
Why can third-party applications not work?
When choosing an alternative, pay attention to the rating and date of the last update.App that hasn't been updated for more than a year may not work properly on new versions of Android 12, 13 or 14 due to changes in Google's privacy policy.
Solving Sound and Black Screen Problems
A common problem for users is recording videos without sound or with interruptions. First of all, check whether antivirus or energy saving system blocks the recorder. On Xiaomi smartphones, aggressive battery optimization can kill background recording processes.
Go to Settings → Battery → Application Search (or similar path in your version of MIUI) and set the recorder to use and set the power saving mode to “No Limits” position, which will prevent the system from forcibly closing the application while recording.
If there is a sound but it is very quiet, make sure that no sound or vibration mode is activated at the system level during recording. Media volume should be twisted quite strongly, even if you use an external microphone, as some applications mix the volume of system sounds depending on the media slider.
⚠️ Note: When recording conversations in messengers (Viber, WhatsApp) through the microphone, the sound of the interlocutor can be very quiet. This is due to the noise cancellation of the smartphone, which tries to remove the “echo” of your voice, but at the same time silences the voice of the interlocutor.
If you have a black screen instead of an app image, you're talking about DRM protection, which is a software restriction built into banking, streaming, and sometimes incognito browser mode, and you can't get around it software without deep modification.
Saving and editing of records
Once you've finished recording, the file is automatically saved to the gallery. Depending on the settings, the path may look like internal memory. → MIUI → screen_recorder or DCIM → ScreenRecords. File format is usually.mp4, This ensures maximum compatibility with any player and social networks.
The built-in editor in the Xiaomi Gallery allows you to do basic trimming of the beginning and end of the video, apply filters or add music. For more serious work, such as adding subtitles or transitions, it is better to use specialized applications like CapCut or InShot.
Remember to periodically clean the folder with records. High-quality videos take up a lot of space: one minute of recording in 60 FPS can weigh from 50 to 100 MB. Overflowing memory is one of the common reasons why recording can suddenly be interrupted.
💡
Use cloud services (Google Photos, Yandex.Disk) to automatically upload heavy video files. This will free up space on your smartphone and protect data from loss in the event of a device breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I record the screen during an incoming call?
Why is it that you can hear only me on the record, but not the game?
Where are the files stored after the screen is recorded?
Is the sound recorded via Bluetooth headphones?
💡
The built-in Xiaomi tool provides the best optimization and stability, so it is worth starting experiments with screen recording with it, paying attention to the choice of sound source.