How to record a call on Xiaomi Redmi 9: official and hidden methods

Recording phone conversations on Xiaomi Redmi 9 can be necessary in a variety of situations, from fixing important business agreements to saving memorable conversations with loved ones. However, not all users know that recording capabilities are built into MIUI firmware in an unobvious way, and third-party applications are often blocked by Android 10+ privacy policy. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways, from standard functions to workarounds for recordings without notifying the interlocutor.

The Redmi 9 (M2003J15SC/M2004J19C) feature is that it is a call recorder that is not available on all regional firmware, and if you don't have a write button on your menu, it doesn't mean it's missing: it's just been hidden because of legal restrictions, and we'll show you how to get it back, and we'll also look at alternatives for cases where the built-in tools don't work.

1. Built-in call recording in MIUI: where to look and how to turn on

Starting with MIUI 12, Redmi 9’s call recording feature is integrated into the standard Phone app, but visibility varies by firmware version and region. If you have a global (Global ROM) or European (EEA ROM) build, the record button may be hidden due to privacy laws.

1. Open the Phone app and dial the number to call.
2. During the conversation, pay attention to the screen: if the right of the button Loud communication is the microphone icon with a dot - the function is active.
3. Click on it to start recording. The file will automatically be saved to the folder. MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec.

If there's no button, it doesn't mean it can't be returned. There's a hidden parameter in MIUI that activates the recording even on the "cut" firmware.

1. Go to Settings → About Phone and 7 times click on the MIUI Version to enable Developer Mode.
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find Call Recording and turn it on.

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If there is no Call Recording after the developer mode is turned on, upgrade to the latest stable version. In MIUI 13+, the function is guaranteed to be present.

The built-in MIUI entry has limitations:

• 🔊 Notification of the interlocutor: in some countries (for example, the EU) the system automatically notifies the recording by voice.
• 📁 File format: Records are saved to.amr with mono sound (8 kHz), which degrades the quality of the files.
• ⏱️ Time limit: maximum duration is 2 hours (after which the recording is terminated).

2. Hidden MIUI settings: how to unlock a record without root

If the standard method didn’t work, you can use the MIUI engineering menu, where additional write options are hidden.This method does not require super-user rights (root), but only works on firmware up to MIUI 14 (on newer versions of the menu can be blocked).

Instructions:

1. Open the phone app and enter the combination: ##6484###
2. In the MTK Engineer Mode menu, select Hardware Testing → Audio → Normal Mode.
3. Scroll down to the Voice Call block and turn on the Record Call Audio option.
4. Reboot the phone.

After that, the phone should have a write button in the app, and if the menu does not open, then your firmware will block it, in which case only flashing it to China ROM will help (but this will void the warranty!).

Critical detail: once you activate the recording through the engineering menu, all conversations will be saved automatically, even if you do not press the button. /MIUI/sound_recorder/!

3 Third-party applications: TOP-3 programs for recording calls

If built-in methods don't work (for example, due to a caller's notification or poor sound quality), third-party apps come to the rescue. However, with Android 10, Google has tightened its privacy policy, and many programs have lost access to the microphone during calls. We tested dozens of apps and selected three that are guaranteed to work on Redmi 9:

Before installing any application, check the permissions:

• 📞 Access to calls (required)
• 🎤 Microphone (to record your voice)
• 📁 Storage (to save files)
• 🔔 Notifications (for some applications, such as Lovekesh)

Privacy Warning: Google is blocking app access to the system-level audio stream from applications starting in 2021, and if the program stopped recording after an Android update, it's not a bug, but a platform restriction, in which case only flashing to custom firmware (like LineageOS) or using a second recording device will help.

4. Record calls via second device (100% working method)

If all the software didn't work, you've got hardware bypass: you've got to record a conversation on another device, and it's universal, it doesn't depend on the Android version, and it's guaranteed to keep both voices in high quality.

• 📱 Second smartphone (or tablet) with voice recorder
• 🔌 Headphone splitter (if you record through a wired microphone)
• 🎧 Headphones with microphone (optional, for better sound)

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your headphones to Redmi 9 and turn on speaker mode.
2. Put the second device next to the Redmi 9 speaker (or connect to the splitter).
3. Start the recorder on the second device and start recording before the conversation begins.
4. After the call, cut the extra snippets in any audio editor (for example, Lexis Audio Editor).

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ It works on any firmware and Android versions.
• ✅ The sound quality depends only on the microphone of the second device.
• ✅ No risk of blocking by Google or Xiaomi.

Make sure there is enough memory on the second device.|Check the battery level (>30%)|Turn off notifications so they don’t get into the record.|Place the microphone at a distance. 10-15 speaker-->

The only downside is that the other person may hear an echo if the microphone of the second device is too close to the speaker. To avoid this, use a directional microphone or record in a quiet room.

5 Where records are stored and how to export them

Depending on the way you write, the files are saved to different folders, and here's where to look for them:

To export the records to the computer:

1. Connect Redmi 9 to your PC via USB (select File Transfer Mode).
2. Click one of the paths above and copy the files you want.
3. To convert.amr to.mp3, use Audacity or Online-Convert.

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Record files take up little space (1 minute = ~500 But the number of them can grow quickly. call_rec, Not to overload the phone memory.

If the Suddenly records are missing, check:

• 🗑️ Recycle Bin folder in the Files app (sometimes) MIUI Move old files there).
• ☁️ Cloud backups (if sync with Mi Cloud is enabled).
• 🔍 Search by file name: entries are usually named by template Call_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.amr.

Legal aspects: can calls be recorded without consent

Recording telephone conversations is governed by privacy laws that vary widely across countries, and in most cases recording conversations without notifying the interlocutor is prohibited, but there are nuances:

• 🇷🇺 Russia: it is allowed to record calls for personal use, but it is forbidden to distribute them without consent (Article 138 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
• 🇪🇺 EU (GDPR): notifying the interlocutor of the recording (otherwise a fine of up to 20 million) €).
• 🇺🇸 In most states, the consent of one party (your own) is sufficient).
• 🇨🇳 China: Recording is allowed, but data storage is regulated by cybersecurity law.

⚠️ If you're recording a call for litigation, notifying the person you're calling is mandatory in most jurisdictions, otherwise the record won't be accepted as evidence.

On Redmi 9 with Global/EEA ROM, the system automatically notifies the person they are recording in their language.

• Reflashing to China ROM (risk of loss of warranty).
• Using a second recording device (see Section 4).
• Applications that mask the recording as system sounds (e.g. Call Recorder by NoRoot).

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

Even after you set up the record correctly, you can still get a problem, and we've collected some of the most common errors and ways to fix them:

⚠️ Attention, if after the update MIUI The recording stopped working, don't rush to reset. First, check if the Mi Call Recorder service is disabled in Settings. → Permits → Auto-run. Often the system blocks it after an update.

If neither of these methods worked, the last option is rooting the phone and installing the Xposed module with a write patch, but this will void the warranty and can lead to unstable system operation, and we recommend that you only use this as a last resort.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions