“It’s impossible to use a voice recorder without permissions” on Xiaomi: 7 ways to fix the error

Why does Xiaomi’s voice recorder require permission and refuse to work?

You try to record an important conversation, lecture or voice note, but instead see the message "It is impossible to use a voice recorder without the necessary permissions"**? This error is typical for Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones based on MIUI - especially after system updates or resets, the reason is not because of a microphone breakage, but because of the blocking of access to audio at the OS level.

MIUI has an aggressive security policy: it automatically revokes permissions from applications if they have been unused or updated for a long time. The recorder (embedded or third-party) falls under these restrictions more often than others, it depends on audio recording permission, access to the microphone and sometimes even permission to store files.

In this article, 7 proven ways to get the recorder back up to work, from basic (permission check) to advanced (MIUI security policy reset). All methods have been tested on Xiaomi 13/14, Redmi Note 12/11 and POCO F5/X5 models, but will also be suitable for older devices (starting with MIUI 12).

1. Checking basic permits for dictaphone

The first thing you need to do is manually grant all the necessary permissions to the application, and even if you had already clicked "Allow" on the first run, MIUI could reset those settings after updating or optimizing the system.

How to check:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔍 Find a voice recorder in the list (for example, a sound recorder for an embedded one or the name of a third-party application).
• 🔒 Go to Permits and make sure it is included: 🎤 Microphone (required!) 💾 Storage (to save records) 📍 Location (optional, but may be required for geotags)
• 🔄 If permissions are already enabled, turn them off and back on (sometimes “reset” rights helps).

⚠️ Attention: MIUI 14+ And then you have this extra resolution called "Write audio in the background," and without it, the recorder can only work when the app is open:

1. Press the voice recorder icon on the home screen → select Application Information.
2. Go to Additional Permissions → Record audio in the background.
3. Choose Permission.

Microphone - on|Storage - included|Audio background recording – included (for MIUI 14+)|Auto-Run – enabled (for third-party applications)-->

2.Resetting permissions for all applications

If the voice recorder still doesn’t work, the problem may be a systemic failure of the permissions policy. MIUI sometimes “forgets” the rights granted or blocks them due to conflict with other applications (for example, with Google Assistant or messengers that also use the microphone).

The solution is to reset all permissions to factory permissions, and that won't delete your data, but it will require reconfiguring the rights for some applications.

Instructions:

1. Open the Settings. → Annexes → Application management → ⚙️ (pin-pin) → Resetting of application permits.
2. Confirm the action (a password or pattern lock may be required).
3. Reboot your smartphone.
4. Start the recorder and reissue all permissions (the system will request them at the first start).

⚠️ Note: Once the permissions are reset, all applications that use the microphone or camera (Zoom, WhatsApp, TikTok, etc.) will stop working. You will have to manually restore the rights for each of them. If the voice recorder is not the only problem, this method will help solve other errors with permissions.

3. Clearing the cache and the recorder data

Freezing temporary files or corrupted application data can block access to the microphone, especially for the built-in MIUI recorder, which is often updated with the system and accumulates “garbage”.

How to clean:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔍 Select a recorder (such as a sound recorder or a recorder).
• 🧹 Click Clear Cache and Clear Data (Warning: This will delete all stored records within the app!).
• 🔄 Reboot your phone and check the recorder.

If you use a third-party recorder (such as Easy Voice Recorder or ASR Voice Recorder), try reinstalling it:

1. Remove the application through Settings → Apps.
2. Download it again from Google Play or App Gallery.
3. When you first start, issue all the permissions you request.

💡

If after cleaning the data, the recorder stopped saving the records, check the storage folder. MIUI default /MIUI/sound_recorder/, But it can be changed in the application settings.

4. Checking the microphone at the system level

If the recorder still gives an error, it may not be the application that is the problem, but the hardware or system lock of the microphone.

• 🔧 Updates MIUI (especially in beta versions).
• 🛠️ Phone repair (replacement of microphone, speaker or plume).
• 🔒 Installation of third-party firmware or root rights.

How to diagnose:

🔍 Key takeaway: If the microphone works in other applications but not in the recorder, it's a software problem. If it doesn't work anywhere, it's a hardware malfunction that needs repair.

5. Autostart setup and battery optimization

MIUI aggressively optimizes background processes to save battery life, which can cause the recorder to lose access to the microphone if it is rolled up or locked to fix this:

Step 1. Turn off optimisation for voice recorder:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔍 Choose a recorder. → Battery limitations.
• 🔋 Install No Limits.

Step 2: Enable auto-start (for third-party applications):

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Annexes → Application management → ⚙️ → Auto-start.
• 🔍 Find the recorder in the list and turn on the switch.

Step 3: Add a voice recorder to the optimization exceptions:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Battery and productivity → Optimizing the battery.
• 🔋 Select the Applications → find the recorder → Set up Do Not Optimize.

⚠️ Attention: MIUI 14+ There's a new option called Deep Optimization, which can block access to the microphone even for applications in exceptions. → Special facilities → Improved productivity → Deep optimization → Shut down.

6 Reset security settings and MIUI rights

If none of these methods worked, it could be a systemic security failure, which happens after a flawed update, factory reset, or custom firmware, in which case a security reset, a deeper procedure than a permission reset, will help.

⚠️ Warning: This method will delete all fingerprints, graphic keys and Mi Account data on the device (but not files in memory!

Instructions:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Press 5-7 times on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode (if not already activated).
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
4. Find the option Reset security settings and confirm the action.
5. Reboot the phone.
6. After turning on, re-set the unlock (PIN, fingerprint, Face ID) and check the recorder.

If that doesn't work, the last option is factory reset, but try another method before you do that (Section 7).

7. Manual editing of permissions policy (for advanced)

This is a good way to do it if you're confident in your actions and you're willing to work with system files. ADB-access, but can solve the problem when standard methods are powerless.

🔧 Method 1: Through ADB (rootless)

1. Connect your phone to your PC and activate Debugging over USB (Settings → Developer).
2. Open the command line (Windows) or the terminal (macOS/Linux) and type: adb shell pm grant com.miui.soundrecorder android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO adb shell pm grant com.miui.soundrecorder android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE (Replace com.miui.soundrecorder with your recorder package if you use a third-party recorder).
3. Reboot the phone.

🔧 Method 2: Editing platform.xml (root)

This file contains global permissions for system applications, and if the voice recorder is deprived of MIUI rights, they can be returned manually:

⚠️ Note: These methods may disrupt system stability or lead to loss of warranty. Use them only if other methods have failed and you understand the risks.

💡

If the recorder does not work even after all the manipulations, the reason may be a hardware malfunction of the microphone or lock at the firmware level (for example, in Chinese versions of MIUI for some regions).

FAQ: Frequent questions about the recorder on Xiaomi