Recording phone conversations on Xiaomi: where to find and how to turn on the feature

The phone recording feature on Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi and POCO lines) is often a lifeline for business negotiations, legal matters, or simply to capture important information. However, many users face the problem that the option is either hidden in the depths of the menu or not at all in the firmware. In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to activate call recording, from standard settings to workarounds for models where the function is disabled by default.

It is important to understand that the ability to record depends on three factors: the version of MIUI, the region of the firmware and the device model. For example, on global versions of MIUI for the European market, the function may be blocked due to local privacy laws, whereas on Chinese or Indian firmware it is available out of the box.

Why Xiaomi may not have a call record

Before you look for settings, it’s worth investigating why the conversation recording feature isn’t on your device.

• 🌍 Regional restrictions: In firmware for the EU (EEA) Call recordings are often disabled due to strict data protection laws (GDPR). This is for marked models. EEA firmware.
• 📱 An outdated version MIUI: In older versions (below). MIUI 12) the function may not be available or work unstable. For example, on the Redmi Note 8 with MIUI 11 entry was enabled via a hidden menu.
• 🔧 Customized firmware: If you use an informal build (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), the standard feature is MIUI may be absent.
• 📵 Telecom operator: Some mobile operators block recording at the network level (more common in corporate tariffs).

If your device falls under one of these points, don’t worry, we’ll show you how to get around the restrictions, for example, for EEA firmware there’s a way to enable recording via ADB, and for older versions of MIUI, to activate hidden settings.

⚠️ Warning: Recording telephone conversations without the consent of the interlocutor may violate local law. 138 The Russian Criminal Code allows recording a conversation without notifying the other party only in cases where you are a participant in the conversation and record information for personal use (without distribution.

Standard method: where to turn on the entry in MIUI

If your firmware supports the feature, you can find it in two ways, the first is through the phone app settings:

1. Open the Phone app (the phone icon on the home screen).
2. Click on three dots in the upper right corner (⋮) and select Settings.
3. Go to the Recording of conversations (or Call Recording in English firmware).
4. Activate the Record automatically switch or select Record manually (a button will appear during the call).

The second way is through system settings:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the phone in the list and tap it.
3. Select Permissions, then Microphone and Warehouse – make sure both permissions are enabled.
4. Return to the "Phone" app menu and check for the availability of the "Record conversations" item.

If you don't have a "Record Conversations" menu, the firmware doesn't support "out of the box" function, in which case, move on to the next sections with alternative methods.

Check the version of MIUI in Settings → About the phone

Make sure the phone app has access to the microphone

Update your firmware to the latest stable version

Backup important data (in case of reset)

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Alternative method: recording via Google Phone

On some Xiaomi models (especially those with EU firmware), the standard Phone app doesn’t support recording, but it can be activated via Google Phone, an alternative call from Google.

1. Install the Google Phone app from Google Play.
2. Open the app and click on the three dots in the upper right corner → Settings.
3. Go to Call Recording (Call Recording).
4. Choose Always Write or Write selectively (a button will appear during the call).
5. Agree with the warning of legal consequences.

Important nuances:

• 🔹 It only works on Android 9 and higher (on Xiaomi it is only on Android). MIUI 11+).
• 🔹 Recordings are stored in the Recordings folder in internal memory.
• 🔹 In some models (for example, POCO X3 Pro may need to install Google Phone as the default app for calls.

⚠️ Note: Google Phone does not support recording calls via VoLTE (voices over the phone) 4G). If you have VoLTE activated, the recording will not work. To disable VoLTE, go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → [yours SIM] → Use VoLTE and deactivate the option.

Hidden settings: activation through the engineering menu

On some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 9 Pro, Mi 10T), call recording is hidden in the engineering menu, which works on firmware up to MIUI 13, but requires caution - wrong actions can disrupt the phone.

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the code: ##4636###
2. In the menu that appears, select Phone Information.
3. Scroll down to the Turn on/off call recording block.
4. Click on the Enable Call Recording button (also known as Enable Call Recording).
5. Reset the device.

After rebooting, the standard Phone app should have a recording button during the call. If the button is not available, try updating the firmware or using the method with ADB (described below).

Advanced method: Enabling recording via ADB

For MIUI EEA (European version), where call recording is locked at the system level, the only working way is to activate via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires a computer and basic command line skills, but produces 100% results.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on USB Debugging on your phone: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version to activate Developer Mode. Return to Settings → Additional → Developer. Enable USB Debugging.

Connect your phone to your computer through USB-Cable (use the original cable for stability).

Platform Tools

platform-tools

adb devices

The name of your device should appear.

adb shell settings put global force_call_recording_enabled 1

Reboot the phone.

When you reboot the Phone app, you'll see a recording button when you call. If you don't have a button, then you'll do the following:

adb shell settings put global call_recording_enabled 1

On the firmware MIUI 14+ for models with Snapdragon chip 8 Gen 1/2 (for example, Xiaomi 12 Pro, 13 Ultra may require an additional command to bypass operator restrictions: adb shell settings put global carrier_call_recording_enabled 1

1. Install Xiaomi USB Drivers drivers from the official website.

2. Change the mode USB-Connection to File Transfer (MTP).

3. Use another USB-cable (preferably original).

4. Run the command line on behalf of the administrator (on Windows).

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Applications for recording calls: top-3 alternatives

If the standard methods didn't work, you can use third-party apps, and we tested dozens of options and selected the three most reliable ones:

Important: Before installing, check the permissions of the application.

• 🎤 Microphone (for recording voice)
• 📁 Storage (to save files)
• 📞 Telephone (to access calls)

⚠️ Attention: On Android 10+ Many of the applications for recording calls stopped working due to Google restrictions. If the recording does not go after installation, try: Disable battery optimization for the application (Settings) → Annexes → [name] → Battery → No restrictions. Use the app as the default caller. Install an older version of Android (if possible).

Standard MIUI function

Through Google Phone

With ADB

Third-party applications

I'm not writing it down.

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Where records are stored and how to export them

By default, the call records on Xiaomi are stored in the device's internal memory. The path to the files depends on the way you record:

• 📁 Standard entry MIUI: /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec/
• 📁 Google Phone: /storage/emulated/0/Recordings/
• 📁 Cube Call Recorder: /storage/emulated/0/CubeBackup/ or /storage/emulated/0/CallRecordings/

To export the records:

1. Connect your phone to your computer via USB.
2. Select File Transfer Mode (MTP).
3. Follow one of these paths and copy files (usually in.amr or.mp3) format.
4. For easy listening, you can convert files to.mp3 using online services (for example, Online-Convert).

If there are no records in the specified folders:

• Check if saving is enabled in the recording settings.
• Make sure there is enough free space on the phone.
• Try to find files through the built-in “Conductor” (the folder icon on the home screen), entering in the search call_rec record.

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Record files take up little space (about 1MB per minute of AMR talk), but with a lot of calls, the folder can grow to several gigabytes.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even after a successful recording is activated, users face problems, and here are the most common ways to solve them:

If none of the solutions worked, try:

1. Reset the settings of the Phone application (Settings → Applications → Phone → Storage → Clear data).
2. Update the firmware to the latest version (via Settings → About Phone → System Update).
3. Install customized firmware (e.g. xiaomi.eu) where the record is unlocked.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions