Owners of Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro smartphones often face a situation where you need to quickly find a saved dialogue, but standard search by contacts does not give the desired result or files simply do not play, this is due to the peculiarities of the architecture of the Android operating system and the specific configurations of the MIUI shell, which change from version to version. Understanding the structure of the file system of your device is the key to managing audio data.
Finding the right file can take minutes or hours if you don’t know the exact path to the directory. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at exactly where the Xiaomi 8 Pro stores audio, how to change the storage location to a memory card, and why some files can be hidden from prying eyes. The location of files depends on the voice recorder you choose or the standard Phone app.
We're going to look at both built-in tools and third-party solutions that can intercept audio control, and it's important to distinguish between recordings made during a call and regular tape notes, because their storage paths often vary. Let's get into the technical details.
Standard paths to files in Android
The Android operating system on Xiaomi smartphones uses a strictly defined hierarchy of folders to store multimedia content. By default, all audio recordings created by regular means fall into the internal memory of the device, which is dictated by security and performance reasons, since the built-in drive runs faster than the SD card.
The main path to recording conversations is usually in the root directory of internal memory. USB-cable and go to file transfer mode, you will see a folder with the name MIUI. It is inside that the subfolders are most often hidden. sound_recorder or call_rec. However, the structure may vary depending on the firmware version.
For users who are used to the classic Android structure, it can be surprising that there is no Recordings folder at the root. Xiaomi engineers prefer to group data by application type.So if you used a standard voice recorder, look for files along the Internal Storage path. > MIUI > sound_recorder. Files are sorted by date of creation.
⚠️ Warning: When connecting your smartphone to your PC, make sure that the File Transfer mode is selected» (MTP), not “Charge only” or you won’t see the device’s internal memory in the conductor.
If you're interested in the phone records you made through a standard caller, they may go deeper. Often a hidden system folder is used. (Call) or similar, which can be restricted to access rights. To view these hidden directories in file managers on the phone, you need to turn on the option "Show hidden files."
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Use the Explorer file manager built-in on your phone, as it has the necessary access rights to display system folders hidden from your computer by default.
Settings of the application "Phone" and changing the format
One of the most common problems users Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro is the inability to open a file record on a computer or other device, because by default, the system can use the AMR format, which has good compression, but low compatibility. Fortunately, in the settings of the application Phone, this setting can be changed.
To get to the recording settings, open the Phone app and click on the three dots or menu button in the corner of the screen. Select Settings, then find Call Record. Here you will see the option Record Format. By switching from AMR to MP3, you will ensure maximum file compatibility with any media player.
Changing the format affects not only playback, but also the size of the space you take up. MP3 files can take up several times more space than their counterparts in AMR, but the sound quality will be significantly higher, which is critical for important conversations, and you can also enable automatic recording of all incoming or outgoing calls.
It's worth noting that once you change format, old records don't convert automatically; new files will be saved in the format you choose, and old ones will stay the same. If you need to open an old AMR file on your computer, use VLC media player or online converters.
Using an SD memory card for storage
The internal memory of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro is not rubbery, and active users quickly fill gigabytes with media files. Fortunately, the system allows you to transfer the storage of records to a microSD card. This not only frees up space, but also makes it easier to transfer the archive to another phone.
To activate this feature, go to the settings of the recorder or the Phone application, as described above. Find the option “Save Way” or “Storage Place” and select SD-The system will automatically create the required folder structure on the external media, and from now on, all new records will appear there.
But there's a caveat: if you pull out the memory card or it gets damaged, the recording may or may not start at all. The system tries to warn you about this, but it's better to double-check the status of the drive before an important call. Also, the write speed on cheap memory cards may not be enough for high bitrate.
☑️ Checking readiness SD-map
When transferring data to SD-The map of the paths to the files will change. In the computer's conductor, they will appear as a removable disk: SD Card > MIUI > sound_recorder. This makes it easier to back up – just copy the folder to your computer.
Search for records through file manager
If you lost a file and you don't remember where it might have gone, the built-in file manager comes to the rescue, and in MIUI, it has a convenient categorization, open the Explorer app and select the Audio or Records tab, and the system automatically scans the device and gives you a list of all the audio files, regardless of their location.
A more advanced way is to use extension search. At the top of the conductor, click on a magnifying glass and type in.mp3 or.amr. This will filter out all the extra and only show the audio files. You can sort them by the date of the change to find the most recent records.
For those who connect the phone to a computer, search through a standard Windows Explorer. Enter the path to internal memory in the address bar and enter kind:music or contact name in the search box (top right) if it could get into the file name. The files are often referred to as simply date and time, for example, 20231025_143005.mp3.
| Type of record | File extension | Typical size (1 min) | Default location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorder (standard) | .m4a /.mp3 | ~1.2 MB | MIUI/sound_recorder |
| Conversation (AMR) | .amr | ~200 KB | MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec |
| Conversation (MP3) | .mp3 | ~900 KB | MIUI/sound_recorder/call_rec |
| Screencast with sound | .mp4 | ~5-10 MB | DCIM/screen_c recorder |
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Using file extension search (.mp3,.amr) is the fastest way to find a record if you don’t remember the folder’s exact name.
Third-party applications for recording calls
In recent versions of Android (starting with 10 and above), Google has imposed severe restrictions on recording conversations for third-party apps, which has led to the fact that the standard recording mechanism on the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro may not work stable or even absent in some regions.
Popular applications like Call Recorder — ACR or TapeACall — create their own directories to store files, most often on the path of Internal Storage > ACR or Internal Storage > CallRecorder, and it is important to give these applications all the permissions they request, including access to files and a microphone.
Some third-party programs require access to the system to intercept the audio stream, without which recording can be done without the voice of the interlocutor, a feature of Android security policy that has to be tolerated.
⚠️ Note: Third-party apps may not work properly after a system update.Always check the app version on Google Play for relevance.
If you use third-party software, remember to check the settings of the app itself periodically, as save paths may change after it is updated, and many of them offer cloud sync, which is a great way to back up important conversations.
Why did the call recording function disappear?
Access problems and hidden files
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where a file seems to be written down but cannot be found. This may be due to access rights. Starting with Android 11, access to the Android/data folder and some system directories for third-party file managers is limited.
To see all files, use only Xiaomi's regular Explorer. If it doesn't show files, it's possible they're labeled as hidden. In the Explorer settings, turn on the "Show Hidden Files" slider. The name of a folder or file can start from the point that in Linux systems (the Android base) means hiding an object.
Another reason is that media files are indexed incorrectly, and if you've just moved files or upgraded your system, the gallery or player may not see them, and then it helps to reboot the device or clear the Media Storage app cache through the application settings.
In rare cases, files can be corrupted. If a file is 0KB or does not open, it may be that the recording was interrupted due to a lack of memory or a failure in the writing process.