How to record audio on a Xiaomi smartphone: all the ways from voice recorder to hidden MIUI features

Why would you need to record a sound on Xiaomi?

Recording audio on Xiaomi smartphones is a feature that comes in handy more often than it seems. You can capture important lectures, interviews, voice notes, or even sound effects for creative projects. But not all users know that the ability to record on devices with MIUI is beyond the standard recorder, for example, you can capture sound from the screen while streaming, record a conversation on the phone (where it is allowed by law), or even set up automatic recording under certain conditions.

In this article, we'll take you through all the audio recording options available on Xiaomi, from basic to hidden, how to improve the recording quality, where files are stored, and why sometimes sound is recorded with interference, and what applications to install if there aren't enough built-in tools, starting with the simplest, the standard voice recorder.

Method 1: Standard dictaphone in MIUI

The most obvious and affordable way is to use the built-in Dictophone app, which is pre-installed on all Xiaomi smartphones (except some models for the European market, where it may be removed due to GDPR). To find it, open the app menu and search for Dictaphone or Recorder (on English firmware).

The interface is minimal: a big red button to start recording, a timer and a wave diagram of the sound level, but there are some useful features under the hood:

• 🎤 Choice of sound source: microphone, telephone conversation (on supported models) or system sound (only on some firmware).
• 📁 Folders for organization: records can be sorted by topic (for example, "Work", "Personal").
• ⚙️ Quality settings: Bitrate selection (64 to 192 kbps) and format (MP3 or M4A).
• 🔄 Autostop: Recording will stop after a predetermined time (useful for long lectures).

To start recording, just press the red button. The file will automatically be saved to the folder. /MIUI/sound_recorder/ It's on the internal drive, on the Snapdragon chip models. 8 Gen 2 (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra - voice recorder supports recording in format LDAC — This gives almost studio quality when connecting an external microphone.

⚠️ Note: Some firmware for the European market has disabled phone records for legal reasons.

Check the battery level (long recordings consume ~5-7% per hour)

Turn off notifications to avoid extraneous sounds

Set up the recording quality in Settings → Audio quality

Connect an external microphone (if you need professional quality)-->

Method 2: Record sound from a screen (including a microphone)

If you want to record not only voice but also sound from apps (like music from Spotify or comments from a game), use Screen Record. It's available in MIUI 12 and later. Importantly, the system's audio recording is disabled by default - it needs to be manually activated.

How to turn on:

1. Swipe down to open the notification bar and find the Screen Record icon (or add it to the Quick Settings bar).
2. Before you start recording, touch the gear. ⚙️ Settings.
3. Activate options: 🎵 "Record sound" (includes system audio capture). 🎤 "Record from the microphone (if you need your voice over the top).

Start recording

The finished file will be saved to /Movies/ScreenRecords/. Please note that some apps (such as Netflix or banking programs) block the recording of their sound for security reasons.

⚠️ Attention: Some firmwares may lose the sound in the headphones when the system sound is on. MIUI 13.0.4-13.0.6 — Update the system or use an external microphone.

Method 3: Hidden recording via "Fast Commands" (for advanced)

Few people know, but Xiaomi has a hidden feature called Quick Commands, which is useful if you need to start recording with a voice or a timer, like saying, "OK, Google, start recording," and the voice recorder is activated automatically.

How to set up:

1. Open Settings → Additional → Quick commands.
2. Select Add command and specify a trigger phrase (e.g., "Write down voice").
3. As an action, select Launch the application → Dictaphone.
4. Save the command and test it through the voice assistant.
5. Using Google Voice (US/Canada): Install Google Voice. Enable Call recording in the settings. When you call, press 4 on the keyboard and the recording will start with a voice notification to the interlocutor.

Important: on the EU firmware (MIUI EU), the recording of conversations is disabled at the kernel level, and this can only be avoided by unlocking the bootloader and installing custom firmware (for example, xiaomi.eu with the option enabled).

⚠️ Attention: In Russia with 2026 The year there are stricter rules for recording negotiations (FZ)-242). Storing records without the consent of the interlocutor may be qualified as a violation of the law on personal data (fine before the 50 000 ₽).

Where are the records stored and how to transfer them to the PC

By default, all audio files from Xiaomi are stored in internal memory in the following ways:

• /MIUI/sound_recorder/ — standard recorder.
• /Movies/ScreenRecords/ - Screen recording.
• /MIUI/voice_recorder/ — telephone conversations (if the function is active).
• /Download/Audio/ – Some third-party applications.

To transfer files to your computer:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC via USB-C (select File Transfer Mode in the notification curtain).
2. Open the Internal Memory folder and find the directory you want from the list above.
3. Copy files (usually in.m4a,.mp3, or.wav formats).

For automatic synchronization, use Mi Cloud (in the voice recorder settings, enable Auto Sync) or third-party services like Google Drive. On models with MIUI 14 and later, you can directly upload entries to Google Drive via the Share Menu.

💡

Record files take up little space (~1 MB/minute in MP3), But with prolonged use of the recorder, clean the folder. /MIUI/sound_recorder/ manually – the system does not automatically delete old files.

Problem Solving: Why is the sound not recorded?

If the recording is not running or the sound is being recorded with distortion, check the following points:

If the problem is not solved, try resetting the voice recorder settings: Settings → Apps → Recorder → Warehouse → Clear data. On POCO models, switching the firmware region to India (via Settings → Additional → Region) sometimes helps, as there are fewer restrictions on recording sound.

FAQ: Frequent questions about recording audio on Xiaomi