Where Xiaomi Android Phone Stores Passwords: A Complete Guide to Search and Manage

Why are Xiaomi passwords hard to find and worth looking for?

Xiaomi’s MIUI-based smartphones (even in the latest Android 14 versions) hide passwords deeper than most competitors. This is not a coincidence, but a deliberate security policy: the company follows the principle of “minimum visibility” – the user should not have easy access to data that can compromise their accounts. For example, the Wi-Fi password in the Redmi Note 12 can only be seen through ADB, and logins from Google Chrome are synchronized with the cloud and do not appear in the phone settings.

However, there are legal ways to extract some of the passwords — and we’ll look at everything from standard MIUI features to hidden developer menus. It’s important to understand that Xiaomi doesn’t provide direct access to passwords from banking apps (SberBank, Tinkoff) or messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) — they are protected by hardware encryption at the TrustZone level, but Wi-Fi passwords stored in the Mi Browser browser, or data from some social networks (for example, VK) can be restored.

Before you start your search, answer two questions:

1. Do you need passwords to transfer to another phone (export via Google Smart Lock is appropriate)?
2. Or are you trying to re-access a forgotten account (you might need tools like ADB)?

1. Wi-Fi passwords: where are stored and how to view

MIUI doesn't have a standard "Show Password" section in Wi-Fi settings like pure Android. However, there are three working methods:

Method 1: Through QR-code (for guest access)

If you need to share your network password with a friend without revealing it:

1. Open the Settings. → Wi-Fi.
2. Tap your network's name.
3. Choose to share, and it will appear. QR-password-code.
4. Scan it with another phone (e.g., Google Lens) to see the password in text form.

Method 2: ADB (PC required)

For advanced users, you can extract all saved Wi-Fi passwords through the command line. Condition: the phone must be enabled to debug over USB.

adb shell


su




cat /data/misc/wifi/WifiConfigStore.xml

In the conclusion, find the line <string name="PreSharedKey">&#x9;Password&#x9;</string>. Replace the password with characters after &#x9;.

💡

If the su command doesn’t work, your Xiaomi doesn’t have root rights, in which case use an alternative method with the WiFi Password Viewer app (requires Magisk).

Method 3: Through the file system (only for rooted phones)

If you have root access, go the following way:

/data/misc/wifi/WifiConfigStore.xml

Or use a file manager with superuser rights (like Root Explorer), which lists all the networks with passwords in plain view.

2. Passwords from sites and applications: where MIUI is looking

Xiaomi smartphones save passwords in three places:

• 🌐 Google Smart Lock – syncs data with a Google account (works in Chrome, Gmail and some applications).
• 🔒 Mi Account – Stores logins from Xiaomi services (e.g. Mi Cloud, Mi Home).
• 📱 Local Storage – Passwords from apps installed outside of Google Play (e.g., Google Play, APK-file).

How to view passwords from Google Smart Lock

This method works if you previously allowed Chrome to save passwords:

1. Open the Google Chrome browser on your phone.
2. Go to chrome://settings/passwords.
3. Log in to your Google account.
4. Slap the icon. 👁️ Next to the right site to show the password.

How to export passwords from Mi Account

Xiaomi does not provide direct access to passwords from its services, but they can be restored through the web version of Mi Cloud:

1. Go to i.mi.com.
2. Sign in with your Mi Account.
3. Open the Devices section → Device management.
4. Select your smartphone and check the Backups section – sometimes app data is stored there.

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If you don’t remember the Mi Account password, you can only restore it through the linked phone number or email. Two-factor authentication (2FA) is mandatory in this case.

3. Hidden passwords in system files: what can be extracted without root

Even without superuser rights, Xiaomi can find some passwords in open system files.

⚠️ Warning: Trying to modify or delete files in these folders without knowing the structure MIUI It can cause apps to crash or even a cyclical phone reboot (bootloop).For example, damage to the mihome.db file will disable management of all Xiaomi Smart Home devices.

For safe viewing:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and use ADB pull to copy files without changing:
2. Open the copied files on your computer using Notepad++ or SQLite Browser.

4. Password Search Apps: What Works for Xiaomi

There are dozens of apps on Google Play that promise to show all the passwords on the phone, and in practice, most of them either don't work on MIUI or require root, and we tested 5 popular utilities -- the results are in the table:

The only reliable solution without root is WiFi Password Viewer, so it works:

⚠️ Please do not install apps like Show All Passwords or "MIUI Password Hack -- they either don't work or they contain malicious code, like Dr.Web discovered a Trojan in those utilities in 2023. Android.Spy.542, card-stealer.

5. How to Protect Passwords on Xiaomi: 5 Steps to Avoid Leakage

If you've found ways to extract passwords from your phone, imagine that an attacker can do the same thing by gaining physical access to the device.

• 🔐 Turn off the debugging. USB In the developer settings, if you do not use it constantly.
• 🛡️ Install bootloader lock (Fastboot): this will prevent you from connecting to the phone through ADB without your knowledge.
• 🔄 Regularly change passwords from critical services (banks, mail) directly in the applications, without relying on auto-save.
• 📱 Use Mi Safe – built-in in MIUI storage for confidential data (available in Settings) → Passwords and security).

The most reliable way to protect is hardware encryption. In new Xiaomi models (for example, Xiaomi 14 or Redmi K70), it is enabled by default. You can check its status in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (tap 7 times on the line with the version to open the diagnostic menu).

6. Frequent mistakes when searching for passwords and how to avoid them

Xiaomi users often face typical problems:

1. "I don't see the password section in the settings" → MIUI doesn't have a central menu for all passwords. They're spread across different sections (Wi-Fi, accounts, browser).
2. “ADB doesn’t show passwords” → Make sure you have USB debugging enabled and your phone is authorized on your PC (check the “Allow debugging?” notification).
3. "App asks for root, but there's no root" → Most password-viewing utilities require superuser rights. Without them, they're useless.
4. "Passwords are displayed as stars" → In MIUI, some fields are masked even for the owner. Use ADB or specialized applications.

If you are trying to recover your Mi Account password and you get a Too Many Attempts error, wait 24 hours or use the official Recovery Form: account.xiaomi.com/pass/forgetPassword.

7. Alternative methods: when nothing helps

If standard methods fail, radical solutions remain:

• 📱 Use of the TWRP and manual backup (requires an unlocked bootloader and skills to work with custom firmware).

⚠️ Note: Resetting via Fastboot (fastboot erase userdata command) will delete all passwords without recovery, including data from Mi Cloud, if sync was not enabled. Before reset, check whether the phone is linked to the Google account – after reset, you will need to enter its login and password (protection) FRP).

If you decide to use TWRP, follow the instructions:

1. Unlock the bootloader through the official Mi Unlock tool.
2. Install. TWRP For example, for the Redmi Note. 11 fit twrp-3.7.0_12-vili).
3. Backup /data partitioning via TWRP.
4. Use SQLite Editor to view application databases (e.g. /data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases/settings.db).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions