Where in the Xiaomi phone passwords are stored: the full search and extraction guide

Why Xiaomi Passwords Are Hard to Find – and Where to Find Them

Xiaomi MIUI-based smartphones store passwords in multiple secure places, and not all of them are accessible through standard settings. If you forget the password from your Wi-Fi, app or Mi Account, the system will not always show it in plain form — instead, you will be asked to enter an access code or verify your identity via SMS. But this does not mean that the data is lost forever.

In this article, we’ll look at all possible password locations in Redmi, POCO, and Xiaomi phones, from obvious ones (such as Mi Account password manager) to hidden ones (system files /data/misc/wifi/). Also, we’ll find out how to securely extract stored data without the risk of locking the device or leaking sensitive information. Importantly, some methods require root rights or special tools, so we’ll show you what methods are available without hacking the system.

Warning: Attempts to access system files with passwords may violate Xiaomi's security policy. Use this information only to restore access to your devices.

1. Standard password storage locations in MIUI

Let’s start with the places where passwords are stored in open or semi-closed form – they can be found without additional tools.

• 🔑 Mi Account password manager: here you can save data from apps, websites and some services. → Passwords and security → Password Manager Requires Authorization through Mi Account.
• 📶 Wi-Fi passwords: in MIUI 12-14 can be viewed in the settings → Wi-Fi → [tap the net] → Share your password (required) PIN-code).
• 📱 Backup copies MIUI: When creating a backup through Settings → The phone. → Backup passwords can be saved in encrypted form (file) miui/backup/AllBackup).
• 🌐 Mi Browser: saved passwords from sites are available in the browser menu (⋮ → Settings → Passwords).

Note that if you are not logged in to Mi Account, some features (such as password manager) will not be available, and after resetting, all locally stored passwords (except those that are synced to the account) are deleted.

2. Hidden system files with passwords (for advanced)

If standard methods fail, passwords can be stored in secure system folders, accessed only with root permissions or through ADB (for some files).

Important: files in /data/ folder are protected by SELinux, and changing them without root can cause system failure. Even with superuser rights, it is not recommended to edit these files manually - use specialized tools like Root Explorer or MiXplorer.

Extracting passwords from these files will require additional steps:

1. Get root access (for example, through Magisk).
2. Copy the file on the PC (for example, via adb pull).
3. Decrypt data (for Wi-Fi, you can use the WiFi Password Viewer utility for Android).

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If you need a Wi-Fi password but no root, try connecting to that network from another device (like a laptop) and look at the password in its settings.

3. Passwords in MIUI backups: how to extract

Backups of MIUI (.mbk file extensions) contain encrypted data, including passwords, to extract them:

1. Create a backup through Settings → About Phone → Backup (select “Full Backup”).
2. Move the file. backup/AllBackup/xxxxx.mbk PC-only.
3. Use the MiBackup Extractor utility (available on GitHub) to unpack: java -jar MiBackupExtractor.jar -i backup.mbk -o output_folder
4. Passwords will be in the folder. output_folder/miui/backup/AllBackup/apps/ (for applications; or wifi/ (net).

Please note that:

• 🔐 Backup files are tied to your Mi Account – you can’t unpack them without authorization.
• 🕒 The process can take up to 10-15 minutes (depending on the size of the backup).
• ⚠️ Some passwords (e.g. from banking applications) may not be in the backup due to security policies.

Make sure that the backup is set up in MIUI 12 or newer|Download MiBackup Extractor from the official repository|Sign in to Mi Account on PC|Check if you have Java 8 or newer installed on your PC-->

4. Application passwords: where and how they are saved

Android apps (and MIUI in particular) store passwords in different ways:

• 📌 Standard Android Keystore: Many apps (e.g. WhatsApp, Telegram) store access tokens here. Access is only possible through root or decompilation APK.
• 📌 SharedPreferences: Some applications store logins/passwords in files /data/data/[package_name]/shared_prefs/. For example, for Instagram, the path will be /data/data/com.instagram.android/shared_prefs/.
• 📌 SQLite databases: passwords may lie in the application database (e.g, /data/data/com.whatsapp/databases/msgstore.db WhatsApp).

To view this data:

1. Install Root Browser or MiXplorer (with root access enabled).
2. Go to /data/data/[name packet]/.
3. Look for files with.xml (SharedPreferences) or.db (SQLite) extensions.
4. Open the file through SQLite Editor or text editor.

⚠️ Note: Modifying files in /data/data/ For example, if you manually edit the WhatsApp database, the messenger may require re-authorization.

Example of a path for popular applications:

5. How to Recover Password from Mi Account

The password for the Mi Account is one of the most important, as it is tied to most Xiaomi services.

1. Go to account.xiaomi.com and select “Forgot Password”.
2. Enter the linked email or phone number.
3. Confirm your identity via SMS or backup email.
4. Create a new password.

If you don’t have access to your email/phone, try:

• 📧 Recovery via backup email (if listed).
• 📞 Appeal in support of Xiaomi with confirmation of purchase of the device (check or IMEI).
• 🔧 Reset password via Fastboot (only for unlocked bootloader).

⚠️ Warning: If the "Find Device" function is enabled on the phone (Settings) → Mi Account → Find the device, resetting the password through Fastboot can lock the phone, in which case you will need official unlock through the service center.

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Recovery of Mi Account through Xiaomi support can take up to 7 days.Always link backup email and phone to your account to avoid lengthy checks.

6. Alternative methods: ADB, TWRP and third-party utilities

If the standard methods don't work, you can use advanced tools. Let's look at three options:

🔧 Method 1: Retrieving passwords through ADB (rootless)

Some data (such as Wi-Fi passwords) can be accessed via ADB, even without superuser rights.

1. Enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times) → Additional → For Developers.
2. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell su -c "cat /data/misc/wifi/WifiConfigStore.xml"
3. Copy the output into a file and decrypt it using WiFi Password Viewer.

🔧 Method 2: Use of the TWRP backup /data

If custom recovery TWRP is installed on the phone, you can create a full /data partition backup:

1. Load to TWRP (clip Power + Volume Up).
2. Select Backup → Select Partitions → Data
3. Save the backup on SD-card.
4. Unpack your backup on your PC and look for password files (see Section 2).

🔧 Method 3: Third-party utilities (root only)

Examples of password extraction programs:

• 🛠️ WiFi Password Recovery – Shows Saved Wi-Fi Networks.
• 🛠️ Password Manager – Scanning SharedPreferences.
• 🛠️ SQLite Editor – to view application databases.

⚠️ Attention: Utilities from unverified sources may contain malicious code. APK from official websites or via F-Droid.

FAQ: Frequent questions about passwords in Xiaomi