Where to look for passwords in a Xiaomi smartphone: 5 proven ways

Forgot your Wi-Fi password, social network, or banking app, but remember that you once entered it on Xiaomi? There are several hidden places in the smartphone brand where the system stores credentials — from a standard password manager to service files. However, not all methods of extracting them are safe: some require superuser rights, others can lead to the blocking of the Mi Account.

In this article, we will discuss legal ways to find passwords on Xiaomi without hacking, from embedded tools to backups. and also warn about the risks of using third-party utilities that promise to “pull out all passwords in 5 minutes” (spoiler: these are usually viruses or spyware). If your goal is to restore access to your own accounts, read on. If you are trying to get someone else’s data, it is illegal and technically impossible without physical access to the device.

1. Built-in password manager MIUI

Modern versions of MIUI (starting with MIUI 12) have their own password manager that automatically saves data from apps, websites and Wi-Fi. You can find it in the security settings. Here's how it works:

• 🔐 Go to Settings. → Passwords and security → Password manager.
• 👤 Sign in with help. PIN-a code, fingerprint or pattern lock (the one used to unlock the screen).
• 📋 In the list you will see saved logins and passwords, grouped by categories: Applications, Wi-Fi, Sites.
• 🔍 To find a specific password, use the search bar at the top.

⚠️ Note: If you previously disabled password sync with your Mi Account, the data may not be saved, and the manager will not show passwords from system applications (for example, Mi Account or Google Play).

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If the password manager is empty, check if autosave is enabled: Settings → Passwords and security → Autocomplete → Save passwords.

On older versions of MIUI (before MIUI 11), the password manager could be called Credentials and be in Settings → Additional. If you have a Redmi Note 8 Pro or older model, upgrade to the latest version - this will add a centralised password management feature.

2. Wi-Fi passwords: how to watch without root

Passwords from Wi-Fi networks to which the phone was connected are stored in the system file. wpa_supplicant.conf. Access to it without superuser rights is limited, but there is a workaround through backup:

1. Create a system backup: Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup Select System Settings and Confirm Backup Creation.
2. Connect your phone to your PC and copy the backup file (usually located in the MIUI/backup/AllBackup folder).
3. Use Mi Backup Extractor (available on GitHub) to extract data. wpa_supplicant.conf — It will have networks and passwords in plain form.

🔹 Alternative method (only for the purpose of MIUI 12+):

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Wi-Fi.
• 🔄 Click on the name of the network you are connected to and select Share Password.
• 🔐 The system will show QR-Scan it with another device, and the password will be displayed in text.

⚠️ Warning: If you reset your phone to factory settings, all saved Wi-Fi passwords will be deleted.

3. Passwords from apps: Google vs Mi Account

Many users are unaware that on Xiaomi, passwords can be saved in two different places:

1. Google Account – if you used autocomplete when logging in to apps (e.g. VK, Instagram, Tinkoff).
2. Mi Account – if you have synchronized in Xiaomi settings.

To check your passwords on Google:

• 🌐 Go to passwords.google.com ( log in from the same account as your phone).
• 🔍 Enter the name of the application or site search.
• 👁️ Click on the eye icon to show the password.

To check passwords in Mi Account:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Mi Account → Cloud. → Synchronization.
• 🔄 Make sure that password and data synchronization is enabled.
• 🔐 Return to the Password Manager (see Section 1) – the cloud data should be displayed there.

4. Hidden passwords in system files (for advanced)

If standard methods don't work, you can try to find passwords in system files. This requires access to root or use ADB (debugging over USB). Without root, you can only view passwords from Wi-Fi and some applications, but not from banking services or instant messengers.

Instructions for ADB (without root):

1. Enable Developer Mode: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times)
2. Activate Debugging by USB in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb pull /data/misc/wifi/WifiConfigStore.xml This file will have SSID and Wi-Fi passwords in encrypted form (decryptor is needed).

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB It is impossible to extract passwords from third-party applications (such as WhatsApp or SberBank Online) without root.

5. Recover passwords after resetting settings

If you have done a hard reset, all locally saved passwords will be deleted, but they can be restored if:

• 🔄 You have a backup copy (see Section 2).
• ☁️ Sync with Mi Account or Google enabled.
• 📱 The phone was linked to a Xiaomi account (even if you don’t remember the password, you can recover it via email).

Procedure:

1. After the reset, log in to the same Mi or Google account you used before.
2. Connect to the Internet – the system automatically synchronizes saved passwords (can take up to 10 minutes).
3. Check out the Password Manager and Google Passwords.

If synchronization doesn’t help, try restoring data from a backup:

• 📁 Copy the backup file (.mbk) into the folder MIUI/backup/AllBackup.
• 🔄 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Backup and reset → Restore.
• 🔐 Select the right backup and confirm the recovery (passwords will be in the System Settings section).

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Without backup or cloud sync, it is impossible to recover passwords after resetting.

6 What to do if the password is not stored anywhere

If you have exhausted all the ways, but the password has not been found, radical measures remain:

• 🔄 Reset passwords via support (for social networks, mail, banks) and most services allow you to restore access to a linked email or phone number.
• 📧 Checking emails – when registering for many sites, letters with passwords come (look for inboxes, spam, social).
• 🔐 Use a password manager (like KeePass or Bitwarden) if you've used it before, passwords could have been saved in its database.

⚠️ Note: Do not use programs like "WiFi Password Hacker" or "Xiaomi Password Cracker" from Play Market or third-party sources:

• 🚫 Viruses (can steal your data).
• 🔒 Fraud (request for payment for “unblocking").
• ⚖️ Violation of the law (unauthorized access to data is punishable under Art. 272 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

If you are talking about the password from your Mi Account, restore it officially:

1. Go to account.xiaomi.com.
2. “Select Forgot Your Password?”
3. Confirm the recovery via email or SMS.

7.How to Protect Your Passwords on Xiaomi in the Future

To avoid losing access to your accounts, follow the following simple rules:

• ☁️ Enable sync with Mi Account or Google: Settings → Mi Account → Cloud. → Synchronization → Passwords and data
• 🔄 Make regular backups (once a month).
• 🔐 Use a password manager (such as Bitwarden or built-in in) MIUI).
• 📝 Store critical passwords separately (for example, in an encrypted file on a PC).

💡 Tip: For passwords from banking applications (SberBank, Tinkoff, VTB) use two-factor authentication (SMS Even if the password is compromised, the attacker will not be able to log in without the second factor.

Settings → Google → Backup → Autocomplete → Saving Passwords

FAQ: Frequent questions about passwords on Xiaomi