How to see the password from the application on Android Xiaomi: secure and hidden methods

Why Xiaomi Hidden Application Passwords and Can They Be Recovered?

Xiaomi’s MIUI-based smartphones store app passwords encrypted, a standard security measure that prevents data leaks from being stolen or accessed. However, users often face the situation of remembering passwords from VK, Instagram, banking or email stored years earlier. Unlike browsers (where passwords can be viewed in settings), mobile apps rarely provide this option.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 proven ways to extract a password from a Xiaomi app, from simple (via a password manager) to technically complex (using ADB or root). Importantly, some methods require unlocking a bootloader or superuser rights, which can void warranty and increase security risks. We’ll also explain why Xiaomi has tightened password storage protection since MIUI 14, and which workarounds remain relevant in 2026.

Method 1: Built-in MIUI password manager (for social media and email)

If the password was saved through the MIUI Password Manager, it can be viewed without additional tools, which works for applications using the standard Android Autofill Framework (eg Gmail, Facebook, Twitter/X).

Instructions:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Passwords and security → Password manager.
• 🔍 Enter. PIN-code or pattern lock of the device for confirmation.
• 📋 Find the right application in the list and tap it.
• 👁️ Click on the icon of the eye (or "Show password"), re-confirming access.

⚠️ Note: If the password manager is empty, the application uses its own storage (e.g. Telegram or WhatsApp encrypt data independently of the system.

Method 2: Retrieving passwords via ADB (without root but with debugging)

The method is suitable for tech-savvy users and requires enabled debugging over USB. It allows you to extract passwords from the Android Keystore database, but does not work on all versions of MIUI (starting with MIUI 13, Xiaomi has restricted access to some system files).

Step-by-step:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and tap 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, install ADB Tools and execute the command:

adb backup -f backup.ab -apk -obb -shared -all -nosystem

🔹 This command creates a backup of the application data (including passwords:

• 💻 Use the Android Backup Extractor (Abe) to extract data from backup.ab.
• 🔎 Look for files with the.db or.xml extension in the application folders (e.g. com.facebook.katana for Facebook).
• 📄 Passwords can be stored in open form or encrypted - to decrypt you will need a key from the /data/system/locksettings.db.

⚠️ Attention: MIUI 14 This method is blocked by the system MIUI Optimization. If the adb backup command returns the adb: error: failed to stat remote object error, try disabling optimization via the command:

adb shell settings put global miui_optimization_disabled 1

Debugging is on. USB|Installed ADB Tools on PC|Smartphone connected in the mode "File transfer"|Backup of data created (backup.ab)|Abe utility downloaded and unpacked-->

Method 3: Use root access (for power users)

If your Xiaomi has a bootloader unlocked and Magisk (or other root manager installed), you can access the system files that store passwords, which is the most reliable, but also the riskiest way – wrong actions can lead to data loss or locking the device.

Algorithm of action:

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or FX File Explorer).
2. Go to /data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases/ and copy settings.db.
3. Open the file through SQL-editorial board, DB Browser for SQLite and find a secure table.
4. Look for key records. account_name and account_password — Logins and passwords can be stored there.

For applications that use Android Account Manager (such as Google Play Services), passwords can be found in:

• 📁 /data/system/users/0/accounts.db — system-accounts.
• 📁 /data/data/com.google.android.gms/databases/ — Google accounts.

⚠️ Attention: MIUI 12+ Xiaomi has introduced additional protection – files in the /data/data/ They can be encrypted with the help of FBE (File-Based Encryption. They require a key that is generated when you boot the system. If you restart the phone, access to the files will be lost before you re-enter them. PIN-code.

Method 4: Recover password through backup (if there is a backup)

If you have previously backed up through Mi Cloud or locally, passwords may have been saved in an archived form, a method that is suitable for users who regularly sync data to Xiaomi’s cloud.

How to restore:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Mi Cloud.
2. Select Data Recovery and specify the backup date where the password was still saved.
3. After recovery, check the password manager (method 1) or application data.

🔹 For local backups (created through Settings) → Additionally. → Backup):

• 📂 Connect your phone to your PC and find the file. backup/ root-folder.
• 🔧 Use the Mi. PC suite 7-Zip data-extract.
• 🔎 Passwords can be stored in files with the extension.bak or.mbk (to open them will require official Xiaomi software).

⚠️ Warning: Backup recovery will overwrite current data! If you're not sure if the archive has the right password, pre-create a new backup.

Method 5: Alternative methods (if nothing worked)

If none of the above methods worked, there are universal solutions that do not depend on the model of the phone:

• 📧 Recovery via email: most apps (e.g. Instagram, TikTok) just click “Forgot your password?” and follow the instructions on the linked email.
• 📱 Transfer to another phone: If you have a second smartphone, log in to the same Xiaomi account – sometimes passwords are synced through the Mi Cloud automatically.
• 🔄 Reset the application: delete the application and reinstall it. Some services (e.g, VK) Restore access to the facility through SMS first-start.
• 🛠️ Call for support: for banking applications (Sberbank, Tinkoff) or corporate services, password recovery is possible only through the support service.

💡 If you often forget passwords, set up automatic sync with Google Password Manager or third-party services like Google Password Manager. 1Password/KeePass. For that:

1. Install the password manager app from Google Play.
2. In Xiaomi settings, select it as Autocomplete by default (Settings → Passwords & Security → Autocomplete).
3. The next time you log in to the application, the password will be saved in cloud storage.

💡

Before resetting your password with Forgot Password?, check if your account is linked to a phone number you no longer use. Some services (like WhatsApp) will block your account after 3 failed recovery attempts.

What to do if the password cannot be restored

If all methods are exhausted and access to the application is still blocked, radical measures remain:

1. Resetting your phone to factory settings (via Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset) will delete all data, including passwords, but unlock access to the device. Applicable only if you have forgotten the password from the smartphone itself.
2. Fastboot flashing: Installing a clean version of MIUI or custom firmware (like Pixel Experience) can reset some system locks.Requires an unlocked bootloader.
3. Contact the service center: official Xiaomi centers can help with unlocking your Mi Account, but will not restore passwords from third-party applications.

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi with MediaTek processors (Redmi Note series) 11/12, POCO M4/M5) Reset via Fastboot can lead to hard brick (irrecoverable breakage) due to blocked Preloader. → The phone. → Full specification.

💡

Since MIUI 14, Xiaomi has been actively blocking password extraction methods through ADB and root.If your device has been updated after 2023, the chances of success without a data reset are minimal.

FAQ: Frequent questions about password recovery on Xiaomi