Owners of Xiaomi smartphones with a MIUI shell or a new HyperOS often face a situation when you need to access data inside a secure application, but the password is forgotten. Standard Android tools do not allow you to simply “see” saved character combinations for security purposes, but there are workarounds and system functions that help solve the problem.
Modern security methods in Android are built on encryption, so direct viewing of the password in the form of plain text inside the application database is impossible without root rights. However, using the built-in password managers of Google or Xiaomi, as well as reset functions, you can effectively regain control of your accounts. Below we will discuss in detail the legal ways to solve this problem.
⚠️ Note: Attempting to inject into someone else’s accounts or using malware to steal passwords is illegal.This article is solely devoted to restoring access to the personal data of the device owner.
Use of Google’s built-in password manager
The easiest and most reliable way to find a saved password is to go to Google services, which sync login data by default on all Android devices. If you previously saved login data, it will be available in a secure storage.
From the menu that opens, select Google Autocomplete, then click on the Google Password Manager icon. The system will request identity verification through a fingerprint scanner, Face ID or pattern lock. After successful authorization, you will see a list of all sites and applications for which credentials are stored.
Find the app you want in the list, or search the search bar. When you click on a particular entry, you'll see the login and the hidden password. To see the combination of characters, tap the eye icon. The key here is that you'll need to verify your device's biometrics or screen unlock pin to view it.
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If the password is not displayed, make sure that your Google account settings are enabled with password sync, and also make sure you are using the same Google account that was active at the time the data was saved.
Application Protection in MIUI and HyperOS
The MIUI shell offers a unique feature called Application Protection, which allows you to set an additional password to run specific programs. If you forgot this password (pattern lock or digital code), the system provided a recovery mechanism through your Mi Account account.
If you have a few incorrect password inputs, the app lock screen will say, "Forgot your password?" and click on it, the system will prompt you to enter your Mi Account password. Once you have successfully logged in, you can reset the protection and install a new access code, a standard method built into Xiaomi's developers.
It is worth noting that if the Mi Account was not tied or you do not remember the data from it, you will not be able to reset the application protection password without losing data inside the protected programs, in which case the Android security system blocks access to prevent unauthorized penetration.
☑️ Check before resetting the protection password
Third-party password managers and their capabilities
Many users prefer not to rely on cloud services manufacturers, and use specialized applications-managers, such as LastPass, 1Password or KeePass. If you used similar programs to generate and store passwords, then you can find out the forgotten combination through the master password of the application itself.
The advantage of these solutions is cross-platform: you can restore access to the password through the web interface on the computer if the smartphone is locked, but if you forget the master password from the storage itself, it is almost impossible to recover data due to the high level of encryption.
When installing these apps on Xiaomi, it is important to set the permissions correctly. Often, the MIUI system aggressively kills background processes, which may cause autocomplete to fail at the right time, you need to go to the battery settings and allow the application to work in the background.
| Method | Requirements | Efficiency | Risks. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Manager | Google account, Internet | Tall. | Minimum |
| MIUI defense | Mi Account, Internet | Medium | Resetting application protection |
| Third-party APPs | Master password | Tall. | Loss of access in the forgotten master |
| Root access | Superuser rights | Technical | High (loss of warranty) |
Technical aspects and work with the database
For advanced root users, it is theoretically possible to extract passwords directly from system files. Many applications' passwords are stored in SQLite databases along the /data/data/name/packet/databases/ path. However, modern security standards require encryption of these databases.
Even if you access the file system, you will find that the data is encrypted with keys tied to the hardware of the device or biometric data. Simply copying a database file will not work without a decryption key that is stored in a secure partition of the processor (TEE).
Using tools like ADB (Android Debug Bridge) allows you to back up your applications, but there's a limitation: backups are often encrypted.
adb backup -f backup.ab -noapk com.example.appThe resulting.ab file needs to be converted to.tar and then unpacked, but even after decompression, you're likely to find only encrypted strings or session tokens, not the original passwords in plain sight.
⚠️ Attention: Getting root rights on Xiaomi devices requires unlocking the bootloader through the official Mi Unlock utility. This action will lead to the complete removal of all data from the device (Factory Reset).
Resetting passwords through account recovery
If none of the automated methods worked, the classic path remains to recover a password through the support service of the app, which is the longest, but often the only, way to work for popular social networks and instant messengers.
The procedure is usually initiated on the login screen by pressing the button "Forgot your password?" The system will prompt you to send the confirmation code to the associated phone number or backup email address. On Xiaomi smartphones, it is important to SIM-The card was active and accepted SMS.
In some cases, such as changing a phone number, the procedure may take several days to verify the identity of the owner, this is done to protect against fraudsters trying to steal an account, and be prepared to provide additional information, such as registration date or details of recent purchases within the application.
What to do if your phone number is lost?
Prevention and establishment of a reliable safety system
In order to avoid the problem of forgotten passwords in the future, it is recommended to implement a unified access control system. Using biometrics (fingerprint or facial recognition) on Xiaomi allows you not to enter complex combinations every time, but the basic password must still be reliable and recorded in a secure place.
Check your passwords on Google regularly and delete outdated records, not only frees up space, but also improves overall digital security hygiene, and it’s also helpful to change critical passwords periodically, especially after news of data breaches.
Don't use the same passwords for different applications. If an attacker gains access to one of your accounts, everyone else is at risk. Password managers allow you to generate complex unique combinations for each service, minimizing the risks.
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The best protection is not a complex password that cannot be remembered, but rather the use of a reliable password manager with synchronization and two-factor authorization.