How to Save Xiaomi Settings: A Complete Backup and Recovery Guide

Resetting to factory settings, updating firmware or switching to a new Xiaomi smartphone are situations in which the risk of losing personal settings, applications and data increases significantly. Once the device is restored, you have to reconfigure Wi-Fi, notifications, app permissions, and even control gestures. MIUI there are built-in backup tools, as well as third-party solutions that allow you to save almost all system parameters.

In this article, we will analyze all available ways to save settings on Xiaomi, Redmi and other devices. POCO — standard-function MIUI Advanced methods with the use of ADB You'll learn what data you can reserve, how to avoid losing important parameters when you reset, and what to do if standard recovery doesn't work. MIUI, which are not stored through the cloud, but can be critical to the user experience.

1. Built-in tools MIUI backup

MIUI It offers two main ways to save settings: local backup and cloud storage Xiaomi Cloud. the first method is suitable for creating a full copy of data on the device itself or external drive, the second is for synchronizing key parameters between several gadgets. Let’s look at both options in detail.

Local backups to the MIUI preserve:

• 📱 System settings (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, sound, display, gestures)
• 🔧 Installed applications (including data from some of them)
• 📞 Call logs and SMS (optionally)
• 📁 Multimedia files (photos, videos, music - by choice)

However, there are limitations: for example, Wi-Fi passwords and some application resolutions may not be saved, and a local copy takes up space in internal memory, so it is better to use an external drive for large amounts of data.

Step-by-step: Local backup

To create a backup directly on the device:

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Click Create a backup and select the data to save (you can leave all ticks).
3. The storage location: internal memory or SD-card (if supported).
4. Confirm the action and wait for the process to be completed (may take 5-15 minutes).

Is the device connected to charging (the process consumes a lot of energy)|

Is there enough free space on the drive (minimum 2-3 GB)|

Are battery optimizations disabled for the "Backup" application"|

Is the data synchronized with Xiaomi Cloud (in case of local copy failure)-->

A ready backup copy can be found in the folder MIUI/backup/AllBackup The file will have an extension.mbk and a name in the format. backup_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.mbk. It can be copied to a computer or other media for reliability.

2. Cloud backup via Xiaomi Cloud

Xiaomi Cloud is the official cloud storage that automatically syncs some of the settings and data between devices, and the advantage of this method is that you can restore the settings on the new Xiaomi smartphone without connecting to a PC.

• ☁️ Free available only 5 GB (to expand you need to subscribe).
• 🔒 Not all settings are synchronized (e.g. some Developer Options settings are ignored).
• 🌍 Requires a stable Internet connection to download/upload data.

To enable cloud backup:

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Sign in or create an account if you don’t already have one.
3. Activate switches near the points: 📱 Contacts 📅 Calendar 📷 Gallery (optional) ⚙️ System settings

Synchronize

💡

If you plan to reset your smartphone to factory settings, pre-check that all data is uploaded to Xiaomi Cloud. → Storage management and make sure the latest changes are displayed.

To restore settings from the cloud on the new device:

1. When you first turn on, select Restore from backup.
2. Log in to the same Xiaomi account as on the previous device.
3. Select the latest backup and confirm the recovery.

3. Save settings through ADB (for advanced users)

If built-in methods are not suitable (for example, you use custom firmware or you need full root backups), you can use the tool. ADB (Android Debug Bridge: This method allows you to create an exact copy of all settings, including those that are ignored MIUI.

Warning: working with ADB requires on-set debugging USB Incorrect commands can lead to loss of data or unstable operation of the system.

💡

ADB-Backup saves ALL system settings, including those that are not available through standard tools MIUI. However, to restore such backups, the same firmware version may be required as at the time of creating the copy.

Instructions for creating a backup through ADB:

1. Install ADB Tools on your PC.
2. Turn on the debugging. USB on your smartphone: Go to Settings → About the phone. Press 7 times on the version. MIUI, To activate Developer Mode. Go back to Settings. → Additionally. → For developers and enable debugging by USB.

adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f C:\backup_xiaomi.ab

where C:\backup_xiaomi.ab — path to future backup file.

On the smartphone screen, confirm the creation of a backup copy (if necessary, enter a password).

To restore, use the command:

adb restore C:\backup_xiaomi.ab

⚠️ Attention: Backup through ADB It may not be restored to another version. MIUI Some applications (e.g. banking) may block access after recovery due to altered data signatures.

4. Third-party backup applications

If the standard instruments MIUI You don't like it, you can use third-party apps, and they often offer more flexibility, like selectively saving settings or automatically backing up on a schedule.

For most Xiaomi users, Swift Backup is the best choice.It does not require root rights for the basic functionality and can save:

• 📱 List of applications (including user-generated ones)
• 📁 Application data (for supported programs)
• 🔧 Some system settings (Wi-Fi, wallpaper, sound profiles)

To create a backup in Swift Backup:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Provide the necessary permissions (access to storage, notifications).
3. Choose Create a backup and mark the desired applications/settings.
4. Specify the location of the storage (internal memory, SD-map).
5. Click Execute and wait until it is completed.

⚠️ Note: When recovering data through third-party applications, some system settings MIUI For example, if you restore the data of the Settings application (com.android.settings), this can lead to conflicts with the current version of the firmware.

5. Save hidden settings MIUI (Wi-Fi, permissions, gestures)

One of the most painful things about resetting or updating Xiaomi is the loss of hidden settings that are not saved by standard methods.

• 🔐 Wi-Fi passwords (unless you use Mi Cloud Sync)
• 👆 Gestures and button combinations (e.g., double tapping to wake up)
• 📱 Application permissions (access to camera, microphone, geolocation)
• 🔊 Individual sound profiles
• 🎨 Themes and wallpapers (if not synced with the account)

To maintain these parameters, a combination of methods can be used:

Saving Wi-Fi passwords

If you are not using Mi Cloud Sync for Wi-Fi, you can export passwords from the networks manually:

1. Install the WiFi Password Viewer (root or need to be installed) ADB).
2. Export the list of networks to a.csv or.txt file.
3. Save the file in a safe place (e.g. Google Drive).

Preservation of application permissions

AppOps is suitable for backing up permissions (root required):

1. Open AppOps and go to the Operations tab.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Export.
3. Save the file with permissions (usually in.xml format).

Saving gestures and screen settings

Some gestures (such as double tap to wake up) are saved in the file. /data/system/gestures.xml. To reserve it:

1. Use Root Explorer or ADB Pull:
2. For recovery:
3. Reset the device.

⚠️ Note: Modifying files in /data/system/ If you don't have root rights, you can crash your system.

6. Restore settings after reset or update

Once you've reset to factory settings or updated your firmware, you can recover data in a number of ways, depending on which backup method you've used, and let's look at each option.

Recovery from local MIUI copy

If you have created a backup through Settings → Backup and reset:

1. After reset, go through the initial setting MIUI.
2. Connect the device to a Wi-Fi network.
3. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
4. Click Restore and select the desired.mbk file.
5. Confirm the recovery and wait for completion.

Recovery from Xiaomi Cloud

If you sync your data to the cloud:

1. When you first turn on, select Restore from backup.
2. Log in to the Xiaomi account that was used for sync.
3. Select the latest backup and confirm the recovery.
4. Wait for the data download to be completed (it can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour depending on the internet speed).

Recovery through ADB

If you have created a backup through ADB:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and make sure that Debugging is enabled USB.
2. Follow the command:
3. On the smartphone screen, confirm the recovery.
4. Restart the device after the process is complete.

Recovery through third-party applications

For applications like Swift Backup or Titanium Backup:

1. Install the application on a “clean” smartphone.
2. Copy backup files into internal memory or on SD-map.
3. Open the app and select Restore.
4. Mark the desired applications/settings and confirm the action.

If the recovery is not correct (for example, some applications are not working), try:

• 🔄 Reset the device.
• 🗑️ Clear the cache of problem applications in Settings → Annexes.
• 📥 Update apps through Google Play.

7. Frequent errors and their solutions

When backing up and restoring Xiaomi settings, users often face typical problems, and let’s look at the most common ones and how to fix them.

If none of the methods worked, try selective recovery:

1. Restore only system settings (without applications).
2. Install apps manually from Google Play.
3. Restore application data one by one, checking the stability of the work.

⚠️ Note: If after recovery, the smartphone began to overheat or discharge faster than usual, this may indicate a conflict of recovered data with the new firmware version.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions