Where to store notes on Xiaomi Android smartphones: a complete guide to search and backup

Have you ever lost important notes after resetting your Xiaomi phone or updating your firmware? or just wanted to transfer them to a new smartphone but didn't know where they were physically stored in your device's memory? MIUI — Xiaomi’s proprietary shell, where the standard Notes app doesn’t work quite as well as on “pure” Android.

Unlike Google Keep or other third-party apps where data is synced to the cloud by default, embedded notes on Redmi are available, POCO Mis can be stored locally, and this creates risks. In this article, we will discuss in detail where the notes files in Xiaomi memory are located, how to find them through the file manager or the file manager. ADB, How to back up manually, and what to do if the notes of Suddenly disappear after the update, you will also learn how storage differs in different versions. MIUI (12 to 14) and which models are encrypted by default.

1. Standard Note Storage Site on Xiaomi: Pathways in Memory

By default, notes in the Notes app (com.miui.notes package) are stored in a secure area of the smartphone's internal memory.

• 📁 Main database folder: /data/data/com.miui.notes/databases/ — Here is a note.db file (or notes.db-wal) containing all notes in SQLite format.
• 🖼️ Attachments (photos, audio, screenshots): /data/data/com.miui.notes/files/attachments/ — Media files added to notes.
• ⚙️ Settings and cache: /data/data/com.miui.notes/shared_prefs/ — Here you can store user preferences (for example, sorting or design themes).

It is important to understand that the folder /data/data/ available only with root rights or through ADB (Android Debug Bridge. Without them, you won't see these files in a standard file manager like Mi File Explorer. But there are workarounds, and we'll talk about them in the next section.

⚠️ Note: If you are trying to access /data/data/ via Windows Explorer after connecting the phone to USB, You can't find this folder. It's hidden from the user at the Android level, and it requires special tools.

On some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro) POCO F3) Notes can be further encrypted with keys attached to your Mi Account, which means that even if you have a note.db file, you can't read the content without authorization.

2. How to find notes without root: workarounds

If you do not have root rights, but need to extract notes urgently, use one of these methods:

Method 1: Backup through MIUI

The local backup function in the MIUI It allows you to save application data, including notes, to a file on a memory card or internal memory:

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Select Create a Backup and tick Notes (or Notes in the English version).
3. Specify the place of conservation (for example, SD-map/MIUI/backup/AllBackup/).
4. Once completed, copy the backup file (with the.mbk extension) to your computer.

To extract notes from the backup, you will need special software, such as Mi Backup Extractor (available on GitHub).Please note that.mbk files can also be encrypted if the settings enable the option to protect the backup with a password.

Method 2: Export through ADB (rootless)

If you have debugging enabled USB, You can extract a base of notes using commands ADB. For that:

Install. ADB Download from the Android Developers website)

Put the debugging on. USB in the developer settings (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — tap 7 times)

Connect your phone to your PC and confirm your trust in your computer

Open the command line in the folder with ADB-->

adb backup -f notes.ab com.miui.notes


adb pull /sdcard/notes.ab

This command will create a note.ab file (Android Backup) that can then be unpacked using the Android Backup Extractor utility. Inside, you will find the notes.db file.

⚠️ Attention: Starting with MIUI 13, Xiaomi tightened security policies, and the adb backup team may not work for system applications, including Notes.In this case, only root or backup through the MIUI.

Method 3: Sync with Mi Cloud

If you are logged in to Mi Account and have enabled synchronization of notes, you can restore them through the cloud:

• 🌐 Go to i.mi.com and log in to your account.
• 📝 In the Notes section, check if your records are displayed.
• 📥 If yes, export them manually (Export button in upper right corner).

However, this method only works if the synchronization has been enabled in advance. → Synchronization.

Note.db File Structure: What's Inside the Notebase

The notes.db file is a SQLite database that contains all the notes, tags, timestamps, and other metadata that you can open with programs like this. DB Browser for SQLite or SQLiteStudio. Here are the key tables inside:

If you need to transfer notes to another phone, you can only export the note table and import it to a new database, but beware: improper editing of SQLite can lead to data loss.

Starting with MIUI 14, Xiaomi has added support for encryption of notes at the database level, which means that even with a note.db file, you can’t read it without the encryption key stored in the file. /data/data/com.miui.notes/files/keys/. In this case, the only way to restore is through Mi Account or local backup.

4.Where Xiaomi notes with root rights are stored

If your phone is unlocked and installed by Magisk or another root manager, you can directly copy the note files.

1. Install a root-enabled file manager, such as Root Explorer or FX File Explorer.
2. Go to /data/data/com.miui.notes/databases/.
3. Copy notes.db, notes.db-wal and notes.db-shm files to a secure location (e.g., on the SD-map).
4. If you have attachments, copy the folder. /data/data/com.miui.notes/files/attachments/.

To recover on another phone:

1. Install com.miui.notes (if it is not by default, download it). APK APKMirror).
2. Copy the saved files back to /data/data/com.miui.notes/databases/.
3. Reboot your phone and check your notes.

⚠️ Note: When copying the database to another phone with a different version MIUI (for example, MIUI 12 on MIUI 14) compatibility errors may occur, in which case try to first update the Notes app to the latest version via Google Play or APKMirror.

If you use TWRP, You can make a backup copy of the section /data And then you can restore it to the new device, and that's not just to keep the notes safe, but also to keep all the other data in the applications.

5.Transfer notes to new Xiaomi phone

When buying a new Xiaomi smartphone (for example, the transition from Redmi Note 9 to Xiaomi 13) you can transfer notes in several ways:

• 🔄 Through Mi Cloud: If sync is enabled, notes will automatically be uploaded to the new phone after you log in to Mi Account.
• 📱 Through Local Backup: Copy the.mbk file to your new phone and restore it through Settings → Backup.
• 🖥️ Through ADB: Remove notes.db from your old phone and upload to a new one (root or debugging required) USB).
• 📧 Through export to text: In the Notes app, select a note → Share. → Export to text and send yourself by mail.

The most reliable way is the combination of Mi Cloud + local backup:

1. On your old phone, enable note synchronization in Settings → Accounts. → Mi Account.
2. Create a local backup (as described in Section 2).
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account and wait for synchronization.
4. If any notes are not downloaded, restore them from the local backup.

1. whether the option Sync notes in the settings of the application is enabled.

2. Is there enough space in the cloud (free 5 GB).

3. Are there any regional restrictions (Mi Cloud is out of service in some countries).-->

On the phones with MIUI for POCO (for example, POCO X3 NFC) A modified version of the Notes application may be used, where the path to the database is different: /data/data/com.miui.notes.poco/. Check the name of the package via App Inspector or adb shell pm list packages | grep notes.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Xiaomi users often face the following problems when working with notes:

Problem 1: Notes disappeared after the update MIUI

There may be several reasons:

• 🔄 Application data reset: After update MIUI Sometimes you reset your system application settings. Check if the com.miui.notes folder appears in the app. /data/data/ freshly.
• 🔐 Encryption: In new versions MIUI 13/14 Notes can be encrypted automatically. Try logging in to Mi Account again.
• 🗑️ Cache Cleanup: If you cleaned the cache through Settings before the upgrade → Annexes → Notes → The storage, the database could have been damaged.

Decision:

1. Check the folder. /sdcard/MIUI/backup/ — There may be an automatic backup.
2. Sign in to Mi Account and wait for sync (can take up to 24 hours).
3. If nothing helps, try to roll back to the previous version of MIUI via Fastboot.

Problem 2: Cannot open notes.db

If you have extracted the notes.db file, but the program is like DB Browser shows an error, the reason may be:

• 🔒 Encryption: The file is encrypted (characteristically MIUI 14).
• 🗜️ Damage: The file was not correctly copied (e.g. adb pull interrupted).
• 📱 Incompatibility of the version: Base of MIUI 12 may not open in MIUI 13.

Decision:

• Try opening a file in SQLiteStudio, which works better with corrupted databases.
• If the database is encrypted, try extracting the keys from the /data/data/com.miui.notes/files/keys/.
• Download the older version DB Browser (e.g. 3.11.2).

Problem 3: Notes are duplicated after recovery

This happens if you restore notes from a backup and then they sync with Mi Cloud, creating duplicates.

Decision:

1. Open the Notes app.
2. Go to Settings. → Remove duplicates (if you have an option).
3. If you don’t have an option, manually export notes to a text file, delete all notes, and then import them again.

💡

Before any manipulation of notes (update, reset, transfer) always make a backup through Settings. → Backup or manually through ADB. This is the only way to guarantee the data.

7. Alternative Notes Apps on Xiaomi

If the built-in Notes app doesn’t suit you (for example, due to sync or encryption issues), consider alternatives:

To move notes from the standard Xiaomi app to an alternative:

1. Export notes to a text file (as described in Section 5).
2. Import the file to a new application (most support importing from.txt or.md).
3. For attachments (photos, audio) copy them manually from /data/data/com.miui.notes/files/attachments/.

Xiaomi phones with global firmware (such as the Redmi Note 11 Global) sometimes install the Google Keep app by default instead of com.miui.notes.In this case, notes are stored in the Google cloud, rather than locally.

8 How to protect notes from loss: prevention

To never lose important notes, follow these guidelines:

• ☁️ Enable sync with Mi Cloud: Open Notes → Settings → Sign in to Mi Account and activate the option.
• 📅 Create Local Backups Regularly: Once a Month, Backup Through Settings → Backup. Store the.mbk file on SD-In the cloud or in the cloud (Google Drive, Yandex Disk).
• 🔄 Export important notes: Open the note → Share. → Export to text. Send the file to your own mail or messenger.

Encrypt the confidential notes:

1. In the Notes app, select a note → More. → Block it.
2. Set a password or use a fingerprint.

If you often work with notes on Xiaomi, install the Notes widget on the home screen for quick access.

1. Press and hold the free space on the main screen.
2. Select the Widgets → Find the notes.
3. Drag the widget onto the screen and select a note to display.

⚠️ Attention: On phones with MIUI for POCO (for example, POCO X3 Pro) Notes widget may not be available, in which case use the app shortcut or install a third-party widget, such as Note Widget.

For added reliability, you can set up automatic sending of important notes to email.

1. Create a rule in Gmail or Yandex Mail to filter emails with the tag [Notes].
2. Send exported notes to your post office regularly.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi notes