Reservations in Xiaomi Phone: A Complete Data Saving Guide

Xiaomi’s modern smartphones store gigabytes of personal data, from photos and videos to passwords from banking apps. Losing that information can be a serious problem — especially if you decide to reset your phone to factory settings, flash a new version of MIUI or simply replace your device.

Unlike the iPhone, where backup often boils down to syncing with iCloud, Xiaomi’s ecosystem offers several alternative ways, from built-in Mi Cloud cloud storage to manually saving to your computer. However, not all users know that even with active sync, some data (such as SMS or notes) may not be saved automatically. In this article, we will discuss all available backup methods, their pros and cons, and give step-by-step instructions for different scenarios, from preparing for the sale of the phone to recovering from a reset.

What is a reservation and why it is necessary for owners of Xiaomi

Backup is a backup of a smartphone’s data that can be used to recover information on the same or another device, and in the Xiaomi context, this process is particularly important for three reasons:

• 🔄 Frequent updates MIUI: Firmware for Xiaomi comes out regularly, and sometimes an update can go wrong, resulting in data loss.
• 📱 Reset before sale: When transferring a phone to a new owner, it is necessary to completely clear the memory, but still retain personal information.
• 🛠️ Repair or Replace: If the phone is sent to a service center, there is a high risk of data loss due to a motherboard reset or replacement.

Without a backup, you risk losing:

• 📸 Photos and videos (including Gallery stories and screenshots)
• 📞 Contacts, call log and SMS/MMS.
• 📝 Notes, calendars, and tasks from Mi Notes or Google Keep.
• ⚙️ System settings (wallpaper, shortcuts, network settings).
• 🎮 Game saves and application data (if not synced to the cloud).

It is important to understand that not all data is automatically synchronized, for example, Mi Cloud does not save:

• 📁 Files from Download or Documents folders.
• 🔐 Wi-Fi passwords (only on some models)
• 📱 Settings for third-party launchers (e.g., Nova Launcher).

Ways to reserve on Xiaomi: comparison of methods

Xiaomi smartphone owners can choose from four main ways to back up, each with its own features, advantages and limitations. Below is a comparison table to help determine the best option.

Important: Local Backup via Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset creates a file with the.mbk extension that can only be restored on Xiaomi phones running MIUI. If you plan to switch to another brand (like Samsung or iPhone), this method won’t work – use Google Account or manual copying.

The choice of method depends on your goals:

• 🔄 Update MIUI or reset settings → Local backup or Mi Cloud.
• 📱 Replace your phone with a new Xiaomi → Mi Cloud + hand-copy media files.
• 🌐 Moving to another brand → Google Account + manual saving on PC.

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For maximum reliability, use a combination of methods: for example, synchronization with Mi Cloud for contacts and notes + manual copying of photos to your computer.

Step-by-step: reservation via Mi Cloud

Mi Cloud is Xiaomi’s official cloud storage integrated into MIUI firmware, which allows you to automatically sync your core data and restore it to your new device, but make sure you:

• 📶 You have a stable Wi-Fi connection (data volume can exceed 1 GB).
• 🔋 Battery charge of at least 50% (the process may take time).
• 🔑 You remember the password from your Mi Account (without it, it will be impossible to recover data).

To create a backup through Mi Cloud, follow the following steps:

1. Open the Settings. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Enter your Xiaomi account password if required.
3. Click on the backup of the device.
4. Select the data to save (Contacts, SMS and Settings are marked by default). For a full backup, click Select All.
5. Start backup and wait for the process to be completed.

The time to create a copy depends on the amount of data and Internet speed. Once completed, you will see the date of the last backup in the Mi Cloud → Backup section.

Connect to Wi-Fi|Check the free space in the cloud (minimum 1 GB)|Turn off battery optimization for Mi Cloud|Close the background applications to speed up the process-->

What to do if the Mi Cloud is not working?

• 🔄 Sync Error: Check if Auto Sync is enabled in your account settings.
• 📵 Lack of space: Remove old backups or buy extra space (from 200 rubles/month for 50 GB).
• 🔒 Unable to log in: Reset your password through account.xiaomi.com.

Local backup: full copy of the system

If you don't trust cloud services or you don't have a stable Internet connection, you can create a local backup right on your phone, which saves the entire system, including the apps you installed and their data, but has two key limitations:

1. The backup file takes up a lot of space (2 to 10 GB depending on the model).
2. Data can only be recovered on Xiaomi phones with the same or newer version of MIUI.

Instructions for creating a local backup:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset (on some models, the path may be different: Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset).
2. Select Local Backup.
3. Specify what data you need to save (it is recommended to leave all ticks).
4. Click Create a backup and confirm the action.
5. Wait for the process to be completed (it can take 10–30 minutes) and the file will be saved in the MIUI/backup/AllBackup folder.

To recover data from the local backup:

1. Reset the phone to factory settings (if required).
2. At the initial setup stage, select Restore from local copy.
3. Specify the path to the.mbk file (if it is stored on a memory card or in another folder).

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If you plan to reflash your phone via Fastboot or Recovery, the local backup won’t save the data — it will erase when the /data partition is completely cleaned. In this case, use Mi Cloud or manual copying on your PC.

Where is the local backup file stored?

• 📁 Internal memory: /MIUI/backup/AllBackup/
• 💾 Memory card (if selected): /MIUI/backup/AllBackup/ on SD- card.

⚠️ Warning: Do not rename the backup file (.mbk) or move it manually through the file manager. This can lead to recovery errors. If you want to transfer a copy to your computer, copy the entire file unchanged.

Manual reservation to the computer: a reliable, but time-consuming way

If you prefer to keep your data under your control, manual copying to a PC is the most reliable option, a method that is independent of cloud services and allows you to selectively save only the right files, but it takes longer and does not save system settings or application data.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows, macOS or Linux.
• 🔌 Cable USB (preferably original).
• 📂 There is enough free disk space (photos and videos can take up tens of gigabytes).

Steps for manual copying:

1. Connect your phone to your computer through USB-cable.
2. On the phone, select file transfer mode (File transfer or MTP in the notification curtain).
3. Open this computer (Windows) or Finder (macOS) and find your smartphone in the list of devices.
4. Copy the folders you want: DCIM for photos and videos. Download for uploaded files. Documents for documents. WhatsApp/Media for media files from the messenger (if you use them).
5. To save contacts, export them to.vcf: Open the Contacts app. Press ⋮ → Contact Management → Import/Export → Export to file. Select a save location (such as a memory card) and copy the file to your PC.

⚠️ Warning: Some folders (e.g., Android/data) may be hidden or unavailable without root permissions. To copy game or application data, use specialized programs like Titanium Backup (requires superuser rights).

To automate the process, you can use programs:

• 🖥️ Mi PC Suite (official software from Xiaomi) – allows you to create backups and manage files.
• 🔄 Syncthing – Syncs folders between your phone and PC over Wi-Fi.

How to recover data after resetting or firmware

The recovery process depends on which backup method you used, and the instructions for each case are below.

Recovery from Mi Cloud

1. Turn on your phone and connect to Wi-Fi.
2. At the setup stage, select Restore from backup.
3. Log in to your Mi Account.
4. Select the last backup and confirm the recovery.
5. Wait until it is completed (it can take up to an hour depending on the amount of data).

Recovery from Local Backup

1. Reset your phone to factory settings (if you haven’t already).
2. At the initial setup stage, select Restore from local copy.
3. Specify the path to the.mbk file (if it is stored on the memory card).
4. Confirm the recovery and wait for completion.

Computer recovery

If you have copied files manually, simply transfer them back to your phone via a USB- cable or cloud storage (like Google Drive).

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Press ⋮ → Contact Management → Import/Export → Import from the file.
3. Select the.vcf file and confirm the import.

⚠️ Warning: If you restore data to a phone with another version of MIUI (e.g., from MIUI 12 to MIUI 14), some settings may not apply, in which case it is recommended to manually reconfigure the phone after you restore media files and contacts.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even experienced users sometimes experience problems with reservations, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to solve them:

• 🚫 Lack of space in Mi Cloud: Remove old backups in Mi Cloud → Backup → Control. Buy extra space (50GB costs ~200 rubles/month). Use local backup or manual copy on PC.
• 🔄 Backup interrupts at half: Check the stability of the Internet connection (go to Wi-Fi if you used mobile data). Close all background applications to free up RAM. Connect the phone to charge.
• 🔒 Unable to log in to Mi Account after reset: Check if your account is linked to another phone number or email. Reset your password through Xiaomi. If the phone requires an old password after reset, maybe Find Device protection is activated - contact Xiaomi support.
• 📁 Local backup file corrupted: Don't interrupt the backup creation process. Don't rename the file.mbk. If the file isn't restored, try creating a new backup.

If you encounter an error that is not listed, check the error code in Mi Cloud or MIUI and look for a solution on forums (such as c.mi.com or 4PDA).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions