How to import Xiaomi notes: all ways to transfer data

Notes on Xiaomi smartphones have become an integral part of everyday life: it stores important thoughts, to-do lists, passwords and even document scans. But what if you bought a new phone, switched to a different ecosystem, or just wanted to back up?Transfer notes from the standard Mi Notes app (or Notes in newer versions of MIUI) can seem a daunting task - especially if you've never exported data before.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to import notes from Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices: from synchronization via Mi Account to manual export to.txt or.zip formats. You will learn how to transfer data to Google Keep, Evernote or to your computer, as well as what pitfalls can occur when working with different versions of MIUI.

If you're afraid of losing data or have experienced export errors before, don't worry. We've put together unique solutions to recover notes even when standard methods don't work, like how to extract notes from a MIUI backup or use ADB to access hidden application files.

Preparation for import: what to know before transfer

Before you start importing, make sure your notes are available for export. Depending on the MIUI version and smartphone model (Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 12, POCO F5, etc.), the process may be different.

• 📱 Check the version. MIUI: Go to Settings. → The phone. → Version. MIUI. In older versions (up to) MIUI 12) export of notes may be restricted.
• 🔒 Sign in to Mi Account: Without a Xiaomi account, you won’t be able to sync notes between devices.
• 📁 Clear the app cache: Sometimes notes don't show up because of a damaged cache. → Annexes → Application management → Notes → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
• 🔄 Update the app: The outdated version of Mi Notes may not support exports.Update it via Google Play or App Gallery.

Note that if you use password-locked notes, they will have to be temporarily unlocked before exporting, otherwise they may not be transferred or stored in encrypted form.

⚠️ Note: If you plan to transfer notes to a device of another brand (such as a Samsung or iPhone), standard sync via Mi Account will not work.

Method 2: Synchronize with Mi Account (the easiest method)

If you’re staying in the Xiaomi ecosystem (e.g., switching from the Redmi Note 11 to the Xiaomi 14), the most reliable way to transfer notes is through the Mi Account cloud, which works automatically but requires pre-setting.

How to turn on synchronization:

1. Open the Notes app.
2. Slip on the profile icon (or three dots in the top right corner) and select Settings.
3. Go to the Sync section and activate the switch.
4. Make sure you are logged in to the same Mi Account on both devices.

After the sync is enabled, all notes will automatically be downloaded to the new smartphone within 5-10 minutes.

• 🔄 Restart the Notes app on both devices.
• 📶 Check your internet connection (synchronization only works via Wi-Fi or mobile data).
• 🔋 Make sure that the new device has enough memory space.

⚠️ Note: If you delete a note on one device, it will disappear on the second after syncing. To avoid loss, back up (see section 4).

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Syncing through Mi Account is the fastest way, but only works between Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices.

Method 2: Export notes to a file (for transfer to other platforms)

If you need to transfer notes to an iPhone, Samsung or computer, standard synchronization won't help, and you'll need to manually export them to.txt,.html or.zip. Here's how to do this:

Instructions for MIUI 13/14:

1. Open the Notes app.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Export.
3. Select the notes you want to export (or click Select All).
4. Choose the format: TXT (simple text) or HTML (saves formatting).
5. Specify the folder to save (for example, Downloads or Documents).

As a result, you will receive an archive. notes_export.zip Or individual files for each note:

• 📎 Send by mail or via messenger.
• 🖥️ Download to your computer and open in Word or Notepad++.
• 📱 Import to other note-taking apps (e.g. Google Keep or Evernote).

Important: If you have images or attachments in your notes, they will only be saved in HTML. When you export them to TXT, they will be lost.

Make sure that your notes are not blocked with a password |

Select HTML format to save images |

Check the free space on the device |

Download the archive to your computer for backup-->

Method 3: Transfer notes through MIUI backup

If sync is disabled and manual exporting is not working (for example, due to an app failure), notes can be extracted from the MIUI backup.This method is more difficult, but suitable for recovering data after a phone reset or breakage.

How to make a backup copy:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Select Backup and tick Notes (or Mi Notes).
3. Click Create a backup and wait for the process to complete.

The backup file will be saved to the MIUI/backup/AllBackup folder on the internal drive to extract the notes:

1. Connect your phone to your computer via USB (in file transfer mode).
2. Find a backup file (usually with the.mbk extension).
3. Use Mi PC Suite or third-party tools like MIUI Backup Extractor to unpack.

Inside the archive, notes are stored in the notes folder in.json format, and can be converted into readable form using online services or scripts in Python.

⚠️ Attention: Backup copies MIUI If you forget your Mi Account password, you can't extract the data, and you can't edit.mbk files manually, which can cause damage.

5. Method 4: Using ADB to extract notes (advanced method)

If standard methods don’t work (e.g. Notes gives an error or notes don’t show), you can try extracting them via Android Debug Bridge (ADB).

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB-Drivers and Platform Tools.
• 📱 Included Debugging by USB on the phone (in Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI Press 7 times on the version MIUI, Then go back to the settings. → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).

Instructions:

1. Connect the phone to your computer and confirm the debugging permission.
2. Open the command line (cmd) and enter:

adb devices

Make sure the device is identified. Then do:

adb pull /data/data/com.miui.notes/databases/ notes_backup

This command will copy the note database into a folder. notes_backup The file will be called notes.db, and you can open it with the help of DB Browser for SQLite or Online Tools.

The advantage of this method is that you will receive all notes, including deleted ones (if they are not already overwritten), the disadvantage is that you need to understand SQL or use third-party utilities for conversion.

6.Transfer notes to Google Keep, Evernote and other apps

If you’re switching from Xiaomi to a different brand (like Google Pixel or iPhone), the easiest way to import notes is to cross-platform services like Google Keep or Evernote.

For Google Keep:

1. Export notes from Mi Notes to HTML (see Section 3).
2. Open the file on your computer and copy the text of each note.
3. In the web version of Google Keep (keep.google.com), create a new note and paste the text.
4. For images: upload them manually through the Add Image button.

For Evernote:

• 📤 Use the import function in Evernote (supports.enex and.html formats).
• 🔄 If exported to TXT, convert files into HTML via online converters.
• 📂 Create a separate notebook for imported notes so you don’t confuse them with new ones.

Important: Google Keep has a note size limit of 20,000 characters, and Evernote may not display Cyrillic correctly when importing from HTML. In this case, try using UTF-8 encoding or editing a file before importing.

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If you have a lot of notes, use Python scripts to automatically convert from HTML to Evernote (.enex) format. Ready-made solutions can be found on GitHub for "mi notes to enex".

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

When you move notes, you often encounter errors, and here are the most common ones and how to fix them:

• 🔴 "Cannot export notes": Check permissions for app Notes in Settings → Annexes → Permits. Make sure you're allowed access to the vault.
• 🔴 Hieroglyphs instead of text: This is an encoding problem. Open the exported file in Notepad++ and convert into UTF-8 without BOM.
• 🔴 Missing images: If exported to TXT, No images will be saved. Repeat export to HTML or extract them through ADB (see section 5).
• 🔴 Notes are not synced: Check if sync is enabled in Mi Account settings (Settings) → Accounts. → Mi Account → Synchronization).

If notes are not displayed correctly after transfer (for example, formatting is broken or lists are lost), try:

• 📝 Open the source file in the text editor and manually correct the tags.
• 🔄 Repeat exports with a different format (e.g., instead of using a different format) HTML Use Markdown if the app supports).
• 📧 Send a note to yourself by mail and copy the text from there.

⚠️ Attention: If you are using MIUI Global and MIUI China, notes from these versions may not sync with each other, and in this case, you'll have to use manual export.

8.Alternative solutions: third-party applications for portability

If the standard methods don't work, you can use third-party utilities.

• 📱 Mi Mover (official app from Xiaomi): Transfers data between Xiaomi devices over Wi-Fi, including notes. Suitable for switching from Redmi to Xiaomi.
• 🖥️ Mi PC Suite: Allows you to back up notes on your computer and restore them to another device.
• 🌐 Send Anywhere: Transfers files between devices via link or QR-You can export notes to a file and send them to a new phone.
• 📎 Cloneit: Clones data (including notes) from old phone to new phone via Wi-Fi Direct.

Third-party apps often support cross-platform portability (e.g., from Xiaomi to iPhone), but beware: some utilities require root rights or may collect personal data.

Example of Mi Mover:

1. Install the app on both devices.
2. On the old phone, choose I am the sender, on the new phone, I am the receiver.
3. Scan it. QR-link-code.
4. Select Notes in the data list for transfer.
5. Wait until the process is completed.

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The app side is convenient for cross-platform porting, but always check reviews and permissions before installing.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions