How to find WhatsApp backup on Xiaomi Android smartphone: all ways

Why WhatsApp backups on Xiaomi are “hiding” and where to look for them

Have you deleted WhatsApp chats or bought a new Xiaomi, but can't find old conversations?The problem isn't you - the manufacturer and messenger itself store backups in non-obvious places. On Xiaomi smartphones with a MIUI shell, the paths to backups are different from "clean" Android, and local files can be hidden by the system. Even if you regularly made backups, they are not always visible through a standard file manager.

In this article, we will examine all possible storage locations for WhatsApp backups on Xiaomi, from local files in the device’s memory to cloud copies in Google Drive. We will focus on the nuances of MIUI 12-14, where the path to the WhatsApp folder may differ due to the peculiarities of the file system.

Warning: If you have used side launchers (like POCO Launcher) or changed folder structure through ADB, standard paths may not work, requiring manual search throughout the storage.

1. Local backups: where WhatsApp stores files on Xiaomi

WhatsApp creates local backups every day at 4:00 (if the phone is connected to charging and Wi-Fi) and these files are stored in a hidden folder and are not displayed in the gallery. On Xiaomi, the path depends on the version of MIUI and the availability of a memory card:

• 📁 Internal memory: /storage/emulated/0/WhatsApp/Databases/
• 📁 SD-card (if selected as the primary storage): /storage/XXXX-XXXX/WhatsApp/Databases/, where XXXX-XXXX — unique identifier.
• 🔍 Hidden files: in MIUI The default is to hide folders that start with a dot (e.g.,.nomedia) and enable them in the file manager settings.

Backup files are msgstore.db.crypt14 (or crypt12 for older versions), the latest version is the most current, and if the folder is empty, check:

1. Is Local Backup Option Disabled in WhatsApp Settings (⋮ → Settings → chat → Backup).
2. Have you transferred WhatsApp to a memory card via MIUI (this can be confusing).
3. Have you cleared the messenger cache through Settings → Apps → WhatsApp → Storage?

⚠️ Note: If you see the files msgstore.db.crypt14, But when you restore WhatsApp, it says, "No backups," the problem may be that there's a mismatch in the phone numbers. SIM-map with which it was created.

Make sure WhatsApp is not moved to SD-map MIUI|Enable the display of hidden files in the file manager|Check the date of the last backup in WhatsApp settings|Make sure the phone hasn’t been reset to factory settings after making a copy-->

2. Cloud Copies in Google Drive: How to Find and Download

If there are no local files, WhatsApp could have saved a copy to Google Drive. This is standard for Android, but on Xiaomi it sometimes crashes due to MIUI limitations on background activity.

1. Open WhatsApp and go to the ⋮ → Settings → chat → Backup → Google Drive.
2. Look at the date of the last save. If it's current, there's a copy.
3. To download it on PC: 🖥️ Go to Google Drive in your browser. 🔍 In the search, type WhatsApp. 📂 Find a folder with the name of your phone number (format: +7XXXXXXXXXX).

Xiaomi with MIUI 13/14 may experience a “failed to back up” error, which is due to battery optimization that blocks WhatsApp’s background operation.

Settings → Applications → Application Management → WhatsApp → Battery → Without Limits


Settings → Applications → Permissions → Autostart → Enable for WhatsApp

⚠️ Warning: If you changed your phone number, old copies on Google Drive will become unavailable. WhatsApp links backups to Google account and number SIM-maps from which they were created.

Once a week | Once a month | Only before a phone drop | Never done-->

3. MIUI Features: Why Backups "Disappear" and How to Fix It

The MIUI shell is known for aggressive memory optimization, which often leads to automatic deletion of old backups.

A critical feature of MIUI 14: if you used the “Cloning Apps” feature, the backups of the second WhatsApp account are stored in the folder /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.whatsapp.w4b/Databases/ and are not visible to the main application.

4. Step-by-step instructions: how to find and restore a backup on Xiaomi

If you know for sure that a copy exists but can’t find it, follow this algorithm:

1. Check the local storage: 📱 Open the file manager MIUI (Install Solid Explorer from Google Play). 🔍 Enable the display of hidden files: ⋮ → Settings → Show hidden files. 📂 Cross the path. /storage/emulated/0/WhatsApp/Databases/.
2. Check out Google Drive: 🌐 Log to drive.google.com from the same account as WhatsApp. 🔍 In the search, type WhatsApp. 📥 If you have a copy, download it to your phone in a folder. /WhatsApp/Databases/.

Recover the data:

• 📲 Remove and reinstall WhatsApp.
• 🔑 At the first start, the messenger will offer to restore chats from the copy.
• ✅ Confirm recovery (the process can take up to 10 minutes).

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If WhatsApp is “hanging” in the recovery phase, don’t interrupt the process! wait at least 30 minutes – on weak Xiaomi smartphones (like the Redmi 9A), it can take longer due to slow internal memory.

5. Alternative methods: if standard methods do not work

If neither local nor cloud-based copies are found, try these options:

• 🔧 Use it. ADB Connect your phone to your PC and follow the command: adb shell find /storage -name "msgstore.db.crypt* This will find all WhatsApp backups on the device, including hidden folders.
• 📱 Check backups in the MI Xiaomi can automatically save some data in the cloud MI Cloud (if the function was enabled). Go to Settings → Xiaomi account → MI Cloud → Backup and check if there are WhatsApp files.
• 💾 Recover deleted files: If the backup has been deleted, try data recovery software like DiskDigger or Recuva (requires root access for deep scanning).

For Xiaomi owners with root rights:

• 🛠️ Use Root Explorer to check folders /data/data/com.whatsapp/databases/ — Sometimes backups are duplicated there.
• 🔄 If you have a full backup phone through TWRP, Restore only the section /data — This can bring back WhatsApp files.

⚠️ Note: When restoring through TWRP Don't overwrite the section /system, If you're not sure what you're doing, it can lead to a phone blink.

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If you’re using Xiaomi with a MediaTek processor (like the Redmi Note 11), standard recovery methods may be slower due to the file system of those chipsets, in which case it’s better to copy the backup to your PC and restore it via WhatsApp Web.

6.How to avoid losing backups in the future: prevention for Xiaomi

To avoid looking for backups in an emergency, set up automatic saving:

• ☁️ Google Drive: Enable Automatic Backup in WhatsApp Settings. Select Daily or Only when connected to Wi-Fi. Make sure there is enough space in your Google account (a WhatsApp backup can weigh up to several gigabytes).
• 📱 Local Copies: Copy the folder regularly /WhatsApp/Databases/ Use a file manager with cloud storage support (such as MiXplorer) to automatically sync backups to Dropbox or Yandex Drive.
• 🔄 Additional measures: Turn off battery optimization for WhatsApp MIUI. Don’t use the Garbage Cleanup features in the Security App – they can remove backups. Before resetting your phone to factory settings, copy the WhatsApp folder to a memory card or PC.

For Xiaomi users with MIUI 14 and newer:

• 🔒 Enable Data Protection in WhatsApp Settings to Prevent Accidental Deletion of Backups.
• 📡 If you use dual WhatsApp (through dual apps), set up a separate backup for each account.