Hidden notes on Xiaomi smartphones are a privacy feature that allows you to hide important information from prying eyes. However, sometimes users are faced with a situation where these notes suddenly disappear from view or become inaccessible after resetting, updating MIUI or changing an account. Unlike deleted records, hidden notes do not fall into the basket and require special methods to restore them.
In this article, we will look at all the current ways to return hidden notes to Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, from standard MIUI features to advanced methods using ADB and backups. Particular attention will be paid to cases where notes are hidden by password or linked to another Mi Account account. All instructions are tested on the latest firmware (2023-2026) and are relevant for models based on MIUI 12-14.
Why Xiaomi Notes Can Be Hidden or Disappeared
Before you can recover your notes, it's important to understand why they're missing, and most of the time, the problem isn't with deleting, it's with changing visibility status or synchronization failure.
- 🔒 Manual Hiding through Hidden Notes in the Notes app (requires a password or fingerprint).
- 🔄 Resetting settings to factory – notes remain in memory, but lose reference to the account.
- 📱 Change your Mi Account – if your notes were linked to another profile, they will become invisible.
- 🔧 Update MIUI — rarely, but there are bugs when hidden notes are not displayed in the new interface.
- 🛡️ Activation of Incognito mode in some versions MIUI (for example, MIUI 13 for Xiaomi 12).
If you lose your notes after you update your firmware, check the MIUI/Notes/backup folder through the file manager first, sometimes the system backs up automatically. For POCO F3, Redmi Note 11 and later, it’s also worth checking the Mi Cloud cloud, even if the sync is disabled: the data could have been saved in the cache.
Method 1: Checking the Hidden Notes folder in a standard application
The easiest method is to use the built-in Hiding feature in the Notes app, which is available on all Xiaomi devices with MIUI 10 and later.
- Open the Notes app (an icon in the form of a yellow notebook).
- Tap it on three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Hidden Notes.
- The system will ask for a password, fingerprint, or pattern lock (if you have previously set them).
- Once you log in, you'll see all the hidden records. To get them back to the main list, click on the note → Remove from the hidden ones.
If the item Hidden notes is not in the menu, it means:
- 📌 Your version. MIUI outdated (update the firmware through Settings) → The phone. → Updating the system).
- 🔓 Hiding feature disabled in privacy settings (see next section).
- 🚫 Notes app reset to factory settings (try the way with backup).
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If you forget your password from hidden notes, try resetting it through Settings → Passwords & Security → Application Password.This method only works if the password was set through MIUI system tools, not through third-party apps.
Method 2: Recovery through MIUI backup
If hidden notes are missing after a reset or update, they can be returned from a backup. Xiaomi automatically creates backup notes in two places:
- Local folder: /MIUI/Notes/backup (available through any file manager, such as Files by Google).
- Mi Cloud: If sync is enabled (Settings → Mi → Mi Cloud → Notes).
To recover notes from the local backup:
☑️ Recovery from backup
For recovery from Mi Cloud:
- Open the Settings. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
- Make sure you are logged in to the same account to which the notes were linked.
- Turn on Note Synchronization (the slider must be active).
- Open the Notes app and wait until the sync is complete (it can take up to 5 minutes).
What to do if the backup is damaged?
Method 3: Using ADB to access hidden data
If the standard methods didn’t work, you can try extracting notes through Android Debug Bridge (ADB). This is a way for advanced users to connect the phone to a computer.-root-Devices with enabled debugging USB.
Step-by-step:
- Turn on Developer Mode on Phone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (Tap 7 times)
- Activate USB Debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
- Connect your phone to your PC and confirm your trust in your computer.
- Download ADB Tools and open the command line in the folder with adb.exe.
- Execute commands in order: adb shell su cd /data/data/com.miui.notes/shared_prefs cat miui_notes_config.xml | grep "hidden_notes" If the conclusion contains lines such as hidden_notes="True" means notes are hidden at the system level.
- To export all notes (including hidden ones), use: adb pull /data/data/com.miui.notes/databases/notes.db Notes.db file can be opened via SQLite Browser on PC.
⚠️ Attention: Use ADB It can damage the integrity of the data if the commands are entered incorrectly. /data/data/com.miui.notes/ No backup. For Xiaomi models 13/14 s MIUI 14 Additional rights confirmation may be required via the Mi Unlock Tool.
Method 4: Unblock notes through Mi Account (if you changed your account)
If you have changed your Mi Account or logged in to a different profile, hidden notes can be linked to your old account, in which case they can be returned in two ways:
| Method | Conditions | Instructions |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance to an old account | Remember the username/password from the previous Mi Account | Go to Settings → Mi Account. Click on avatar → Exit. Log in under an old account. Open Notes → Hidden Notes. |
| Data portability | You have access to your old and new account. | Sign in to your old account. Export notes through Settings → Export (.zip file). Sign in to a new account. Import the file through Settings → Import. |
| Appeal of support | You don’t remember your old account details. | Write in support of Xiaomi with the IMEI phone and proof of account ownership (checks, screenshots). |
⚠️ Note: If you deleted your old Mi Account less than 30 days ago, it can be restored through a recovery form.After 30 days, the data is permanently deleted from Xiaomi servers, including hidden notes.
Method 5: Recovery through third-party apps (if notes are deleted)
If the hidden notes were deleted (not just hidden), standard methods won't help, and you can try data recovery software like:
- 🔍 DiskDigger scans internal memory for deleted notes.db database files.
- 📱 EaseUS MobiSaver – specializes in recovery of notes and messages.
- 💾 Recuva (for PC) – if notes have been saved on SD-map.
Algorithm of action:
- Install one of the apps (like DiskDigger) from Google Play.
- Start a deep scan (can take 10 to 30 minutes).
- In the results, look for files with the.db or.backup extension associated with com.miui.notes.
- Export the files found and open them through SQLite Browser.
💡 Tip: The less you use your phone after deleting notes, the better the chances of recovery. Avoid installing new apps or writing files, which can overwrite deleted data.
Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
When dealing with hidden notes, users often make mistakes that make recovery difficult, and the most common ones are:
- 🔄 Resetting settings without backup – always export notes through Settings before resetting → Exports.
- 🔑 Forgotten password – If you have hidden your notes with a password, write it down in a secure place (for example, in Google Keep).
- ☁️ Disabled sync – check if the Mi Cloud option is enabled → Notes.
- 📲 Use of third-party launchers – some shells (like Nova Launcher) may hide system applications, including Notes.
If you plan to sell or transfer a phone, be sure to delete all hidden notes through the app menu.Simply resetting settings is not enough - data can remain in the device's memory.
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The most reliable protection for notes is a combination of hiding through password + backup to the cloud, and even if the phone is reset, you can recover data through Mi Cloud.