How to transfer notes from Xiaomi phone to your computer USB: 5 Proven Methods

Transfer notes from Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO computer USB-cable seems like a simple task, but in practice, users face a lot of nuances: from the lack of access to the folder with notes to connection errors. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to copy notes (including handwritten and textual), explain why the standard method of copying notes is used in the form of a new method of communication. MIUI/Notes It doesn’t always work, and we’ll show you the way around the models. MIUI 14/15.

Notes are stored in a closed format.xnb (for handwritten) or in the database notes.db. This means that simply copying files through a Explorer is not enough: you will need to convert or synchronize. We will consider options for users who have never synced notes with Mi Account, and for those who want to keep the structure of folders and tags.

Important: if you use notes with encryption (the function is available in the MIUI 15), transfer through USB will require a preliminary decryption - read about this in the section about export through the application.

Why? USB, Not the cloud or Bluetooth?

With the popularity of cloud services (Mi Cloud, Google Drive) USB It remains relevant for three reasons:

• 🔒 Privacy: Notes are not transmitted over the Internet, which is critical for work or personal records with sensitive information.
• 📦 Data volume: if you have hundreds of notes with attachments (photo, PDF), synchronization through the cloud will take hours. USB can do it in minutes.
• 🔄 No dependency on services: no need to log in to Mi Account or set up a Google Account, cable is enough.

Besides, USB-Connectivity allows you to work with notes offline, which is an important plus for regions with unstable Internet:

If you prefer the cloud method, there is a section at the end of the article with alternatives, including exporting through Google Keep and Mi Cloud.

Preparation of telephone and computer

Before connecting, make sure both devices are ready to transmit data.

Turn off battery optimization for the Notes app

Enable Developer Mode (if you need access to hidden folders)

Update. MIUI Up to the latest version (corrects bugs from the MTP)

Make sure that USB-The cable supports data transfer (not just charging)

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On the computer:

• 🖥️ Install Xiaomi drivers (download from the official website or via Mi) PC Suite).
• 🔌 Use the back. USB-port (on laptops it is often faster than the front).
• 🛡️ Temporarily disable the antivirus (it can block access to the system files of the phone).

Critical: If you’re connecting Xiaomi to your PC for the first time, select from the menu USB-Connection mode File transfer (MTP). On some firmware, this item is hidden - then you need to:

1. Connect the cable.
2. Swipe down the notification panel.
3. To notify the charger through USB.
4. Select File Transfer (if there is no such item, see spoiler below).

⚠️ Attention: On models POCO F5 Redmi Note 12c MIUI 15 when you first connect to the PC, a request to unlock may appear OEM Unlock (even if you don't plan to unlock the bootloader). This is a firmware bug - just click "Cancel", it won't affect file transfers.

Method 1: Copying through a folder MIUI/Notes (note-note)

This method is suitable for ordinary text notes created in the standard Notes app (com.miui.notes). Hand notes (.xnb) cannot be copied in this way - use Method 2 for them.

Instructions:

1. Connect your phone to your PC in MTP mode.
2. Open Windows Explorer (Win) + E) and go to this computer → [The name of your Xiaomi] → Internal storage.
3. Walk along the way: MIUI → Notes → Backup Notes are stored here in.json format.
4. Copy all files from the backup folder to your computer.

To open copied notes on the PC:

• 📄 Use a text editor (Notepad)++, VS Code) for viewing.json files.
• 🔄 For convenience, convert them to.txt through online services like JSON-CSV.
• 📱 Install the emulator. MIUI (for example, MIUI Emulator) for viewing notes in original format.

⚠️ Attention: In the folder MIUI/Notes There may be no notes created in the past. 24 One hour, the system backs up late, and to force you to save your current data, open the Notes app, swipe left to open the side menu, and select Settings. → Backup → Create a backup copy.

💡

If the folder MIUI not displayed in Explorer, enable the display of hidden files: in Windows 10/11 Go to the tab "View" and tick "Hidden elements".

Method 2: Export of handwritten notes (.xnb) through ADB

Handwritten notes in Xiaomi are stored in a proprietary.xnb format that is not readable by standard PC programs.

1. Install ADB-Drivers and enable debugging by USB phone-on.
2. Copy.xnb files with commands ADB pull.
3. Convert them to.png or.pdf through specialized tools.

Step-by-step:

Step 1. Enable debugging over USB:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone. → Version. MIUI and tap 7 times on this item to activate Developer Mode.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
3. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission on the smartphone screen.

Step 2. Copy the.xnb files:

1. Download ADB Tools and unpack the archive.
2. Open the command prompt (Win + R → cmd) and go to the folder with ADB:
3. Follow the command to copy notes:

Step 3: Convert.xnb to readable format:

• 🖼️ Use the program to view handwritten notes XNB Viewer (available on GitHub).
• 📑 For conversion into PDF Use the XNBtoPDF service.
• 🔧 If notes do not open, check file integrity through adb shell ls. -l /data/data/com.miui.notes/files/Notes/.

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.xnb files contain not only an image of the note, but also metadata (date of creation, tags). PDF This data is lost – save the original files for the archive.

Method 3: Using Mi PC Suite (official method)

Mi PC Suite is Xiaomi’s official software for managing your phone from a computer, and allows you to export notes to.txt or.html, but has limitations:

• ✅ Supports all models Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO.
• ✅ Keeps the structure of folders and tags.
• ❌ Does not work with handwritten notes (.xnb).
• ❌ Requires authorization in Mi Account.

Instructions:

1. Download Mi PC Suite from the official website and install it.
2. Connect your phone to your PC through USB (regime MTP).
3. In the program go to the Data Management section → Notes.
4. Select the necessary notes and click Export (formats available) TXT, HTML, XML).

Important: Mi PC Suite does not support export of notes with encryption (the function "Secure notes" in the MIUI To move them, first remove the protection in the application on the phone.

⚠️ Note: If you are connected to the Mi PC Suite gives you an error "Device not supported", update your phone's firmware to the latest version or use Method 4 (via backup).

Method 4: Backup notes to a local file

This method is universal and works even on devices with a corrupted file system, so the idea is to back up notes in.backup format and then extract the data on a PC.

Instructions:

1. Open the Notes app on your phone.
2. Slip on the profile avatar (or three stripes in the upper left corner) → Settings → Backup.
3. Select Local Backup and wait for the file to be created (usually takes 1-2 minutes).
4. The file will be saved along the way: /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/backup/Notes/ Copy it onto a computer.
5. Use the program to extract data MIUI Backup Extractor (downloaded) XDA Developers).

Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 Keeps all notes, including deleted ones (unless they were cleared from the basket).
• 📁 Supports export of tags and categories.
• 🛡️ It works without Internet and authorization.

Disadvantages:

• ⚠️ A backup copy can weigh several gigabytes if there are many attachments in the notes.
• ⏳ PC recovery takes longer than direct export.

Addressing common mistakes

When translating notes through USB And we've put together solutions for the most common cases:

If none of the methods worked, check:

• 🔌 Cable: Try another one USB-cable (preferably original from Xiaomi).
• 📱 Firmware: on custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience) standard folders MIUI may be absent.
• 🔒 Access rights: Some devices require root to access /data/data/com.miui.notes/.

Alternative methods of transferring notes

If USB-Connection is not available for some reason, consider these options:

• ☁️ Mi Cloud: Open Notes → Settings → Sync. Enable sync with Mi Account. On PC, go to i.mi.com and download notes in the file. PDF or TXT. Restriction: Only 5GB of cloud storage is available for free.
• 📤 Google Drive/Keep: Export notes from Mi Notes to Google Keep via the Share menu. On PC, open keep.google.com and download the archive. Plus: automatically converts.xnb to images.
• 📶 Local area network (FTP): Put it on the phone. FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer. Activate FTP-server in the application. Connect to it from the PC via \\IP-conductor.

Minus.

For users who often work with notes on different devices, we recommend that you set up automatic sync via Mi Cloud or Google Drive, which will eliminate the need for manual transfer in the future.

Frequent questions