How to view all SMS on Xiaomi: hidden, archived and deleted messages

Introduction: Why the standard Messages app doesn’t show all SMS

Have you ever faced a situation where the important SMS-Did you notice that the message suddenly disappears from the correspondence on Xiaomi? Or did you notice that the Messages app does not display all the dialogues? MIUI — branded shell of smartphones Redmi, POCO By default, the system hides some messages, archives old correspondence and can even automatically delete SMS In addition, some messages (such as from banks or services) end up in a separate Spam folder, which users often overlook.

In this article, we’ll break down all the ways Xiaomi can view SMS, from standard to hidden. You’ll learn how to find archived messages, recover deleted SMS, access system logs, and even extract data from backups. The instructions are relevant for MIUI 14/15 and all modern models, from the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

Before you get into practice, remember: Xiaomi stores SMS not only in the Messages app, but also in system files (/data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db) and in the Mi Cloud – if sync is enabled, which means that even “deleted” messages can often be restored.

Method 1: Standard Messages app – where to look for hidden folders

Start with the obvious, the built-in Messages app, and many users don't realize that there are hidden sections where MIUI automatically sorts part of the SMS.

• 📁 Spam folder: messages from unknown numbers, promotional mailings and SMS To open it, tap three dots in the upper right corner. → «spamming».
• 🗃️ Archival communications: MIUI It can archive old dialogues (over 6 months old) and find the Archive section in the same three-dot menu.
• 🔍 Keyword Search: There is a search bar at the top of the screen – type in a phone number, contact name or phrase from a post.
• 📊 Filter by type: in some versions MIUI filterable SMS By category (banking, notifications, promotions) This option is hidden in the Settings of the app.

If you use Google Messages instead of the standard app, check the Archive and Spam section there. Also look at Settings → Additional → Message Archive – here you can turn on or off automatic archiving.

⚠️ Attention: B MIUI 14+ Spam folder can be hidden if you have never received spam-SMS. To activate it, send a test message to your number from another phone (such as “Test”) and mark it as spam.

Method 2: Viewing SMS through system files (without root)

If messages are not displayed in the application, but you are sure that they were not deleted, they can be found in the system database. You do not need to get root rights for this - just use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) or a file manager with access to hidden folders.

Instructions for viewing through ADB:

1. Turn on USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (tap 7 times according to version, then return to “Additional” → “For developers”).
2. Connect the phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell su cd /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/sqlite3 mmssms.db.tables SELECT * FROM sms;
3. If the su command is not working, use the alternative path: adb pull /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db Then open the file via SQLite Browser on your PC.

For users without a PC, the MiXplorer file manager (download APK from the official website) will do.

/data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db

⚠️ Note: The mmssms.db file can be protected on new versions MIUI. If you get a “Permission denied” error, try using Magisk to temporarily obtain root rights or refer to the backup method (Section 4).

USB debugging enabled

Installed ADB drivers on PC

Download MiXplorer or SQLite Browser

Backup of important data is made-->

Method 3: Recover deleted SMS via backups

If messages have been deleted but backups are enabled on the phone, they can be restored. Xiaomi offers two types of backups:

1. Local backup (save in the phone memory or on the phone) SD-map).
2. Mi Cloud (synchronizes SMS if the function is activated)

Recovery from local backup:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup.
2. Select the last copy where the SMS was used (check the date of creation).
3. Click Restore and select only Messages (so as not to overwrite other data).

Recovery from Mi Cloud:

1. Open Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization.
2. Make sure the Messages switch is on.
3. Click Sync – If messages were in the cloud, they will appear in the app.

If there are no local copies, but you once synced your phone with a Google Account, try recovering SMS via Google Messages for Web. log in with the same account that was linked to the phone.

Method 4: Using third-party apps to view SMS

If standard methods don't work, third-party tools will come to the rescue, allowing you not only to view messages, but also to export them to convenient formats (CSV, TXT, PDF). Here's the top.-3 tested applications:

• 📱 SMS Backup & Restore (free, no ads): Creates backups SMS It can be viewed by date, by contact, by keyword, by the cloud, by memory card. SMS into XML/CSV PC-analysis.
• 🔍 SMS Organizer (from Microsoft): Automatically sort SMS It has a built-in search with filters by date and sender, supports dark theme and backup.
• 🛠️ Droid Explorer (for PC): Allows you to view SMS directly from the phone USB. It works without root, but requires enabled debugging. USB. Shows hidden system messages (e.g. from an operator).

Before installing any application, check its permissions. Legitimate SMS programs will only ask for:

Reading SMS

Sending SMS

Access to the storage facility

⚠️ Warning: Avoid applications that require access to Contacts, Call Log or Locations without giving a reason.

💡

If you frequently use SMS (for example, for business), set up automatic export of messages to Google Sheets via IFTTT or Zapier.

Method 5: Viewing SMS through the system’s engineering menu and logs

Xiaomi has a hidden engineering menu that stores logs of system events, including sending/receiving SMS. This method is suitable for advanced users and allows you to see even those messages that did not appear in the standard application.

Instructions for accessing logs:

1. Open the phone and enter the code ##4636## (some models may require #8437###).
2. Select "Logs" or "Usage Statistics".
3. Find the SMS Logs or Telephony section, where you will see recent events related to messages.

An alternative way to use Logcat is through ADB:

adb logcat | grep "SMS"

This team will take all the records SMS-To save logs to a file, add a log:

adb logcat -d > sms_logs.txt

Note that logs only store metadata (number, time, delivery status), not text messages. For the full content of SMS, use the methods from the previous sections.

💡

The system's engineering menus and logs show not the SMS itself, but the events of its processing, which is useful for diagnosing problems (e.g., if messages fail to reach), but not for text recovery.

Method 6: Removing SMS from physical memory (for power users)

If messages are critical (e.g. for court or account retrieval) and standard methods don’t work, you can try extracting them directly from your phone’s memory, which requires root rights or specialized hardware (e.g., UFi Box for eMMC/UFS chips).

Step-by-step instructions for users with root:

1. Install Root Explorer or FX File Explorer.
2. Go to /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/.
3. Copy the files mmsms.db and mmssms.db-wal on your PC.
4. Open them via SQLite Database Browser or DB Browser for SQLite.
5. Please complete the request: SELECT * FROM sms ORDER BY Date DESC; to receive all messages sorted by date.

For phones without root, you will need to use hardware methods:

• 🔧 JTAG: Connecting to test contacts on the board for direct memory access.
• 💾 Chip-Off: Retrieving memory chips and reading through a programmer.
• 📡 ISP: Connecting to eMMC contacts without chip dismantling.

These methods require special skills and equipment. If you are not confident in your abilities, contact a service center with the function of data recovery. The average cost of retrieving SMS in Russia is from 3,000 to 10,000 rubles, depending on the model of the phone.

Frequent problems and solutions

When using SMS on Xiaomi, users experience common errors, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

If none of the methods worked, check:

• 📵 Does the operator not block the SMS (For example, with a negative balance).
• 📲 Are there third-party applications installed to block messages (for example, Truecaller).
• 🔄 Have you reset your phone to the factory (in this case) SMS squander).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions