How to make a backup on Xiaomi Android-smartphone: all the ways of 2026

Why you need a backup on Xiaomi and what happens if you ignore it

Imagine if you drop your phone in water, it stops turning on, and you have pictures of the last five years, working correspondence, and saving from games, and it's almost impossible to recover that data without a backup. Xiaomi backup is not just a recommendation, it's an insurance policy against losing critical information. MIUI There are several backup tools, but most users don’t use them until the first crash.

Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi models, POCO And Black Shark stores data in three main areas: internal memory, Mi Account, and cloud services. If you reset to factory settings or replace a device without a backup, you lose your data:

• 📱 Contacts and messages (if not synchronized with the Google/Mi Cloud)
• 📸 Photos and videos in the gallery (except those uploaded to Google Photos)
• 🎮 Save games and customize applications
• 📝 Notes, calendars and tasks from standard applications
• 🔑 Wi-Fi passwords and connected device data (e.g. Mi Band)

In this article, we will analyze all the current ways of backup for Xiaomi in the 2026 year, including hidden functions MIUI 14/15, Bypassing the limitations of older devices and the nuances of root rights, and let's start with the simplest one: embedded tools.

Method 1: Local backup via Settings (without cloud)

The most reliable method is to back up your phone or your memory card, and it works even without the Internet and doesn't depend on cloud services. MIUI 12-15 (including HyperOS for new models).

To make a local backup:

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Click Create a backup and select the data to save (all items are marked by default).
3. Indicate the storage location: internal memory or SD-card (if supported).
4. Confirm the action and wait until it is completed (may take 5–30 minutes depending on the amount of data).

The finished backup will be saved in the folder MIUI/backup/AllBackup It can be copied to a PC or other phone, and it's important that this file is encrypted and can only be recovered on Xiaomi devices with the same Mi Account.

Battery charge > 50%|Free space on the phone/SD-map|Memory Optimizers (such as Greenify) are disabled)|Background applications closed-->

⚠️ Attention: If you are using MIUI 14+ on HyperOS devices (e.g. Xiaomi 14 or Redmi Note 13 Pro)+), The path to the backup has changed: Settings → Memory. → Backup → Local copy. The old manual won't work!

Method 2: Cloud backup via Mi Cloud (synchronization with your account)

Mi Cloud is a cloud storage from Xiaomi that automatically syncs some of the data, and the advantage of the method is that the backup is available from any device after you sign in to your account, disadvantages: limited volume (5 GB for free), and not all the data is saved.

To enable cloud synchronization:

• 🔄 Go to Settings. → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud.
• 📱 Turn on the switches opposite the desired categories: Contacts, Notes, SMS, Gallery (optional).
• ☁️ Press Sync and wait until completion (may take a few minutes).

Mi Cloud does not save installed applications and their settings (for example, progress in games), this requires a local backup or third-party utilities. Also note that when you change the region of your Mi Account (for example, from China to the global one), access to the cloud may be temporarily blocked.

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If you have Xiaomi with global firmware, but you are registered in the Chinese region of Mi Account, some features of Mi Cloud (for example, backup gallery) may not work. Solution: create a new account in the region of Russia or Global.

Method 3: Backup through Google Account (for contacts, apps, and settings)

Google offers its own backup system, which works on all Android devices, including Xiaomi, which covers basic data but does not replace a full backup.

To set up reservations through Google:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Google → Backup.
• 🔄 Enable the option of backup in Google Drive.
• ☁️ Click Create a copy now for immediate saving.

The Google backup will include:

• 📇 Contacts (if synchronized)
• 📅 Calendar data
• 📱 List of installed applications (but not their data!)
• 🔑 Wi-Fi settings and desktop wallpaper
• 📝 Some system settings (e.g. language and date/time)

⚠️ Note: Google does not retain SMS, Call log and application files (e.g. game saves) require an additional backup via Mi Cloud or locally, and note that free Google Drive storage is limited to 15GB per account.

Method 4: Manual backup of important data (photos, contacts, SMS)

If you only need to save specific data (such as photos or correspondence), you can do without a full backup, which is suitable for users who have little space on their phone or no access to cloud services.

Photo and video:

• 📸 Connect your phone to your PC through USB (Select the File Transfer Mode).
• 🖥️ Copy the folders. DCIM and Pictures on the computer.
• ☁️ Alternative: upload files to Google Photos (unlimited storage for compressed photos) or Yandex.Disk.

Contact:

• 📇 Export it to the file VCF: Open your contacts. → ⋮ → Contact management → Exports/imports → Exports to the vault.
• 📧 Send the received contact.vcf file to the mail or save to the cloud.

3. SMS call-book:

This will require a third-party application, for example, SMS Backup & Restore:

• 📲 Install the app from Google Play.
• 🔄 Press Backup and select what to save (SMS, MMS, call-in).
• ☁️ Save the file to Google Drive or send it to the mail.

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Manual backup is the most universal method, as it does not depend on the version. MIUI However, it takes longer and does not store system settings or application data.

Method 5: Full root-rights backup (for advanced users)

If your Xiaomi has an unlocked bootloader and root rights, you can make a full copy of all the parts of the phone, including the system files. This is the only way to save absolutely everything, including the camera module settings or the data of the protected applications.

This will require:

• 🔓 Unlocked bootloader (instructions for Xiaomi: official website).
• 🛠️ Established recovery TWRP (for your phone model).
• 📱 Titanium Backup (for backup applications) or adb backup command.

Instructions for TWRP:

1. Load your phone to recovery mode (usually power) + Loudness up).
2. Select Backup and select the sections: Boot, System, Data, EFS (for IMEI).
3. Click Swipe to Backup and wait until it is completed.
4. Copy the resulting folder TWRP/BACKUPS PC-only.

⚠️ Attention: Full backup through TWRP It can take up to 1-2 hours and requires at least 10-15 GB of free space on the memory card. Do not interrupt the process - this can lead to data corruption or a "brick" of the phone!

For root-rights backup, use Titanium Backup:

1. Open the application and provide root access.
2. Click Backup/Restore.
3. Select applications and click Save.
4. Backup files will be in the folder. /sdcard/TitaniumBackup.

Method 6: Backup before firmware or reset to factory settings

If you plan to upgrade your firmware or make a hard reset, a standard backup may not be enough. In these cases, it is recommended to combine several methods.

Checklist before firmware:

Make a local backup through MIUI|Synchronize data with Mi Cloud|Copy folders. DCIM Download on PC|Write it down. IMEI (in case of loss of network)|Check the battery charge (>70%)-->

Pay particular attention to:

• 📡 IMEI: If the network disappears after firmware, you will need to restore it through EFS (guide).
• 🔑 Wi-Fi Passwords: Export them via Mi Cloud or WiFi Password Viewer (requires root).
• 🎮 Save Games: Use built-in game features (e.g., linking to a Google Play or Facebook account).

If you are using your phone via Fastboot or MI Flash Tool, all data will be erased without recovery. MIUI It doesn’t help, you need a full damp through. TWRP or manually copying files.

If after firmware the phone stopped catching the network, check IMEI In Settings → The phone. → General information → Status IMEI. If there is Null or wrong numbers:

1. Make sure you have a backup copy of the folder. /efs (through TWRP).

2. Restore it through recovery.

3. If there is no backup, use the engineering menu (#4636##) or the ChimeraTool utility (paid).

⚠️ Recovery IMEI On some models (for example, Redmi Note 10 Pro) you need to log in to your Mi Account.

Frequent Backup Mistakes on Xiaomi and How to Avoid Them

Even experienced users have problems with backups, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:

If you use Xiaomi with HyperOS (e.g. Xiaomi 14 or Redmi) K70), note that:

• 🔄 Local backup is now created in.hbk format (instead of.mbk).
• ☁️ Mi Cloud in HyperOS supports backup of applications and their data (previously this was impossible).
• 📱 To restore the backup on the new device, you need the same Mi Account and a version of HyperOS not lower than the one on which the backup was made.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions About Backup on Xiaomi