Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices often face the need to save their data before flashing, resetting or switching to a new gadget. Losing photos, correspondence and app settings can be an unpleasant surprise if you do not take care of backup. Modern shells MIUI and HyperOS offer built-in tools that allow you to make a full clone of the system without using third-party programs.
The backup process takes a little time, but saves you a lot of problems in the future: you can use cloud storage, your phone's local memory, or your computer to save important files. It's important to understand the difference between synchronizing contacts and a full app backup to choose the best method for your situation.
In this article, we will take a look at all the ways to save data on Xiaomi smartphones, learn about the nuances of the built-in backup, the features of the Mi Cloud and the methods of manual copying via PC. Proper preparation ensures that after resetting or buying a new device, you will restore the familiar environment in minutes.
Local backup through settings
The most reliable and quickest way to keep your system state is to use the built-in local backup feature, which creates an exact copy of installed applications, their data, system settings and multimedia. To get started, go to the settings menu and find the About Phone section, where you will need to click on the MIUI or HyperOS version several times to activate additional features if they are hidden.
Once you activate the additional options, the path to the menu will look like: Settings → Advanced Settings → Backup and Restore. Here you will see the “Create Backup” button. The system will tell you whether you want to save system data, application settings or the applications themselves. The local backup does not include the contents of the gallery and files in the download folders by default, they need to be copied separately.
The process of creating an archive can take from 10 to 40 minutes depending on the amount of data and the speed of memory recording. During the screen, a warning may appear that you should not interrupt the process. Once completed, the file with the.bak extension will be saved to the hidden folder MIUI/backup/AllBackup on the internal drive.
☑️ Preparation for local backup
It’s worth noting that recovering data from a local backup on a new device often requires root rights or specific actions through the backup if the firmware versions are very different, but to reset the current phone, this method is the gold standard of security.
Using Mi Cloud for synchronization
Xiaomi’s cloud service provides a convenient way to store contacts, messages, notes and photos. Mi Account is integrated deep into the system, allowing you to configure automatic synchronization of selected data categories. To activate, go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud and turn on the desired switches.
The main advantage of the cloud method is that data is stored on remote servers and does not take up space on the phone. In the event of loss or theft of the device, you can restore contacts and calendar immediately after logging in to an account on any other Xiaomi smartphone. Free user is provided with 5 GB of space, which is enough for text information, but not enough for photos and videos.
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Use the “Gallery Cleanup” feature in Mi Cloud to remove photos from your device that are already uploaded to the cloud, freeing up space.
It is important to distinguish between synchronization and full backup. Mi Cloud does not save Wi-Fi passwords, alarm settings or game progress unless the developer has provided cloud storage.
⚠️ Warning: When you reset your settings to factory settings without first leaving your Mi Account, Action Lock may work. Make sure you remember your account password or untie your device before selling.
For advanced functionality, you can purchase a subscription that will increase storage to 50 GB or 200 GB. This makes sense if you are actively using the Xiaomi ecosystem and want to have an up-to-date copy of contacts and notes in real time.
Save photos and videos via Google Photos
Media files take up the lion’s share of smartphone memory, and losing them is the most painful. Google Photos is a standard solution for Android users, including Xiaomi devices. The app allows you to automatically upload all new images to the Google cloud immediately after creation.
To activate this feature, open the Google Photos app, click on your profile avatar and select Photo Stream Settings → Autoload. You can choose the download quality: High quality (compressed photos, do not rank in the quota) or Source quality (takes up space in Google Drive). For most users, the first option is optimal.
The advantage of using the Google ecosystem is that you're independent of the phone manufacturer, so if you choose to switch from Xiaomi to Samsung or iPhone, your photos will remain accessible, and the built-in image search allows you to find photos by subject, person or location.
And remember to check the sync status periodically, sometimes when you change your password or update your apps, you might stop downloading, and you'll always see a cloud icon in the status bar that indicates the sync process.
Backup to your computer via USB
Creating a physical copy of data on a computer is the most reliable method, independent of Internet speed and the volume of cloud storage. USB-cable and computer running Windows, macOS or Linux. Connect your smartphone to your PC and select the menu on your phone screen mode (MTP).
Once connected, the phone will appear in My Computer as a removable disk, you need to manually copy important folders: the main directories that require saving: DCIM (camera photos and videos), Pictures (screenshots and images from instant messengers), Download (downloads), and MIUI/backup (if you made a local backup system).
For advanced users, there is a possibility to use the protocol. ADB (Android Debug Bridge: This method allows you to make full backups of applications and their data even without root rights, although the functionality is limited compared to the previous one. TWRP. To enable debugging go to Settings → About the phone and 7 times click on the build number, then in Advanced Settings → For developers, include “Debugging by” USB».
| Method | Speed. | Reliability | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local backup | Tall. | Medium | Low. |
| Mi Cloud | Depends on the network. | Tall. | Low. |
| USB Copying | Very high. | Very high. | Medium |
| Google Photo | Medium | Tall. | Low. |
Copying through USB-3.0 and higher cables provide maximum speed for transferring large amounts of data, and it is recommended to use the original cable that came with the device to avoid connection breaks and damage to the file system.
Third-party backup applications
Xiaomi’s built-in tools are functional, but sometimes more flexible tools are needed. The Titanium Backup app (requires Root) or Swift Backup lets you save your application data, calls, and SMS in a user-friendly format. These snails are indispensable for enthusiasts who often experiment with firmware.
For users without root-