Xiaomi’s modern smartphones hold a huge amount of personal information, from work documents to thousands of family photos. Losing a device or suddenly failing it can be a disaster if you don’t take care of data security in advance, which is why the question of how to make a copy of a Xiaomi phone on a computer is one of the most important for every owner of this brand’s equipment.
There are several proven ways to save information, each with its own features and advantages: you can use cloud services, built-in backup features or specialized software for the PC, the choice of the specific method depends on how much data you need to save and how quickly you plan to restore it in the future.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all the current methods of creating a backup, including working with Mi PC Suite and advanced tools for power users. We will look at the nuances of saving not only multimedia, but also system settings, Wi-Fi passwords and application layouts.
Preparation of a smartphone and a workplace
Before you start the copying process, you need to perform a number of preparatory steps, which will avoid connection errors and ensure the integrity of the files transferred, make sure that your computer has enough free space on the hard drive, as a full copy of the system can take up tens of gigabytes.
First, check the battery power of your gadget. It is desirable that the charge level is at least 50-60%. Active data transmission can consume energy, and suddenly turning off the device in the middle of the procedure is highly undesirable. USB-cable, preferably original, which came with the.
⚠️ Note: Using cheap charging-only cables can lead to an unstable connection, in which case the computer will see the phone as a power source, but will not be able to access the file system to copy the data. USB, If you plan to use advanced reservation methods. → About the phone and seven times quickly click on the build number MIUI After the notification “You became a developer” appears, go back to the menu and select Additional → For developers. ☑️ Ready to back up Battery charge more 50%Original. USB-Free space on the debugging Circuit included (optional: 0 / 4 Use of official Mi software PC The official tool from the manufacturer is the Mi program. PC Suite. However, it is worth noting that the global version of this software has not been updated for a long time and may not work correctly with new models of smartphones. The Chinese version is more functional, but requires knowledge of the language or use an interface translator. To start, download the installation file from the official site or a trusted source. After installing, run the program and connect the smartphone with a cable. On the phone screen, a request for permission to access data will appear - be sure to confirm it by selecting the item "File Transfer" or "MTP." In the program interface, you will see the main sections of management: "Backup", "Usell, file types, file, file, and ask us for the first request for data storage. 📱 Contacts and Messages: Save to a special format that is easy to restore on any Xiaomi device via the same menu. 📷 Photos and videos: Copy into standard folders on your hard drive, making them available for viewing without special software. ⚙️ System settings: Include desktop icons, Wi-Fi passwords, and some personalization options. 💡If Mi PC Suite doesn’t see your new phone, try manually installing drivers ADB or use alternative methods described below, as support for older versions of the software is limited (MTP) The easiest and most versatile way to do this without having to install any additional software is to run in storage mode. Windows recognizes your smartphone as an external flash card, allowing you to directly copy files. Connect the phone to the PC and in the menu that appears on the smartphone screen, select the mode "File Transfer (MTP)". Open "My Computer" on Windows, find your device in the disk list. Inside you're interested in two main areas: internal memory and, if you have one, internal memory, SD-To fully save multimedia data, copy the following folders: Folder Content Importance DCIM Photos and video from the camera Critical MIUI Recorder, screenshots, themes High Pictures Images from messengers Average Download Uploaded files from the browser Depends on the user Just drag these folders anywhere on your computer. This method is good for its simplicity, but it has a significant disadvantage: It doesn't save application structure, system settings, passwords, or game progress. Modern versions of Android hide some system folders from direct access when connecting via USB. To see everything, you may need to turn on the display of hidden files in Windows Explorer or use superuser rights. To create a full copy through ADB (for advanced) For users who need full control and creation of an image of the system, including installed applications and their data, Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is an indispensable tool for managing the device at a deep level. The adb backup command allows you to create a single backup file of all the content of the phone without the correcting tools on the Android platform (Placd) Make sure that the phone is on debugging. USB, Enter the following command to check the connection: adb devices If a device with a serial number appears on the list, the connection is established. Now you can start the redundancy process. -apk -shared -all -system -f backup.ab After you enter a command on your smartphone screen, you will be asked to create a backup copy. You will need to enter the password for encryption (or leave the field blank) and click on the "Create a backup" button. The process can take a long time, depending on the amount of data. 🔒 -apk: Save application installation files. 💾 -shared: Copy the contents of internal memory (photos, documents). 💡Method ADB It is the most complete way to create a backup without superuser rights, allowing you to restore the state of the system one-to-one, including logins in applications. Alternative programs and cloud services If standard methods seem difficult or do not work, third-party solutions come to the rescue. There are a lot of programs, like Mi Mover (although it's more commonly used to upgrade to a new phone, it can create backups), Syncios, AnyDroid, which are user-friendly and often support selective data recovery, and cloud services. Google Photos is great at saving media files in original or compressed quality. Mi Cloud allows you to synchronize contacts, notes, voice recorder and the location of desktop icons. → Mi Account. → Mi Cloud. But cloud-based methods have a limit on the amount of free storage that's available. 5-15 GB, which may not be enough to make a full copy of the system. + Cloud for important documents is the most reliable strategy. 📊 What is the most common way to backup? manually copy folders (MTP)Mi PC SuiteADB and console commands Cloud services only (Google/Mi The recovery process depends on the method chosen. If you copied files manually, just return them to the same folders in the phone's internal memory. PC suite ADB You need to do the reverse: select a backup file and click "Restore." A common problem is the error "failed to create a backup" in the standard menu Xiaomi. This can be due to lack of space, blocking by antivirus on your PC or a damaged cable. USB-port, preferably located on the back panel of the system unit (direct to the motherboard). ⚠️ Note: When recovering data from a full copy (ADB or Mi Suite on a phone with a different version of Android or MIUI Some applications may not work properly or crash. You should update the system first and then restore the data. If your computer can't see the phone at all, check Windows Device Manager. If there's a device with a yellow exclamation point, you should update the drivers. It often helps to install universal Google drivers USB Driver or specific drivers Qualcomm/MediaTek Depending on your smartphone's processor, can you recover data if the phone is broken and not turned on? Unfortunately, if the phone doesn't turn on and respond to commands, it's not software-based to extract data directly from the memory chip without special hardware. However, if you've previously enabled sync with a Google Account or Mi Cloud, your contacts and photos can be stored there. Check these services through your browser on your computer. Where is the backup file created through the standard menu stored? By default, the local copy created through the phone's settings (without PC binding) is saved along the way MIUI → backup → AllBackup is in internal memory. To avoid losing this data when you flash it, copy the entire AllBackup folder to your computer. Does it take a long time to back up? Process time is directly dependent on the amount of data and the speed of the process. USB-Copy 50 GB of data through port USB 2.0 can take more than an hour. USB 3.0 and above, the process will be much faster. It is recommended to start the procedure when you do not need a phone for a short time.