Owning a modern Xiaomi or Redmi smartphone involves storing a huge array of personal information, from photos and videos to working documents and system settings. Accidental reset, device failure or theft can lead to the irretrievable loss of this data if you do not take care of their safety in advance, which is why creating a reliable backup is one of the first things to consider after buying a new gadget.
The MIUI ecosystem and the new HyperOS shell offer users several built-in synchronization and backup tools without requiring third-party software. However, many device owners are unaware of the existence of local backup to internal memory or the possibility of creating a complete system image through a computer. In this article, we will discuss all the available methods so that you can choose the most suitable for your tasks.
The combination of cloud sync and local backup on a PC provides the maximum guarantee of data security. Below we will look at step-by-step algorithms that will help you secure your digital life and quickly restore the health of your smartphone if necessary.
Use of built-in MIUI backup
The most affordable and often ignored tool is right in your device’s system settings. Local backup allows you to create a complete cast of data, including SMS, call history, system settings, and even some application data, a method ideal for those who want to transfer information to another Xiaomi phone without using the Internet.
To start the process, go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Restore. The system will ask you to set a password that will be used to encrypt the archive. This is an important security measure: without knowing the password, it will be impossible to restore data from the created file, even if you are an account owner.
Once you set the password, you'll be asked to select the types of data you want to save, you can tick only your contacts and messages, or you can choose the full backup, and it's important to understand that selecting all the items will greatly increase the size of the final file and the time you need to create the archive.
⚠️ Note: Default backup files are saved in the device’s internal memory in a folder MIUI/backup/AllBackup. If you plan to reset your phone to factory settings, be sure to copy this file to your computer or external drive before resetting, otherwise it will be deleted along with the rest of the data.
The process of creating a copy can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour depending on the amount of information, at which time it is not recommended to run heavy applications or interrupt the system.
Sync with your Mi Cloud account
The cloud service from Mi Cloud (formerly Mi Cloud) is a convenient way to automatically synchronize key data, and unlike the local backup, it stores information on remote servers, which protects it even in the event of physical loss or destruction of the smartphone itself.
To activate this feature, log into your Mi Account via the settings menu. In the Mi Cloud section, you will see a list of data categories: Contacts, Messages, Notes, Recorder, Calendar and Screenshots. Sliders to the active position for those items that should be synced automatically.
Special attention should be paid to synchronizing the gallery. The service allows you to upload photos and videos in original quality, taking up space in your cloud storage. Free user is provided with 5 GB of space, which may not be enough for a full backup of the library, but it is enough for contacts and documents.
- 🔄 Automatic booting only occurs when connected to Wi-Fi so as not to waste mobile traffic.
- 🔒 Data is encrypted during transmission and storage, access to them is possible from any device through a browser or interface. MIUI.
- 🗑️ Deleting a file on your phone can cause it to be deleted in the cloud if folder sync is enabled.
The use of the cloud is especially important for those who often change devices or are afraid to forget to make a local copy manually.
What happens to data when the cloud overflows?
Backup through Google Services
An alternative to proprietary solutions Xiaomi is the standard mechanism of Android from Google, which is the most versatile method, since it allows you to recover data not only on another “xusha”, but also on the smartphone of any other brand running Android.
The main focus here is on syncing contacts, calendar and email through a Google account, as well as backing up app data and device settings on Google Drive. To activate, go to Settings → Google → Backup and make sure the Data Copy feature is enabled.
Unlike the local MIUI backup, Google doesn't create a single file that you can touch, it breaks it down into small packets and links it to your Google account, and when you first log in to your new phone, it will prompt you to restore the apps and their settings from the last restore point available.
Photos and videos are best trusted with Google Photos, which offers flexible compression quality settings ("Saving space" or "Original quality") and has powerful image search algorithms. Regularly checking sync status in the Google Photos app will help avoid unpleasant surprises.
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Use the Clean Storage feature in the Google Photos app only after making sure all images have been successfully uploaded to the cloud and displayed there with a cloud tag.
Full backup to your computer with Mi PC Suite
For users who prefer to keep control of their data and do not trust cloud storage, there is an official utility Mi PC Suite.
The process begins with installing the program on a PC and connecting a smartphone through the original USB-In the mode of operation, select Backup, which reads the data from the device and suggests choosing a path to save the archive on the computer.
The main advantage of this method is the speed and independence of the internal memory state of the phone. You can copy hundreds of gigabytes of data without worrying about the lack of space on the smartphone itself.
| Parameter | Local MIUI backup | Mi PC Suite | Google Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storage area | Phone memory | PC hard drive | Online server |
| Network dependency | No. | No (only cable) | Internet is required |
| Speed of operation | Medium | Tall. | Low/Mediocre |
| Recovery to another brand | No. | Partially. | Yes. |
It is worth noting that modern versions of the shells may require the inclusion of debugging mode over USB or special permissions to work with the PC. Follow the instructions on the smartphone screen to allow the computer to access data.
Preservation of multimedia and documents
Special attention should be paid to files that do not always fall into standard backup schemes: downloaded documents, files from messengers, music and videos from third-party sources, for which the manual copying method is the most effective.
Connect your smartphone to your computer in file transfer mode (MTP). The phone's file system will open on your PC screen. You need to find the DCIM (camera), Pictures (screenshots and images of applications), Download (downloads) and Android/media (messaging data).
Just copy these folders to your computer’s hard drive or external drive. SSD-This approach ensures that you will have a copy of the original file as it was saved, without any compression or modification by cloud algorithms.
⚠️ Note: When copying an Android folder on newer versions of Android (11 and above), access to some subfolders may be restricted by the system. ADB or granting special permissions through the file manager.
The frequency of these procedures depends on the intensity of your phone use. If you're actively working with documents, make a copy once a week. For ordinary users, it's enough to check important folders monthly.
☑️ Checklist before resetting the phone
Data recovery after resetting
The recovery process is as important as making a copy. When you turn on a dropped phone or a new Xiaomi device, the system will trigger the original setup wizard. During the welcome phase, you will be prompted to restore data from the backup.
If you've used Mi Cloud or Google, it's easy to type in the username and password from the account that you're in, and it'll pull up your contacts, your Wi-Fi settings, your list of apps you've installed, and other options you've selected, and it can take time if you have a lot of apps.
To recover from a local file (.bak) you previously saved to your computer or flash drive, the algorithm is different. Copy the backup file to the MIUI/backup/AllBackup folder on the new phone's internal drive. Then go to Settings → About Phone → Backup → Restore and select the file you want.
Once you enter the password you set when you create the copy, you start unpacking and putting the data into the system, and the smartphone can reboot several times, and once you turn on, you'll find your apps in the field, and in the gallery, you'll find your photos.
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Successful data recovery depends on 90% prior verification of the integrity of the backup and knowledge of passwords from the accounts.