How to make a full backup of a Xiaomi phone: 4 proven ways

Why Xiaomi backup is not a luxury, but a necessity

Losing data on a smartphone is one of the most unpleasant situations a user can face. Vacation photos, work contacts, messaging or saved passwords can all disappear at once due to a firmware failure, device theft or trivial negligence. Xiaomi smartphones based on MIUI offer several built-in backup tools, but not all users know how to use them correctly.

In this article, we’ll break down all the current ways to create a full backup on Xiaomi, including hidden MIUI features, cloud services and third-party utilities. You’ll learn how to save not only media files, but also system settings, application data and even call history, so that if necessary, restore the phone to its original state in a few minutes.

Method 1: Built-in backup function in MIUI

The easiest and most affordable method is to use the standard MIUI tool, which allows you to create a local copy of data directly on your phone or on a connected memory card. To use this feature, go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.

Here you will see a list of data categories that can be saved:

• 📱 System data: Wi-Fi settings, wallpaper, sound circuits and display parameters.
• 📞 Contacts and call log: full call history and address book (including linked accounts).
• 💬 Communications: SMS and MMS, Not messages from messengers (they need to be saved separately).
• 📷 Multimedia: photos, videos and audio files (optional).
• 🎮 Application Data: save games and settings for some programs (not all!).

It is important to note that not all applications support backup via MIUI, such as data from WhatsApp, Telegram or banking applications will have to be saved manually, and pay attention to the size of the future backup: if it exceeds 2 GB, the system will suggest saving it to a memory card or to the cloud.

Make sure that the phone has enough free space (at least 10% of the backup volume)

Connect the charger (the process can take 10-30 minutes)

Disable battery optimization for the "Backup" application in the settings

Check that the memory card (if used) is formatted in FAT32 exFAT-->

⚠️ Note: If you plan to reset your phone to factory settings after you create a backup, do not delete the backup file from your internal memory or card. it has the.mbk extension and is stored in a folder. MIUI/backup/AllBackup. Deleting this folder will make recovery impossible.

Method 2: Cloud backup via Mi Cloud

Mi Cloud is Xiaomi’s official cloud storage service, offering 5GB of free space (up to 100GB for Chinese accounts under certain conditions).

1. Register or log in to Mi Account (via Settings → Accounts → Mi Account).
2. Activate sync in Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Backup to Mi Cloud.
3. Select data categories for reservation (not all are included by default!).

The main advantage of Mi Cloud is that it's automatically synchronized, so if you add a new contact, it will instantly appear in the cloud, but there are limitations.

• 🚫 No reservations for established APK (Data from some applications only).
• 🚫 The maximum size of one file is 50 MB (video and large documents will not be saved).
• 🚫 No PC version – data recovery is possible only on Xiaomi phone.

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If you’re missing 5GB in Mi Cloud, try linking a Chinese Mi Account (requires a VPN and a phone number from China), in which case you’ll get up to 100GB for free for 90 days, but keep in mind that the interface will be in Chinese.

To recover data from the Mi Cloud on a new phone, just log in to the same Mi Account and select the recovery option when you first set up the device.

⚠️ Note: If you use Mi Cloud to back up photos, disable automatic upload to Google Photos to avoid duplication. Simultaneous sync with two clouds can lead to file version conflicts.

Method 3: Backup via computer (Mi PC Suite and ADB)

For those who prefer to store backups on a PC hard drive, there are two reliable options: the official Mi PC Suite utility and the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) developer tool. The first is suitable for beginners, the second is for experienced users who need to save all data without exception, including system files.

Mi PC Suite allows you to back up contacts, messages, media and some applications. Download the program from the official Xiaomi website, connect your phone to USB (in file transfer mode) and follow the instructions.

• 🔌 Support for Mi PC Suite officially discontinued for new models (e.g. Xiaomi) 13/14 The program is still running on older devices.
• 📁 The backup copy is saved to the folder C:\Users\[Your name.
• ⚠️ Recovery is possible only through the same version of the program.

For a full backup through ADB, you will need:

1. Enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times) → Additional settings → For developers.
2. Install Android SDK Platform-Tools on PC.
3. Connect the phone and execute the command adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f C:\backup.ab

Backup.ab file will be encrypted – use the command to restore:

adb restore C:\backup.ab

⚠️ Attention: Backup through ADB It does not include data from some secure applications (e.g. banking) and newer versions. MIUI (14+) You may need to unlock the bootloader, which will reset the phone to factory settings.

Built-in MIUI function

Mi Cloud (cloud)

Copying on PC via Mi PC Suite or ADB

Application side (Titanium Backup, Swift Backup, etc.)

I don't do backups.-->

Method 4: Third-party applications for deep backup

If Xiaomi's built-in tools don't suit you, you can use third-party solutions that offer more flexibility, like selecting individual backup apps or schedule automatic backups.-3 tested applications:

For most users, Swift Backup is the best choice, and it allows you to save:

• 📲 APK-Application files and data (including settings).
• 📂 Folders on internal memory (selectively).
• ☁️ Automatic download in Google Drive or Dropbox.

If you want the most complete backup (for example, before you run custom software firmware), Titanium Backup with ROOT rights is the best option. This application even saves system settings that are not available through MIUI.

• 🔓 For receipt ROOT-rights you will need to unlock the bootloader, which will lead to the reset of all data on the phone.
• ⚠️ Some banking applications may stop working on a device with ROOT.

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The application side is the only way to save application data that is not supported by the built-in MIUI tools (for example, saving games or configuring specific programs).

What to do if the backup is not restored?

Sometimes users experience problems in data recovery, and here are the most common causes and solutions:

If you are restoring backup to a new Xiaomi model, please note that some data may not be transferred due to differences in MIUI versions. For example, display settings or audio profiles may reset to standard.

1. Update the firmware to the latest version before restoring.
2. Use Mi Mover (built-in application for data transfer between Xiaomi devices).
3. Recover data selectively, starting with the most important (contacts, messages).

⚠️ Note: When you restore a backup to a phone with another version of Android (for example, Android 12 to Android 14), compatibility errors may occur, in which case it is better to transfer data manually or use cloud services.

How to automate backup creation?

To keep in mind the backup, you can set up an automatic process. Here are a few ways to do this:

• 🔄 Mi Cloud: Enable automatic sync in your account settings. Data will be updated when you connect to Wi-Fi.
• ⏰ Swift Backup: Set up a schedule (like weekly copying to Google Drive).
• 🤖 Tasker + ADB: For advanced users, create automated tasks through Tasker with execution ADB-team.

Automation through Tasker will require:

1. Install Tasker and ADB Plugin plugin.
2. Create a task with the team: adb backup -f /sdcard/auto_backup_%DATE%.ab -apk -obb -shared -all
3. Set up a trigger (e.g., connecting to your home Wi-Fi at 2:00 a.m.).

If you don’t want to mess around with settings, the easiest option is to enable automatic uploading of photos to Google Photos and synchronizing contacts with Google Account. This won’t replace a full backup, but it will protect you from losing your most important data.

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Automating backups reduces the risk of data loss due to human error, and even weekly backups are better than no backups at all.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi backup