How to make a backup of Xiaomi: full instructions

Xiaomi smartphone owners sooner or later face the need to transfer all important data to a new device or secure information before a global update. Losing contacts, photos or correspondence in instant messengers can be an unpleasant surprise if you do not prepare in advance. Modern shells MIUI and HyperOS offer several built-in tools to create full copies of the system.

The choice of a particular method depends on your goals: fast synchronization with the cloud, creating a local archive on your computer or full cloning of the system with all passwords and application settings. Backup is not just a copy of files, but insurance against software failures and human error. In this article, we will discuss all the available ways to save data, their pros, cons and technical nuances of implementation.

It is worth noting that the process of creating a backup on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices has its own features that distinguish them from pure Android. Deep integration of Mi Account services allows you to save even the location of icons on the desktop, which is impossible to do with standard Google tools. Below are proven algorithms for actions for various scenarios.

Preparing a smartphone for backup

Before starting the procedure, you need to make sure that the device is ready for active work with large amounts of data. Battery should be at least 50-60% charge, since the process of encryption and writing files can be energy intensive, and it is also critical to have free space in internal storage or on a connected memory card.

It is recommended to check the stability of the Internet connection if you plan to use cloud services. For local copying on PC, make sure that USB-The cable is good and supports data transfer, not just charging.

⚠️ Note: If you use storage encryption or third-party launchers, some interface settings may not be saved in the standard backup.

Remember to free up RAM by closing the background applications so that the system can allocate resources for the archiving process, which is especially true for mid- and low-end models where RAM is limited.

Use of the built-in local backup tool

The most reliable and quick way to save absolutely all data is the use of a native utility. MIUI/HyperOS. This method creates a complete cast of the system, including applications, their data, Wi-Fi settings, alarm clocks and even the location of widgets. → The phone. → Reservation and rehabilitation.

Here you can choose whether to save system data, applications or multimedia. Local backup is created in a special section of internal memory that is hidden from normal file browsing, but is available for recovery through the same menu. This is ideal before flashing or resetting to factory settings.

Once the process is complete, it is recommended to manually copy the backup file you created to your computer or external drive. The path to the file is usually MIUI/backup/AllBackup. If you forget to do this, the phone will lose the copy along with the rest of the data.

It is important to understand that recovery from local copy is only possible on a device with the same or newer firmware version. Attempting to roll back to an older version of MIUI can lead to a cyclical reboot or installation errors.

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The local backup even saves Wi-Fi passwords and desktop structure, but requires manual copying of the archive file to the PC for security.

Sync with Mi Cloud and Google Account

Cloud technology allows you to save data automatically and unobtrusively to the user. Mi Cloud service is deeply integrated into the shell and allows you to synchronize contacts, messages, notes, voice recorder and even system settings. To activate, go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud and select the necessary items.

In parallel with Xiaomi’s ecosystem, you need to configure sync through Google Account. This is the de facto standard for Android, which stores contacts, calendar events, passwords in Chrome and data from many third-party applications. The combination of two clouds ensures maximum security of information.

• 📱 Contacts and phone book sync instantly when networked.
• 📷 The gallery can upload photos and videos to the cloud in original quality (subscription required) or in compressed form.
• 📝 Notes and voice recorder are stored in encrypted form and are available from any Xiaomi device.

The main limitation of cloud methods is the amount of free storage. Mi Cloud provides just 5GB, which quickly run out if you decide to backup photos. Google gives 15GB, but they are split between Mail and Drive. So the cloud is better used for mission-critical text data and settings, and media files are stored locally.

⚠️ Note: When you reset your phone through the recovery menu, the Mi Cloud data is not deleted, but local files will be erased. Always check the status of the last sync before formatting.

For users who change devices frequently, cloud sync is the most convenient way to migrate, and just enter the username and password on a new smartphone, and in 10-15 minutes all contacts and notes will be in place.

Copying multimedia to a computer and external drives

Photos, videos and documents take up the lion’s share of smartphone memory. For their storage, it is best to copy directly to your computer’s hard drive or external SSD. Connect your phone with a cable to your PC and select USB File Transfer (MTP) mode.

In your computer explorer, find the DCIM (camera), Pictures (app screenshots and images), Download, and Documents folders. Just copy these directories to a safe place. This method does not require Internet access, and does not depend on the speed of cloud services.

If your Xiaomi smartphone has a microSD card slot, you can set the camera up to store photos and videos right there, in which case backups are reduced to periodically extracting the card and copying its contents to the computer, which unloads the internal memory and speeds up the system.

You can use programs like Mi PC Suite (older models) or standard Windows Explorer to automate the process on a PC, but manual folder copying is often more reliable because it eliminates software errors.

Remember, external drives also tend to fail, and the three-copy rule says that data should be stored in three places, on two different media, one of which is in a different geographic location.

Creating a full copy of the system through ADB

For advanced users with Root rights or ready to work with the command line, there is a method of backing up through Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which allows you to create full partition images or backup applications with data without system restrictions.

To get started, activate the developer mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and click on the build number seven times. Then turn on USB Debugging from the Additional → For Developers menu.

adb backup -apk -shared -all -system -f full_backup.ab

This team will create a file. full_backup.ab, It's a copy of all the applications and system data, but it's worth noting that starting with Android. 9 Google has restricted the security of this method, and many apps now ban backups of their data through the Internet. ADB.

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To work with ADB, install a minimum set of Platform Tools drivers on your computer. This is Google's official tool, safe and free.

Despite the limitations, ADB remains a powerful tool for saving a list of installed packages and some system configurations that are not available through the standard interface. If you plan to experiment with firmware, knowing the basic ADB commands will be extremely useful.

Recovery of data after reset or on a new device

The Restore process depends on the method you chose before. If you used a local backup, copy the archive file back to the MIUI/backup/AllBackup folder on the new phone. Then go to the recovery menu and select the file you want. The system will suggest a reboot to apply the changes.

When using cloud services, you just need to log in to Mi Account and Google during the initial setup of your smartphone, and the system will suggest that you recover data from the last available save point, which can take time depending on the amount of data and Internet speed.

It is important to maintain consistency: first restore system settings and contacts, then install security updates, and only then copy user files and applications, which will help avoid conflict versions of databases.

⚠️ Note: When recovering from a full copy (local backup) on a device with a different version of Android or a heavily modified firmware (Custom) ROM) There may be errors in the operation of applications or cyclic reboots.

After a successful recovery, check the key applications: banking clients, instant messengers and galleries, and make sure that all photos are opened and contacts are displayed correctly.

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Restoring from a local copy returns the phone to a one-to-one state, including even open tabs in the browser and call history.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)