How to back up data on Xiaomi smartphones: all ways 2026

Why backup on Xiaomi is not a luxury, but a necessity

Imagine if you accidentally drop your smartphone in the water, it stops turning on, and you have pictures of the last five years, work papers, and correspondence with loved ones on it, or more prosaic situation: the phone started to slow down, and you decided to reset to the factory settings, but you forgot to save contacts, and these stories happen every day, and backup is the only way to avoid data loss.

Xiaomi’s MIUI-based smartphones offer a few built-in backup tools, but many users don’t use them, either because they don’t know or because of the myth that “this won’t happen to me.” Meanwhile, even newer models (such as the Xiaomi 14 Pro or Redmi Note 13) aren’t immune to software failures, viruses, or physical damage. In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to create backups, from standard MIUI features to third-party solutions.

It's important to understand that backup isn't just about resetting or updating your firmware, it's also useful if you:

• 🔄 Change your smartphone to a new model;
• 📉 I noticed that the phone was slower to work;
• 🛠️ Planning to give the device for repair;
• 🚨 Suspected of infection with the virus.

Method 1: Built-in backup via MIUI (local saving)

The easiest and most Internet-free method is to use the built-in backup function in MIUI, which allows you to save:

• 📞 Contacts, call log and SMS;
• 📱 System settings (Wi-Fi, wallpaper, sound profiles);
• 📁 Applications and their data (not all, depending on the developer).

How to do this:

1. Open Settings → About the phone → Backup.
2. Click Create a backup copy.
3. Select items to save (we recommend that you note everything except Multimedia if they are already synced to the cloud).
4. Start the process and wait until it is completed.

The finished backup will be saved in the MIUI/backup/AllBackup folder on internal memory, and it can be copied to a PC or a flash drive.

⚠️ Attention: Local backup is not physically protected from phone failure, and if the smartphone breaks, file access will be lost.

Battery charge > 50%|Enough space (backup weighs) 1-3 GB)|Battery Optimizers for "Backup" Disabled"|Backup file copied to a safe place-->

Method 2: Cloud Backup with Mi Account

If you use a Mi Account (and without it, many Xiaomi features are not available), then you already have access to the Mi Cloud cloud storage, which allows you to automatically sync:

• 📇 Contacts, notes, calendar;
• 📸 Photos and videos (if Gallery function is enabled) → Settings → Cloud synchronization);
• 📱 Device settings (including wallpaper and sound circuits).

How to set up an automatic backup:

1. Go to Settings. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Turn on switches opposite the desired categories (for example, Contacts, Notes).
3. For photos and videos, activate Autoboot in the Gallery app settings.

The volume of free storage in the Mi Cloud is 5 GB. This is enough for contacts and part of the photo, but for a full backup you will have to buy more space (from 100 GB for ~300 rubles / year).

⚠️ Warning: If you reset your phone to factory settings without being tied to Mi Account, it will be impossible to recover data from Mi Cloud. Always check that your account is active and sync is enabled.

Once a month |Only before resetting my phone |Never did |Using automatic synchronization-->

Method 3: Backup through Google Account

For users who are actively using Google services, this method may be more convenient than Mi Cloud.

• 📱 Contacts, calendar, Gmail;
• 📱 Data from some applications (if the developer supports backup in Google Drive);
• 📱 Wi-Fi settings and wallpaper (on new versions of Android).

How to turn backup on Google:

1. Open Settings → Google → Backup.
2. Activate the Download to Google Drive switch.
3. Click Create a backup copy now.

Google Drive is free of charge at 15GB (common for email, photos and backups), enough for basic data, but you’ll have to pay 100GB for ~1,400 rubles a year to fully redundant multimedia.

The advantage of this method is that the data will be available on any device with your Google Account, even if you switch from Xiaomi to a smartphone of another brand.

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If you use both Mi Cloud and Google Drive, disable duplicate sync (such as contacts) to save space in the cloud.

Method 4: Backup to your computer via Mi PC Suite

For those who prefer to store data on a hard drive, the official Mi PC Suite utility is suitable.

• 🖥️ Create a full copy of your phone data;
• 📁 Selectively copy photos, videos, music;
• 📱 Install/remove applications from PC.

Instructions:

1. Download Mi PC Suite from the official website and install it on PC.
2. Connect your phone via USB (enable File Transfer in the notification curtain).
3. In the program, select Backup → Create a backup.
4. Mark the data you need and start the process.

The backup file will be saved to PC in.mbk format. It can only be restored via Mi PC Suite, so it is better to store it in a safe place (not on the desktop!).

⚠️ Attention: Mi PC Suite does not support new models Xiaomi Android 13/14 (for example, Xiaomi 13T or Redmi K60). Use alternative methods for them (ADB third-party).

Method 5: Third-party backup applications

If you don't like the built-in MIUI tools, you can use third-party apps.

• 📱 Swift Backup (requires root or ADB) — Stores applications and their data;
• 📱 Titanium Backup (root only) – full control of backups;
• 📱 SMS Backup & Restore – Specializes in SMS and call logs.

Example of Swift Backup:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Please provide access via ADB (instructions in the app).
3. Select backup apps and start the process.
4. Save the file to SD-map.

Third-party applications have the advantage of being flexible (you can choose what to save) and automating (like a weekly backup) and many features require root rights, which makes it unsafe to guarantee.

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For most users, built-in MIUI and Google Drive tools are enough. Third-party applications are only needed for specific tasks (for example, backup game saves).

Method 6: Manually copying important files

If you don't need a full backup, but only individual files (photos, documents, music), you can copy them manually.

1. Connect your phone to your PC via USB (select File Transfer Mode).
2. Open the Internal Storage or SD Card folder.
3. Copy the necessary files to the hard disk: 📸 Photo and video: folder DCIM; 🎵 Music: folder Music; 📄 Documents: Documents folder or Download folder.

For convenience, you can use Total Commander or ES Explorer right on your phone to archive files in ZIP before copying.

This method does not save settings, SMS or application data, but does not require any additional programs and works on any devices, including older Xiaomi models (for example, Redmi 4X or Mi A1).

How to Recover Data from a Backup

Building a backup is half the job, and the key is to be able to repair it, and the way it works depends on how you save the data.

If you are recovering data to a new phone, first log in to Mi Account and Google Account, which were used for backup, otherwise the system will not find your copies.

⚠️ Note: When recovering from backup MIUI Or Mi Cloud, you'll have all the apps and settings you had when you created the copy installed on your phone, and it can take a long time to fill up the memory. If you only need to return some data (like contacts), use selective recovery.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even experienced users sometimes face problems when creating or restoring a backup.

• 🔴 "Lack of space for backup" Solution: Clean up your phone's memory or save the backup on SD-Map/PC. Local copy MIUI can weigh up 3-5 GB.
• 🔴 "Mi Cloud is not synced" Solution: Check your internet connection, update MIUI Up to the latest version or restart the phone.
• 🔴 "Photos were lost during restoration Solution: Photos could not get into the backup if the synchronization of the Gallery with Mi Cloud or Google Photos was disabled.
• 🔴 "Can't be restored. SMS" Solution: Use specialized applications like SMS Backup & Restore, as standard backup MIUI Not always saving messages.

If the backup is interrupted (for example, due to battery discharge), do not try to restore it partially - this can lead to loss of data.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions