Owners of Xiaomi smartphones sooner or later face the need to transfer valuable data to a more reliable medium. The internal memory of the device is not eternal storage, and accidental reset or breakage of the gadget can lead to the loss of photos, contacts and correspondence in messengers. Creating a local copy on a personal computer is the most secure and controlled way to protect information in the MIUI 12 ecosystem.
The process of archiving data on a PC has its own peculiarities depending on the chosen method and version of the operating system. Unlike cloud services, local storage does not require a monthly payment per gigabyte and ensures that your personal files are physically in your hands. We will discuss several proven ways, including using official software and tools for advanced users.
Before you start any manipulation, make sure that the USB cable is working and that there is enough free space on your computer’s hard drive. Ignoring these simple rules can cause the process to be interrupted and file structures to be damaged. Below is a detailed guide to help you save all the important data without losing quality.
Preparation of the device and the workplace
Quality preparation is the foundation of successful backups. First of all, you need to check the integrity of the backup. USB-cables, as damaged wires often cause connection breaks during the transmission of large amounts of data. it is recommended to use the original cable, which was bundled with Xiaomi, or a certified analogue with at least a bandwidth of the same. USB 2.0.
On the computer side, you should free up a significant amount of disk space. The backup can range from a few gigabytes to tens, depending on the fullness of the internal memory of the smartphone. It is also worth checking whether the necessary drivers are installed to work with Android devices, although Windows 10 and 11 usually find them automatically.
Be sure to check the battery power of your gadget. Although the copying process does not require maximum power, suddenly turning off the device in the middle of the operation can lead to errors in the file system.
⚠️ Warning: Do not connect your smartphone to public charging stations in shopping malls or airports while preparing for a backup).
The important step is to clean the smartphone of garbage. Before creating an archive, it makes sense to remove duplicate files and unnecessary screenshots, so as not to waste time copying excess, this will also speed up the process of verifying the integrity of the data after the procedure is completed.
Use of the official utility Mi PC Suite
The official tool for working with data on the computer is the Mi PC Suite. Although support for this utility for new models is limited, for many devices based on MIUI 12 it remains the main way to create full backups.
After installing the application on the computer, you need to launch it and connect the smartphone through it. USB-cable. The mobile device will be asked to allow debugging or connect in file transfer mode. User consent is a prerequisite for starting synchronization.
The program interface is divided into logical blocks, where each data type has its own category. The user can choose to selectively back up, for example, saving only contacts and a call log, or create a full copy of the system. The process is visualized (progress bar), which allows you to track the status of the operation in real time.
☑️ Check before launching the Mi PC Suite
It is worth noting that for some regions, the version of the program may differ from the Chinese version. The Chinese version of the Mi PC Suite often has a wider functionality, but requires knowledge of the language or use an interface translator.
Manual copying method through conductor
The easiest and most understandable way for the average user is MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) mode, which is when you connect your smartphone to your PC in this mode, the device is defined as an external drive, you get direct access to the file system, and you can manually copy any folders to your computer's hard drive.
To activate this mode, after connecting the cable, lower the notification curtain on your smartphone. There you will see a notification about the USB connection. When you click on it, select File Transfer or Android Auto. After that, a new device will appear in My Computer.
Key folders that are of interest to the user are usually at the root of the internal storage, these are the DCIM directories (camera photos and videos), MIUI (screenshots and voice recorder), Download (downloads) and WhatsApp or Telegram (messaging media files).
| folder | Contents | Importance | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCIM/Camera | Photo and video from the main camera | Critical | High-pitched |
| MIUI/sound_recorder | Recorder recordings | Medium | Low. |
| Download | Downloaded files from the browser | Variable | Medium. |
| Bluetooth | Files obtained via Bluetooth | Low. | Variable |
The advantage of this method is that it doesn't need third-party software, but the manual method doesn't keep application settings, Wi-Fi passwords, and call history in a structured way, it's just copying files, not a system backup.
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When manually copying large (4K) video files, use USB 3.0 ports (blue) on your computer to significantly speed up the data transfer process.
Backup via Mi Cloud and synchronization
Xiaomi's ecosystem offers a cloud-based solution called Mi Cloud, which allows you to synchronize data wirelessly. Although it was about copying to a computer, the cloud is often the middle ground, and on a PC, you can go to i.mi.com and download contacts, notes and photos from there.
To activate the function, you need to go to the settings of the Mi Account on your smartphone, which selects the data categories for synchronization: Gallery, Contacts, Messages, Recorder and others, and when Wi-Fi is turned on, data is automatically uploaded to the company's servers.
The main advantage is automation. You don't have to remember to connect the cable. But there's only 5GB of free cloud space, which quickly ends with backup photos and videos. You need a paid subscription to expand the space.
⚠️ Note: When you delete your Mi Account or reset your settings to factory settings without first logging out of your account, your device may be locked.
Synchronization works in the background and consumes battery power. If you use mobile Internet for download, watch the tariff plan, as the traffic volume can be significant. For heavy files, it is better to use the "Sync only over Wi-Fi" setting.
Advanced Method: ADB and Fastboot
For power users who want to get a full copy of the system, including hidden partitions and application data with protection, there is an Android Debug Bridge (ADB) tool. This method requires the development mode on the smartphone to activate it, you need to quickly click on the build number in the About Phone section 7 times.
Once you have USB debugging on the Developer menu, the smartphone is ready to work with the computer. You need to install Google platform tools on the PC. You type commands through the command line or terminal, and you can do bit-by-bit cloning.
adb backup -apk -shared -all -system -f backup.abThis command creates a complete backup of all applications, system data, and shared storage into a backup.ab file. The process can take a long time. The resulting file can then be converted to tar format for easy viewing of the content.
What if your computer can’t see your phone in ADB mode?
The ADB method is good because it is versatile and works on almost any Android device, regardless of the MIUI shell. However, some applications (banking, secure messengers) can prohibit the creation of a backup of their data through the standard ADB backup mechanism.
Data recovery and problem solving
The Restore process depends on the method used to create the copy. If it was a manual copy, just return the files to the original directories. When using the Mi PC Suite or cloud, the process is done through the appropriate interfaces with the Restore button.
A backup made on MIUI 12 may not be properly restored to MIUI 13 or older due to changes in the database structure. Always try to keep the firmware version on the new device at least the same level as the backup version.
If there's a problem in the recovery process, don't panic. Check the integrity of the archive file. Checksum checkpoints are available for.ab files. Reconnect the cable to another. USB-The port often solves the problem of unstable connection.
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Regularity of backups is more important than volume: Backup critical data (contacts, documents) weekly, and a full copy of the system before any changes.
In the event of a complete loss of access to the smartphone system (bootloop), recovery from the local backup may not be possible without an unlocked bootloader and the presence of a custom recap (TWRP).