How to transfer Xiaomi backup to your computer: a complete guide with pictures

Smartphone data loss is one of the most frustrating situations for users. Photos, contacts, messages, and app settings can disappear at once due to a system failure, device theft, or accidental reset. Xiaomi smartphones offer several built-in backup tools, but most users do not know how to save a backup directly to a computer - a reliable storage that does not depend on cloud services or internal phone memory.

In this article, we’ll discuss 5 working ways to transfer backup with Redmi, POCO or Mi on PC: from the official Mi software PC Suite to manual methods through ADB You'll learn what data you can save (and what you can't), how to get around typical synchronization errors, and what to do if the phone isn't detected by a computer. MIUI, That allows you to create a full backup even without root rights.

Why backup on your computer is more reliable than in the cloud

Many Xiaomi users are used to relying on Mi Cloud, a proprietary cloud storage with 5GB of free space, but this method has critical drawbacks:

• 🔒 Limit on volume: 5 GB is enough only for contacts and a part of the photo, but not for a full backup of applications.
• 🌐 Internet addiction: without a connection, data recovery is impossible.
• 🔄 Sync, not backup: Deleted files in the cloud can disappear from your phone.
• 🛡️ Privacy: Data is stored on Xiaomi servers, which is not always secure for personal information.

Backup on your PC is free of these problems: you control files, you don't pay for space, and you can recover data even without access to the Internet, and the local copy is protected from hacking cloud accounts, a pressing problem for users whose accounts have been compromised.

⚠️ Attention: If you are using MIUI 14 and later, built-in backup function in Settings → The phone. → Backup creates files with the.mbk extension. These archives can't be opened on a PC without special software, they need to be transferred to a computer immediately for storage.

Method 1: Official Mi PC Suite (for Windows)

Mi PC Suite is a free software from Xiaomi that allows you to manage your phone data from your computer, including creating backups. It supports all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models running MIUI (even outdated versions).

To keep a backup copy:

1. Download Mi PC Suite from the official website and install it on PC.
2. Connect your phone to your computer through the original USB-cable (importantly, cheap cables may not transmit data).
3. Enable File Transfer Mode (MTP) on your phone: swipe down the notification bar → click on the Charge notification via USB → select File Transfer.
4. Run the Mi PC Suite and wait for the program to identify the device.
5. Go to Backup → select data to save (contacts, messages, apps, multimedia) → click Create backup.

The backup file will be saved in the folder C:\Users\Your username\MiPhoneManager\Backup in.mbk format. It can only be restored through the same program.

Original USB cable connected

The phone has MTP (file transfer) enabled

The latest Xiaomi drivers on PC are installed

In Mi PC Suite selected all the necessary data for backup

There is enough free space on the C disk (minimum 10 GB)

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⚠️ Attention: If Mi PC Suite can't see the phone, try: Reinstall drivers via Mi Flash Tool. disable debugging by USB In the developer settings (if it was enabled earlier). USB-port (preferably) USB 3.0 on the back of the system unit).

Method 2: Manual backup via ADB (for power users)

ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is an Android debugging tool that allows you to create full backups, including system settings. This method works on all versions of MIUI, but requires you to turn on the developer mode.

Instructions:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Click 7 times on MIUI Version until you become a developer!
2. Turn on USB debugging: Return to Settings → Additional → Developer. Activate the USB debugging switch.

ADB Tools

C:\adb

Command line.

adb

adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f C:\backup_xiaomi.ab

where -apk — backup, -shared — file SD-map, -all — data.

The process will take 10–30 minutes depending on the amount of data. backup_xiaomi.ab It can be rebuilt by the team:

adb restore C:\backup_xiaomi.ab

Method 3: Backup via TWRP (for root users)

TWRP (Team Win Recovery Project) is a custom recovery that allows you to create complete system images, including user data, applications and even a boot partition, which is suitable for advanced users, as it requires unlocking the bootloader and installing TWRP.

Advantages of TWRP:

• 🔄 Full backup of all partitions (including boot, system, data).
• 💾 Possibility of preservation from the outside SD-card ADB sideload.
• 🛠️ Recovery even on “brick” devices.

Instructions:

1. Install TWRP for your model (see instructions on XDA Developers).
2. Boot in recovery: turn off the phone → pinch Power + Volume up.
3. Select Backup → Select the sections (System, Data, Boot) → Swipe for confirmation.
4. After creating a backup, connect your phone to your PC and copy the TWRP/BACKUPS folder from internal memory.

⚠️ Attention: Backups through TWRP If you restore such a backup to a phone with a locked bootloader, the device may stop booting!

Mi PC Suite

ADB

TWRP

Mi Cloud

Manual copying of files

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Method 4: Manual copying of files (without software)

If you only need to save media files, documents, and some settings, you can do without specialized programs, which does not create a full-fledged backup of applications, but is suitable for quickly transferring important data.

What can be copied manually:

• 📷 Photo and video: folder DCIM (Main photos) and Pictures (screenshots).
• 🎵 Music and Records: Music, Recordings, Notifications folders).
• 📄 Documents: Documents folder or Download folder.
• 📱 Settings of some applications: for example, WhatsApp stores backup chats in the /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases.

How to copy:

1. Connect your phone to your PC in File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Open This Computer → Find Xiaomi device in Portable Devices section.
3. Go to the Internal Drive folder and manually copy the required directories to the hard drive.

1. Install RAR for Android.

2. Select backup folders → click "Add to archive".

3. Move one.rar file instead of thousands of small files.

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Method 5: Cloud + Local Saving (Hybrid Method)

If you don't want to choose between the cloud and the PC, you can combine both methods.

• 📱 Mi Cloud – for contacts, notes and call history (synchronized automatically).
• 💻 Local backup for photos, videos and applications (via Mi) PC Suite or manually).

How to set up a hybrid backup:

1. Activate sync with Mi Cloud: Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud. Enable backup for Contacts, Notes, Bookmarks.
2. Create a local media backup: Connect your phone to your PC and copy DCIM, Pictures, Download folders. Use Mi PC Suite for app backup.

Advantages of the hybrid approach:

• ✅ Dual protection: if you lose your phone, the data will be in the cloud and on PC.
• ✅ Save space: Only critical data is sent to the cloud (contacts, SMS), a Large files are stored locally.
• ✅ Quick recovery: Contacts and notes are synced automatically when you first log in to your account.

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Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When creating a backup, Xiaomi users often face problems, and here are the most common ways to solve them:

Another common problem is that the backup takes up too much space to shrink the size of the backup.

• 🗑️ Exclude the application cache from the backup (in Mi) PC Suite uncheck the box with Other data).
• 📹 Convert your video to a more compact format (e.g., through HandBrake).
• 🔍 Remove duplicate photos with Duplicate Files Fixer.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi backup