How to Transfer Data from Xiaomi to Your Computer and Return It Back: 2026

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

Xiaomi smartphones have become an integral part of our lives: it stores years of photos, correspondence with loved ones, work documents and even data from banking applications. But what if the phone suddenly stopped turning on, requires a factory reset, or you decide to upgrade to a new model? Data loss in such cases is a matter of time, if you do not take care of backup in advance.

Many users mistakenly believe that cloud services like Mi Cloud or Google Drive solve the problem, but they have critical limitations, from the free space limit (only 5 GB of the Mi Cloud) to the risk of personal information leakage. Local copying to your computer remains the most reliable way – you control files, are independent of the Internet and can restore data even after years. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to save data from Xiaomi to your PC and transfer it back, including hidden features. MIUI and third-party instruments.

Feature of Xiaomi phones – closed file system MIUI, It's not always friendly to standard copying methods (for example, through Windows Explorer), so you can't do without specialized utilities like Mi. PC We tested each method on Redmi Note models. 10 Xiaomi 14 Ultra – All instructions are relevant to MIUI 14/15 hyperos.

Method 1: Classical copying through USB-cable (for media files and documents)

The simplest but limited method is manually copying files through Explorer, which is suitable for photos, videos, music and documents, but does not save applications, system settings or messages, but it is a base from which to start.

What you need:

• 🔌 Original. USB-cable (better from the kit – cheap cables often do not transmit data)
• 💻 Windows computer 10/11, macOS or Linux
• 📱 Xiaomi phone with unlocked screen

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your phone to your PC with a cable. A notification will appear on the Xiaomi screen - select File Transfer (or MTP). If this does not happen, lower the notification curtain and click on the option manually.
2. On your computer, open This computer (Windows) or Finder (macOS) and the phone will appear as a removable drive (usually called Redmi or Xiaomi).
3. Go to the Internal Storage folder or SD card (if you use a memory card) key folders: DCIM — Photos and videos from the Downloads camera - uploaded files Pictures, Music, Movies - Documents media files - Word documents, Excel, PDF

Xiaomi Backup

⚠️ Note: Do not copy the entire Android folder - it contains application data that will not be restored just like that).

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ Speed – Transmission takes minutes (depending on the amount of data).
• 🔒 Reliability – files are stored locally, without the risk of leakage.
• 🛠️ No need for additional software.

Disadvantages:

• 🚫 No contact, SMS, Wi-Fi settings, call history.
• 📱 Applications and their data (for example, saves in games) are not portable.
• 🔄 To restore, you will have to manually move the files back.

Method 2: Full backup through Mi PC Suite (official utility Xiaomi)

Mi PC Suite is the official software from Xiaomi that allows you to create a full backup of your phone, including apps, settings and system data. SMS, Call history and data of some applications without root rights.

Download the utility from the official website:

• 🌐 pcsuite.mi.com (select the version for your OS).
• ⚠️ Avoid third-party sources – viruses are common there.

Instructions for creating a backup:

1. Install and run Mi. PC Suite on your computer.
2. Connect the phone with a cable and allow debugging by USB (When a request appears on the screen Xiaomi).
3. In the main window of the program, click Backup (cloud icon with a down arrow).
4. Select the data for reservation: 📱 Contacts, Messages, Call Log 📷 Gallery, Audio, Video ⚙️ System settings (Wi-Fi, wallpaper, sounds) 🎮 Applications and their data (not all applications are supported)

Backup Now

MiPhoneManager\backup

C:

How to restore data back:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and open the Mi PC Suite.
2. Go to the Restore section (cloud icon with an up arrow).
3. Select the right backup from the list and click Restore Now.
4. Confirm the recovery on the phone (it may be necessary to enter a password from the Mi-account).

⚠️ Note: If you are using a Mi Account with two-factor authentication, make sure you have access to the backup code before restoring it.

Connect the original cable|Allow debugging by USB phone-on|Close background applications on PC|Check the free space on the C: (minimum 10 GB)|Shut down. VPN (may interfere with the connection)-->

Method 3: Backup through MIUI Backup (built-in function)

MIUI It has a built-in tool for creating backups — MIUI Backup. It's less functional than Mi. PC Suite, but does not require a connection to a computer. A backup is saved to the phone's internal memory or memory card, and then it can be copied to a PC.

How to make a backup:

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Click Backup and select the data: 📞 System data (contacts, SMS, setting) 📱 Apps (only those that support backup)

MIUI/backup/AllBackup

AllBackup

How to recover data:

1. Move the AllBackup folder back to MIUI/backup/ phone-on.
2. Go to Settings. → Local backups.
3. Select the right backup and click Restore.

Limitations of the method:

• 🚫 Does not save media files (photos, videos, music).
• 📱 Applications are restored without data (for example, game progress will be lost).
• 🔄 It is impossible to select individual elements for recovery – only the entire backup.

💡

If backup is through MIUI Backup is interrupted, try clearing the Settings app cache (in Settings) → Annexes → Application management → Settings → Clear the cache).

Method 4: ADB Backup – for experienced users (full control)

If you want to save all the data, including application settings and hidden system files, but without root rights, the only option is adb backup, which requires command line knowledge, but gives you maximum control.

What you need:

• 💻 Computer with drivers installed ADB (You can download it on Android. SDK).
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times press to unlock the developer mode, then Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 USB-data-couple.

Instructions:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux).
2. Check the connection command: Adb devices should appear serial number of your device.
3. Launch backup: adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f C:\XiaomiBackup.ab Flags mean: -apk — retain APK-file -obb — Game data and large applications -shared — memory-card -all — data-data

On the phone will appear a request for confirmation – enter a password to encrypt the backup (optional, but recommended).

XiaomiBackup.ab

C:

Recovery:

1. Connect the phone and execute the command: adb restore C:\XiaomiBackup.ab
2. Confirm the recovery on the phone screen.

⚠️ Note: Some apps (such as WhatsApp or banking services) block backups through the service. ADB For security reasons, their data will not be stored.

Method 5: Cloud Services as Additional Insurance

While local copying is more reliable, cloud services are convenient for automatic backup of critical data. Xiaomi offers Mi Cloud, but it has alternatives with a large amount of free space.

Comparison of services:

* When using the Telegram cloud storage.

How to set up automatic backup in Mi Cloud:

1. Go to Settings. → Mi Cloud.
2. Sign in with your Xiaomi account.
3. Enable synchronization for the data you need (contacts, gallery, notes, etc.).
4. For a photo, select Autoboot and specify which type of network to download (only Wi-Fi is recommended).

Important: Cloud backups don't replace local copying! Use them as an additional insurance policy. For example, you can set up automatic uploads to Google Photos, and once a month, do a full backup through Mi. PC Suite.

💡

Cloud services are convenient for automatic backup, but not for full system recovery. Always duplicate critical data locally.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even experienced users face problems with Xiaomi backup. Consider typical errors and their solutions.

1.The telephone is not determined by the computer

• 🔌 Check the cable – cheap cables are often just for charging.
• 🔄 Switch the connection mode to MTP (notice-curtain).
• 🖥️ Update drivers on PC (especially relevant for Windows) 7/8).

2. Mi PC Suite doesn't see the phone

• ⚙️ Make sure that the debugging is enabled USB (Settings → For developers).
• 🔄 Reinstall Mi. PC Suite from the official website.
• 🛡️ Temporarily disable the antivirus – it can block the connection.

3.Backup interrupted at half-time

• 📶 Connect your phone to a power source (discharge during the backup may interrupt the process).
• 🖥️ Close all background programs on PC, especially torrents and instant messengers.
• 📱 Free up space on your phone (minimum 10% free space required).

4 After recovery, there are no applications or they do not work.

• 📱 Some applications (e.g. banking) block backup recovery, and you'll have to install them manually.
• 🔄 Check the version. MIUI — If the backup is made on the old version, and restore on the new, conflicts may arise.
• 🛠️ For save games, use built-in cloud services (e.g. Google Play Games).

5.Backup files take up too much space

• 🗑️ Remove old backups in Mi PC Suite (Backup Management).
• 📂 Compress the backup folder in the archive (for example, ZIP or RAR).
• ☁️ Move the backups to an external hard drive or to the cloud (e.g. Mega with 50GB of free space).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions