How to Save All Data on Xiaomi Phone: A Complete Guide

Owning a modern smartphone involves storing a huge array of personal information, from working documents to thousands of family photos. For owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices, the security of this information is especially acute, given the variety of shells MIUI and HyperOS. Accidental resetting, screen breakage or theft of a gadget can be fatal if you do not take care of creating a backup beforehand.

The process of storing data on devices of this brand has its own nuances, different from pure Android.The system offers several layers of protection: local copying to internal memory, synchronization with a Mi Account account and classic tools from Google. Ignoring any of these methods can lead to the loss of critical settings or passwords.

In this article, we will discuss in detail all available backup methods so that you can choose the most suitable for your situation, you will learn how to properly prepare the device, what hidden shell functions should be activated and how to avoid common errors when transferring information to a new device.

Preparation of the device and choice of the method of reservation

Before you start the copying process, you need to make sure that the smartphone is ready to work with large amounts of data. Battery should be at least 50-60%, as the intensive work of the processor and communication modules quickly consumes energy. It is also recommended to check the availability of free space in the selected storage, whether it is internal memory, SD card or cloud service.

There are three main areas for backup: local (on the phone or PC itself), cloud (over the Internet), and manual file backup. Local backup is convenient because it doesn't require the Internet, but it's useless when you physically lose your device. Cloud-based methods are more secure, but depend on connection speed and free space.

It is critical to check in advance whether your Mi Account is activated and synced to your current device, as this is key to restoring system settings. Without authorization, many system settings, including icon location and alarm settings, cannot be restored.

• 🔋 Make sure the device is over 50% before the procedure.
• 📶 Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network to download large amounts of data.
• 💾 Free up space on a memory card or in the cloud to host an archive.

⚠️ Note: When using public Wi-Fi networks without additional encryption (VPN) It is not recommended to transfer sensitive personal data to cloud storage.

Use of the built-in local backup tool

The MIUI and HyperOS shells are equipped with a powerful built-in tool that allows you to create a complete copy of the system, applications and user data, which is ideal for transferring information to a new phone of the same brand or for creating a recovery point for risky operations such as root rights or flashing.

To start the process, go to the settings menu and find the About Phone section. Next, you need to click on the shell version several times to activate advanced functions, after which the menu will appear a backup item. An alternative path is through the Additional → Recovery and Reset → Backup.

In the menu that opens, you can choose what exactly you need to save: system settings, calls, SMS-After selecting categories, the system will create an encrypted archive, which is stored by default in a hidden folder of internal memory.

The path to the created file usually looks like this: MIUI/backup/AllBackup. It is recommended immediately after creating a copy to move this file to a computer or external drive, as when resetting the phone's settings, the internal memory will be cleared and the meaning of the local backup will be lost.

Sync with Mi Cloud and Google Account

Cloud synchronization is the most reliable way to protect against data loss in the event of a smartphone being stolen or completely broken. Xiaomi’s ecosystem offers its own Mi Cloud service, which is deeply integrated into the system and allows you to save contacts, notes, voice recorder, gallery and even desktop settings.

To activate, go to Settings → Mi Account → Xiaomi Cloud. Here you will see a list of data available for sync. It is important to understand that free space is limited (usually 5 GB), so photos and videos often require additional subscriptions or use alternative solutions.

In parallel, be sure to set up sync through Google Account.This mechanism stores contacts, calendar, Chrome history and passwords. Unlike Mi Cloud, Google Photos often provides more flexible settings for compressing and storing media files.

• ☁️ Mi Cloud is best for saving system settings and notes.
• 📸 Google Photos makes it easier to search and organize photos.
• 📞 Contacts and calendars are better duplicated in both services for reliability.

⚠️ Note: When you delete your Mi Account from your device without first logging out of sync, data in the cloud can be deleted depending on your security settings.

Transfer data to a new phone via Mi Mover

When buying a new Xiaomi or Poco device, the fastest way to migrate will be the Mi Mover app, which is pre-installed on the system and allows you to transfer data directly over a Wi-Fi channel between two devices, bypassing the Internet and your computer.

The process starts with running the app on both smartphones, and on the old device, you have to select the role of "Sender" and on the new device, "Receiver." QR-When the code or connection to the created access point, the transfer of selected files will begin. 20-40 MB/s, which is much faster than Bluetooth.

Mi Mover is able to transfer not only media files and contacts, but also the applications themselves, along with their data (in some cases), as well as setting alarm clocks and Wi-Fi passwords, making the process of setting up a new gadget almost instantaneous.

However, it is worth considering that banking applications and some secure programs may require re-authorization on the new device for security reasons, and data within some games is not transferred unless it is linked to a social media account or a gaming service.

Create a full copy on your computer (PC Suite and Explorer)

For those who prefer to keep data under their control, copying to a personal computer is the best option.The official Mi PC Suite program has limited functionality and often does not work correctly with new versions of Android, so many users prefer the manual method through the Explorer.

Connect your smartphone to your PC using a high-quality cable and select USB mode File Transfer. The computer explorer will open the phone's file system. The main folders to copy are DCIM (camera photos and videos), Pictures (screenshots and images from instant messengers), Download and Documents.

The Android/media folder, which often stores app cache data, such as offline maps of navigators or music in streaming services, can take a long time to copy, but will save your local data, deserves special attention.

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Use the cable that came bundled with your phone or a certified USB 3.0-enabled counterpart for maximum data transfer speeds.

Regularly creating such copies, for example, once a month, will allow you to always have an up-to-date backup of important documents and correspondence archives that do not always fall into cloud sync.

Frequent problems and ways to solve them

Users may experience a variety of errors during the backup process, often because of space shortage or an unstable connection, and if the backup file is interrupted in the middle, the backup file may be corrupted and become unreadable.

Another common situation is the Mi Mover app’s failure to see the second device, in which case it helps to reboot the Wi-Fi module on both phones or temporarily shut down mobile traffic so that the system does not try to switch to it.

If you encounter an error called “Not enough space” when syncing with Mi Cloud, check the cloud cart. previously deleted files can take up space for 30 days, and their final deletion will free up space for a new backup.

• 🔄 Restart both devices if the connection is lost during transmission.
• 🗑️ Clean the cloud storage basket to free up space.
• 🔌 Use original cables for communication breaks with PC.

⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to interrupt the process of writing data to the phone’s internal memory by removing the battery (if it is not removable) or abruptly turning off the power, this may damage the file system.

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Regularity of backups is more important than volume: it is better to make small backups weekly than once a year.

Recovery of data after reset or on a new device

The final step is to restore the information correctly. When you first set up a new Xiaomi smartphone, the system will offer to restore data from the Mi Cloud or from the local backup file, if you select the appropriate option.

If you are using a local file from your computer, copy the AllBackup folder to the same directory on your new phone (MIUI/backup/). Then, through the recovery menu, select this file and start the process. The system will automatically unpack the settings and install the applications.

Recovery from Google Account occurs automatically when you enter your login and password during the initial setup of Android. Contacts, mail and previously installed applications will start loading in the background immediately after connecting to Wi-Fi.

Remember that it can take a long time to recover apps, as each of them will need to download the current version from the Google Play store. At this time, the phone may be slower than usual, so it is better to leave it alone for 30-60 minutes.