Xiaomi’s modern smartphone is a digital hub that stores thousands of vital files, from family photos to work documents and passwords. Losing data due to a device breakdown or accidental reset can be a disaster. That’s why the question of how to reliably and quickly save data from Xiaomi to your computer worries every owner of the gadget.
In this article, we’ll look at all the current backup methods, from classic USB connections to cloud services. You’ll learn about the intricacies of working with the Android file system and understand which method is best suited to your situation.
Before you start manipulating, it's important to understand that different types of data require different approaches. Photos can just be dragged around, and to save WhatsApp history or system settings, you'll need special tools. We'll look at every aspect so you can create a full copy of your smartphone.
Preparation of the device and selection of the copying method
Before starting the backup process, you need to do basic training that will take just a couple of minutes but save you hours of nerves. Make sure your USB cable is healthy and capable of transmitting data, not just charging the battery. Cheap cables often don't have the right contacts inside, making it impossible to connect to a PC.
It’s also worth freeing up space on your computer’s hard drive. A backup can weigh tens of gigabytes, especially if you plan to save video in 4K. Check the available space and select a folder where you’ll fold files so you don’t search for them all over the drive.
There are several basic ways to transfer information, and the choice depends on your goals:
- 🔌 Direct connection to USB — The fastest way to get a lot of volume.
- ☁️ Using Mi Cloud and Google Drive is convenient for automating the process.
- 💻 Programme Mi PC Suite – to create complete system images.
- 🌐 Local area network (FTP/Wi-Fi) — wirelessly.
Each method has its advantages and limitations, for example, a wired connection guarantees a stable speed, but it keeps you in place. Wireless methods give you freedom of movement, but depend on the quality of the router.
Direct USB Connection: Drive Mode
The easiest and most affordable way to copy media files is to use your smartphone as an external drive, so connect the device to your computer using a cable, and you'll see a notification on your smartphone screen about the type of connection.
It is important to change the USB mode. By default, the phone can only charge. Click on the notification and select File Transfer or MTP. After that, a new drive will appear on Windows with the name of your Xiaomi.
The guide window that opens, you're mostly interested in two folders: the DCIM folder contains all the photos and videos captured on camera; the MIUI/Gallery folder can store edited images or screenshots.
⚠️ Warning: Do not remove the cable while you are actively writing files! This can cause damage to the file system and loss of some data.
If you're looking for messenger files like WhatsApp, they're usually in the Android/media folder. The folder structure may seem confusing, but the navigation is intuitive. Just copy the directories to the hard drive.
To speed up the process, you can copy files in bundles, but don't overload the clipboard if you have a weak computer. It's better to break 100 GB of data into several stages of 10-20 GB.
Use of Mi PC Suite and system backups
For those who want to save not only files, but also settings, call history and SMS, a regular conductor will not be enough. The built-in MIUI backup feature allows you to create a full cast of the system.
To create a local backup, go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Restore. Select to create a new copy and mark all the necessary points. Once the process is complete, the backup file will appear in internal memory.
This file has the.bak extension and is located on the MIUI/backup/AllBackup path, and this is the file you need to copy to your computer for safekeeping, and in the future you can recover data from it even on another Xiaomi device.
☑️ Checklist to create a full backup
The old Mi PC Suite is now unstable and often doesn’t see new models, and it’s much more efficient to use built-in system tools or third-party utilities like AdbAppControl or Mi Flash (for advanced users).
When recovering data from the system backup, make sure the MIUI version on the new phone is no lower than the old one, otherwise some settings may not apply correctly.
Working with cloud storage and synchronization
Cloud technology automates data storage. Xiaomi Cloud is deeply integrated into the MIUI shell and can synchronize contacts, notes, voice recorders and gallery.
You just have to go to the official website of the service through the browser to access files from your computer, and you'll see all your synced data there, but there's a 5GB limit on free space, which is not enough for a video archive.
The alternative is Google Photos and Google Drive. They provide secure storage and have great image search apps. Set up autoload in the Google Photos app and your pictures will always be safe.
| Service | Free seat | Type of data | Speed of operation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi Cloud | 5GB | Systems, Photos | Tall. |
| Google Drive | 15GB | Files, Documents. | Medium |
| Telegram (Saved) | limitless | Files up to 2 GB | Depends on the network. |
| Yandex.Disk. | 10GB | Any files. | High (in Russian Federation) |
The advantage of using the cloud is that data is available from anywhere in the world, and even if your phone falls into the water, you can log in from any device and download important documents.
Keep in mind that the cloud requires a stable Internet connection to work, and with tariffed traffic, it is better to enable Wi-Fi-only synchronization in the application settings.
Wireless transmission over local area network and FTP
If you don't have a cable on hand, but you have a Wi-Fi router, you can use FTP, which turns the file manager of your smartphone into a server that's accessible from your computer.
The standard Explorer app on Xiaomi has a built-in feature. Click on the menu (three bars) and select Network Access or FTP. Click Launch.
The screen will show an address, such as ftp://192.168.1.55:2121. Type this address into the address bar of "My Computer" in Windows. Now you see the phone files without wires.