Google Backup on Xiaomi: Complete Data Saving Instruction

Losing data on a smartphone is one of the most frustrating situations a user can encounter: photos, contacts, messages, app settings can all disappear at once due to a system failure, a device being stolen or an accidental factory reset. Xiaomi smartphone owners are not immune to such risks, especially if they use custom firmware or often experiment with settings. MIUI. Fortunately, Google offers built-in backup tools that let you save almost all critical data in the cloud and easily restore it.

Many users mistakenly believe that syncing to a Google account automatically creates a full backup, but it's not really the case: it only saves contacts, calendars and some settings by default. To protect the rest of the data, photos are the only ones that save the default, SMS, Call log, Wi-Fi passwords, and even installed apps — you need to manually configure reservations. In this article, we will discuss all the available ways to create a backup on Xiaomi, including hidden features. MIUI, which few know.

Xiaomi's smartphones feature two parallel backup systems: standard from Google and branded from Xiaomi (Mi Cloud), which complement each other, but work differently. SMS And we'll show you how to use both of these things, and we'll show you how to use Google Drive to make your data as secure as possible.

It is important to understand that Google backup on Xiaomi does not include media files (photo/video) by default – they need to be saved separately through Google Photos or manually. MIUI (For example, topics or gestures may not recover after reset, and we will also take these nuances into account in the instructions below.

Why Google’s standard sync is not enough

When you add a Google account to a Xiaomi smartphone, the system automatically enables basic sync for several services: Contacts, Calendar, Gmail and Chrome. However, this is clearly not enough to fully protect data.

• 📱 Installed applications and their data (for example, progress in games or settings messengers)
• 📞 Call log and SMS-Messages (except archived in Google Messages)
• 🔑 Wi-Fi passwords and other network settings
• 🎵 Media files (photos, videos, music)
• ⚙️ System settings (wallpaper, brightness, sound profiles)

Moreover, even the data that is synchronized may not be restored correctly after a device is reset, such as contacts from Google Contacts sometimes duplicate or lose photos attached, and some apps (such as WhatsApp or banking services) are not set up at all via Google, but need separate backups.

Another problem is the limitations. MIUI. Xiaomi’s firmware often blocks background synchronization to save battery life, which can cause backups to be delayed or incomplete. Therefore, it is recommended to disable optimization for Google services before setting up the backup:

⚠️ Note: If you are using Battery Mode or Autostart Optimization in MIUI, Backups may not work well. Go to Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization and Add Google, Google Play Services and Google Drive to Exceptions.

To check what data is synced with your Google account right now, go to:

Settings → Accounts and sync → Google → [your account]

Here you'll see a complete list of services with switches. If there's a sync icon next to the item (🔄), So, it's updated, but even then, there's no guarantee of safety, so it's better to back up your data.

Method 1: Backup through Google Drive (full copy of the system)

The most reliable method is to use the built-in Backup feature in Google Drive, which is available on all Xiaomi smartphones with Android 6.0 and later.

• 📲 List of installed applications and part of their data
• 📞 Call log (if synchronization is enabled)
• ⚙️ Device settings (Wi-Fi, wallpaper, language settings)
• 🔒 Data from some system applications (e.g. Google Chrome or Gboard)

To activate this function, follow the following steps:

1. Open the settings on your Xiaomi.
2. Go to the Google section → Backup (on some versions) MIUI The path may be different: additional → Backup and reset → Backup of data).
3. Click Set up a backup and select your Google account.
4. Activate the Backup Switch in Google Drive.
5. Click Create Backup Now to start the process manually.

The first backup can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour, depending on the amount of data you have, and the subsequent backups will be automatically done when you connect to Wi-Fi and charge (once every 24 hours). Note that Google Drive only provides 15GB for free. If the space runs out, copies will no longer be created.

Wi-Fi connection (mobile internet may not be suitable)

Battery charge > 50% or connecting to the charger

There is plenty of free space in Google Drive (check in the box). [drive.google.com](https://drive.google.com))

Background restrictions for Google Play Services are disabled-->

Where are these backups stored? They can be found in the web version of Google Drive along the way:

Drive → Backup → [name of your device]

From here you can manually restore data to a new smartphone or after resetting the settings.

⚠️ Note: If you use Xiaomi with an unlocked bootloader or custom firmware, backup via Google Drive may not work smoothly, in which case it is recommended to additionally create a local copy through Mi Cloud or TWRP.

Method 2: Save photos and videos through Google Photos

As mentioned, media files are not part of Google’s standard backup, and you need to use a separate service, Google Photos, to save them, and this app automatically uploads all your photos and videos to the cloud, where they are stored in original quality (if High Quality is selected) or in compressed form (Save Space option).

To set up automatic backup:

1. Open the Google Photos app (if not, download from the Play Market).
2. Log in to your Google account.
3. Slip on the profile avatar in the upper right corner and select Photo Settings.
4. Go to Backup and Synchronization.
5. Activate the switch and select the download quality (Original or High).

Important nuances:

• 📸 Original quality takes up space in your Google Drive storage (15GB free).
• 🔍 High quality compresses files, but does not waste space in Drive (unlimited for photos up to 16 MP and videos up to) 1080p).
• 🚫 Photos and videos uploaded in high quality cannot be downloaded in the original resolution.

If you are taking pictures in a format RAW or you're filming a video in 4K, You can choose Original quality, but be prepared for 15GB to run out quickly:

• 💾 Buy extra space on Google One (from 100 GB per user) ~139 ₽/month).
• 🔄 Periodically clean the Recycle Bin in Google Photos (files are stored there for 60 days before final deletion).
• 📁 Use Mi Cloud to back up media (gives 5GB for free).

Only in the memory of the phone.

Automatically in Google Photos

I'm manually copying it to a computer.

Use Mi Cloud or other cloud

I don't keep, I delete old photos.-->

To check which files are already uploaded to the cloud, open Google Photos and go to the Photos tab (☁️) If there's no badge next to the photo, it's only stored on the device.

Method 3: Local backup via Mi Cloud

In addition to Google services, Xiaomi has its own cloud storage, the Mi Cloud, which provides 5 GB for free (versus 15 GB for Google Drive), but is better optimized for working with the cloud. MIUI. You can save it through Mi Cloud:

• 📱 Contacts (including notes thereto)
• 💬 SMS and MMS (Unlike Google, all emails are saved here)
• 📝 Notes from the Mi Notes app
• 📅 Calendar and reminders
• 🔄 Call log (with time stamps)

To activate reservations in Mi Cloud:

1. Open the Settings. → Mi Account (or Akkaunt Mi on some firmware).
2. Sign in to your Xiaomi account (if not, sign up).
3. Go to Mi Cloud → Backup.
4. Select the data to save (it is recommended to note all points).
5. Click Start backup.

The advantages of Mi Cloud over Google Drive are:

The main disadvantage of the Mi Cloud is that it's a small amount of free storage, if you're actively using it. SMS And in a notebook, 5GB might not be enough, so you'd better combine both services: Mi Cloud for the first time. SMS Contacts and Google Drive for apps and settings.

⚠️ Warning: If you reset your smartphone to factory settings and log into another Xiaomi account when you first turn on, the data from Mi Cloud will not recover. Always use the same account from which you used the backup!

Method 4: Manually copying important files to a computer

Cloud services are convenient, but they don’t offer 100% security guarantees. For example, if your Google or Xiaomi account is compromised, an attacker can delete all backups, so it’s recommended that you create local copies on your computer or external drive periodically.

What to copy manually:

• 📁 folder DCIM (All photos and video from the camera)
• 📁 Downloads folder (uploaded files)
• 📁 folder WhatsApp/Media (If you use WhatsApp)
• 📄 Files with.vcf extension (business card contacts)
• 🔐 Password files (if you store them in text form)

How to copy files from Xiaomi to PC:

1. Connect your smartphone to your computer through USB-cable.
2. On the phone, select File Transfer Mode (FTP or MTP).
3. Open This PC and find your device (usually displayed as Xiaomi or Redmi).
4. Go to the Internal Memory folder and copy the necessary data to the hard drive.

For convenience, you can use specialized programs:

• 🖥️ Mi PC Suite (Official Software from Xiaomi for File Management)
• 🔄 Syncthing (free utility for synchronizing folders over Wi-Fi)
• 📂 Total Commander with Android plugin (for advanced users)

💡

If you copy files to an external SSD or flash drive, use the exFAT file system – it supports files larger than 4 GB (unlike the one used by the filer). FAT32).

Remember that some apps (such as Telegram or Viber) store media files in their folders:

/storage/emulated/0/Telegram/Telegram Images


/storage/emulated/0/Viber/media/Viber Images

They are also worth copying if you do not want to lose the transferred photos after reinstalling the messenger.

Method 5: Backup through TWRP (for advanced users)

If you use custom firmware or you often experiment with system settings, standard backup methods may not work, in which case the best option is to create a complete image of the system through the system. TWRP (Team Win Recovery Project: This method allows you to save all the firmware, including:

• 📱 Full copy of the section /data (all user data)
• ⚙️ Section /system (system files and settings)
• 🔄 Section /boot (kernel and loader)
• 📶 Section /modem (linkage)

⚠️ Warning: This method requires an unlocked bootloader and installed TWRP Mistakes can lead to a device blink (completely inoperable).If you are unsure of your skills, skip this section.

Instructions for creating a backup through TWRP:

1. Turn off your smartphone and press the power button + Loudness up to enter into TWRP.
2. In the main menu, select Backup.
3. Check the Boot, System, Data and Modem sections.
4. Select a location for saving (external recommended) SD plugged OTG-accumulator).
5. Swipe to the right to start the process.

Recovery from such a backup takes 10-30 It returns the device to its exact state at the time it made the copy:

• 🔐 Root rights and settings Magisk
• 🎮 Game data with device-related
• 🛠️ Modified system files

The main minus TWRP — Backups take up a lot of space (10-30 GB for a full copy, and they can't be restored to another device (even the same model) because the binding goes to a particular device.

How to Recover Data from a Backup

Building a backup is only half the battle, and it's equally important to be able to recover data properly, especially after you reset your settings or buy a new smartphone, and let's look at the process for each of these methods.

Recovery from Google Drive:

1. When you first turn on your smartphone, select Copy Data.
2. Log in to the same Google account that was used for backup.
3. Select a backup from the list (it will be named by device model and date).
4. Mark data for recovery (applications, settings, SMS).
5. Wait until the process is completed (it can take up to an hour).

Recovery from Mi Cloud:

1. When setting up your phone, select Restore from Mi Cloud.
2. Log in to Xiaomi's account.
3. Select the last backup copy.
4. Confirm the recovery. SMS, contact and note.

Recovery through TWRP:

1. Download to TWRP Recovery.
2. Choose Restore.
3. Specify the backup folder and mark the sections for recovery.
4. Swipe for confirmation.

If you are restoring data to a new smartphone, take into account the following nuances:

• 📱 Apps will recover, but some may require re-entry.
• 🔒 Wi-Fi passwords will only be transferred if the new model supports the same version of Android.
• 📞 SMS Mi Cloud will be fully recovered, and Google Drive will be restored only if Google Messages was used.

💡

If after recovery, some applications do not work correctly (for example, fly out), clear their cache in the settings or reinstall manually.

Frequent mistakes and their solution

Even with the right backup setup, users often face problems, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to fix them:

If you encounter an error that is not in the table, try the following generic steps:

1. Reboot your smartphone.
2. Check if synchronization is enabled in your account settings.
3. Update Google Play Services and Google Drive to the latest version.
4. Clear the cache of these applications in Settings → Annexes.

If the problem persists, contact Google or Xiaomi with error logs to get them:

Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (shap 7 times to turn on the developer mode)


Settings → Additional → For developers → Error log

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions