Xiaomi backup: how to save all data without loss

Losing important data on a smartphone is a situation that almost every user has faced. Vacation photos, work contacts, messaging or saved passwords can disappear at once due to a system failure, theft of a device or accidental factory reset. Xiaomi offers several built-in tools to create backups, but not all owners know how to use them correctly.

In this article, we will analyze 5 proven ways to create a backup on Redmi smartphones, POCO and Mi - from standard functions MIUI You'll learn how to save not only media files, but also system settings, application data, and even call history. And we will also tell you why backup through Google Account can be useless when changing firmware to custom – this nuance is often overlooked.

Why the standard backup in MIUI not always reliable

Built-in backup function in MIUI (available in Settings → The phone. → Backups seem convenient: they save contacts, messages, notes, and even some application settings:

• 🔄 Incomplete backup: Data from some system applications (such as Mi Fit or Mi Home) is not stored, as well as cache files that may be important for the operation of programs.
• 📱 Firmware binding: if you decide to move from MIUI Globally MIUI China or custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience), it will not be possible to recover data from a standard backup.
• ⏳ Long-term recovery: with a large amount of data (e.g., 50).+ GB photo) the process can take several hours, and in case of failure - interrupt without the possibility of restarting.

Another pitfall is backup encryption, where if you encrypt a backup with a password and then forget it, you can't recover it, and Xiaomi doesn't provide backup password reset tools like Apple or Samsung.

⚠️ Note: If you plan to sell or transfer your smartphone to another person, be sure to remove all backups from internal memory via Settings. → Memory. → Files. → Backups may contain personal data, including location history and Wi-Fi passwords.

Method 1: Backup copy through MIUI (locally)

The easiest way is to use the built-in function. MIUI. It allows you to save data to both the device itself and the Mi Cloud.

Local backup for a smartphone

This is a good way to save data quickly before resetting or updating your firmware.

1. Open Settings → About the phone → Backup.
2. Click Create Backup and select data categories (contacts, messages, apps, etc.).
3. Specify the location of the storage — internal memory or SD-card (if supported).
4. Start the process and wait until it is completed (it can take 5 to 30 minutes depending on the amount of data).

The finished backup will be saved in the folder MIUI/backup/AllBackup. It can be copied to a PC or other media for reliability.

Cloud Backup in Mi Cloud

To sync with Mi Cloud, you need to:

1. Register or log into your Xiaomi account (Settings) → Xiaomi account).
2. Enable synchronization of the necessary data in Settings → The phone. → Backup → Mi Cloud.
3. Select categories (contacts, notes, photos, etc.) and start the download.

Note that the free tariff Mi Cloud provides only 5 GB of memory. for backup photos and videos this is clearly not enough – you will have to buy more space or use alternative services.

Battery charge > 50%|Free space on the device > 2 GB|A stable Wi-Fi connection (for the cloud)|Memory optimizers are disabled (for example, Security App)-->

Method 2: Google Account – Pros and Cons

Sync with Google Account is a standard method for all Android devices, including Xiaomi.

• 📇 Contacts (via Google Contacts)
• 📅 Calendar and reminders
• 📱 Data from some applications (e.g. Chrome, Gmail, Google Keep)
• 📍 Location history (if included)

To activate synchronization:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Select your account and turn on the switches opposite the desired categories.
3. For Forced Synchronization, press More → Sync Now.

However, this method has serious limitations:

⚠️ Note: If you plan to upgrade to custom firmware (like LineageOS), the backup through your Google Account may not recover. /data In informal assemblies, in which case it is better to use TWRP or Swift Backup.

Method 3: TWRP — Full backup for advanced users

TWRP (Team Win Recovery Project is a custom recovery that allows you to create complete partition images (including: /data, /system and /boot). This backup ensures that the device is restored to its exact state at the time of copy creation, even after changing the firmware.

However, the method has disadvantages:

• 🔧 Requires unlocking the bootloader (will lead to a data reset!).
• 📱 Not all Xiaomi models support all of them. TWRP (For example, the Redmi Note 12 may have encryption issues).
• 💾 Backup takes up a lot of space (full image) /data for 128 GB of memory can weigh 50+ GB).

Instructions for creating a backup through TWRP:

1. Install. TWRP via fastboot (see instructions for your model) XDA Developers or 4PDA).
2. Boot into recovery: Turn off the phone, then press Power + Volume up.
3. V TWRP Select Backup and select Data, System, Boot.
4. Click Swipe to Back Up and wait until it is finished.
5. Copy the folder. TWRP from internal memory to PC or cloud.

Important: Backup through TWRP not compatible between different versions of Android, for example, if you have backup MIUI 13 (Android 11) and then upgraded to MIUI 14 (Android 12), data recovery may not work.

Method 4: Backup apps - top-3 decision

If embedded tools MIUI You don't like it, you can use third-party apps, and we've tested dozens of programs, and we've selected three of the most reliable ones.

1.Swift Backup (for root users)

Swift Backup is one of the few apps that can create backup apps with data (including games and instant messengers).

• 🔄 Supports cloud sync with Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.
• 📱 It works without. TWRP, but requires root rights.
• 🔧 Allows selective data recovery (for example, only WhatsApp correspondence).

Price: Free with restrictions, full version — ~300 rubles.

2. SMS Backup & Restore

If you only need to save it SMS, MMS And the call log, this app is the best choice:

• 📱 It works without root.
• 🔄 Exports data to.xml or.csv (can be opened on PC).
• 📤 Supports uploading to Google Drive or Email.

3. Titanium Backup (Old, but Still Working)

Titanium Backup is a legendary backup app, but it requires root and hasn't been updated since 2018.

• 📦 Save all user applications with data.
• 🔧 Freeze unnecessary system applications (e.g. Mi Browser or Mi Music).
• 📤 Create.zip archives for recovery through TWRP.

Disadvantage: the interface is outdated, and some features may not work on new versions of Android 12+.

Method 5: Manual backup of important data on a PC

If you don't trust clouds and applications, the most reliable way is to copy data to your computer manually, which takes longer, but guarantees 100% control over files.

What can be saved:

• 📸 Photo and video: folder DCIM/Camera and Pictures.
• 📄 Documents: Download folders, Documents.
• 🎵 Music and sounds: Music, Ringtones folders.
• 📱 Contacts: Export to.vcf via Contacts → Settings → Exports.

Instructions:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC through USB-cable (select File Transfer Mode in the Notification Curtain).
2. Open internal memory in Windows Explorer or Finder (macOS).
3. Copy the required folders to the hard disk.
4. For backups SMS and use the calls SMS Backup & Restore (see Method 4).

⚠️ Note: If you copy files to macOS, be sure to click "Extract" in Finder before disabling the device. Otherwise, there is a risk of file damage due to caching.

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To speed up copying large files (e.g. video) 4K), use USB 3.0 cable and port on PC. Speed difference compared to USB 2.0 can reach 10 times!

How to Recover Data from a Backup

The recovery process depends on what backup method you used. Let's look at the basic scenarios.

Recovery from MIUI Backup

If you created a backup through standard settings MIUI:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup.
2. Click Restore and select the desired backup file.
3. Mark the data categories and confirm the recovery.

If the backup has been encrypted, you will need to enter a password.

Recovery through TWRP

To restore the full image:

1. Download to TWRP (Nutrition + Volume Up).
2. Select Restore and specify the folder with backup.
3. Mark the necessary sections (Data, System, etc.) and confirm.

If the recovery is interrupted with the error "Failed to mount" /data", try:

• Format the section /data into TWRP (data will be deleted!).
• Use a newer version TWRP.

Recovery from Google Account

When you first set up your smartphone after resetting:

1. Connect to Wi-Fi and log in to Google Account.
2. In the "Copy Data" step, select Restore from backup.
3. Specify the desired backup (sorted by date and model of the device).

If the recovery is stalled during the "App Optimization" phase, wait 10-15 minutes. If the process is not moving further, restart the device and try again.

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Before recovering data, be sure to check the version MIUI. If the backup was made on a newer firmware than the current one, compatibility errors may occur.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

Even with the right backup, users often have trouble recovering, and let's look at the most common ones.

If none of the methods worked, try extracting data manually. ADB:

adb pull /sdcard/path to PC

This command will copy all the files from the internal memory to the computer. USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Press 7 times, then additionally → For developers → Debugging by USB).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions