How to recover a deleted note on Xiaomi: from the cart to deep scanning

You're not alone: according to statistics, one in three users lose data due to accidental pressing or system failure. Fortunately, MIUI has built-in protection mechanisms, and for complex cases, reliable workarounds. In this article, we'll look at all possible recovery methods, from a standard shopping cart to professional tools like DiskDigger or EaseUS MobiSaver.

It's important to understand that success depends on two factors: the time elapsed after deleting and the sync settings. If the note was deleted recently (within 30 days) and synced with MI Cloud is enabled, the chances of recovery are close to 100%, otherwise you will have to resort to backups or memory scanning, starting with the simplest one: checking the cart.

1. Checking the basket in the app “Notes”

Xiaomi’s standard Notes app (including Redmi, POCO, and Mi) automatically sends deleted records to the bin, where they are stored for up to 30 days, the first and fastest way to recover data.

To find the basket:

📱 Open the Notes app (icon with yellow notebook).
🗑️ Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → pick the basket.
🔍 Scroll through the list of deleted notes. Click on the one you want. → Restore.
📤 For Mass Recovery: Hold a Note → mark others → press Restore.

If the cart is empty or the note has been deleted for more than a month, move on to the next method. Note: manually cleaning the cart (the "Clean the cart" button) deletes the data irrevocably - even professional utilities will not be able to restore it.

📊 How often do you back up notes on Xiaomi?

Never.

Once a month

Automatically via MI Cloud

I use third-party services.

2. Recovery via MI Cloud (cloud storage)

MI Cloud is a cloud service from Xiaomi that automatically syncs notes, contacts and other data. If the feature was activated before deleting, the note can be returned via the web version or mobile application.

Instructions for recovery:

🌐 Go to i.mi.com and log in to the same Mi Account as you do on your phone.
📝 In the menu, select Notes. → find the right record.
💾 If you don’t have a note, check the Recycle Bin partition in the cloud (similar to the mobile version).
📲 Alternative: Open the settings on the phone → Mi Account → MI Cloud → Notes and turn on sync if it has been disabled.

If the note is not displayed in the cloud, it may have been disabled, in which case the backup will help (see next section).

💡

Before you restore through MI Cloud, check if there is no space in the cloud. If the limit (5 GB for a free account) is exhausted, the new data will not sync.

3.Using backups of MIUI

Local backups are a lifeline if the cloud doesn't work. Xiaomi lets you create backups manually or on schedule, including notes. Here's how to find and restore them:

Steps to recover:

🔧 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Backup and reset → Local backups.
📅 Select the most recent copy (check the date of creation – it must be before the note is deleted).
🔄 Press Restore. → tick off Notes → confirm.
⚠️ Attention: Recovery will rewrite current data. Pre-save important notes to another account.

If there are no local copies, try cloud backups:

In Settings → Mi Account → MI Cloud → Backup.
Select the device and date of the copy.
Click Restore and wait until it is completed (may take up to 30 minutes).

What to do if the backup is damaged?

If you have a file corrupted error when you restore, try 1. Reboot your phone. 2. Delete the damaged copy and create a new one (if the data is not critical). 3. Use third-party utilities like Mi PC Suite to recover via your computer.

4.Restore via Google Drive (for notes synced with Google)

If you use Google Keep or other synced note-taking apps through your Google Account, check:

Step-by-step:

🔍 Open Google Drive on your computer.
🗃️ In the menu on the left, select Recycle Bin (deleted files are stored there for 60 days).
📄 Find files with the.json extension or Notes folder (if you used Google Keep).
🔄 Restore the file. → Sync notes on your phone through Settings → Accounts. → Google.

For Google Keep:

Open the Google Keep app on your phone.
Slip on three lines in the upper left corner → Archive or Basket.
Find the note → click on it → Restore.

💡

Google Drive stores deleted files for longer (60 days vs. 30 in MIUI), but only works if notes were originally synced with Google Account.

5. Professional utilities for deep scanning

If standard methods don't work, you'll have to scan your internal memory with specialized programs, which is suitable for notes that have been deleted more than 30 days ago or without backups, and it's important that you don't write new data to your phone until you recover it, because they can overwrite deleted files.

The best tools for Xiaomi:

Programme	Xiaomi support	Free version	Deep scanning.
DiskDigger	Yeah (root requires)	Limited.	Yes.
EaseUS MobiSaver	Yeah (no root)	Trial.	Yes.
Dr.Fone	Yes (for MIUI 12+)	No.	Yes.
Recuva (for PC)	Partially (via ADB)	Yes.	No.

DiskDigger (most effective for Xiaomi):

📱 Install DiskDigger from Google Play.
🔍 Run the scan (select Full Scan to look for notes).
📄 After completion, mark the found notes (.txt or.db format).
💾 Save them to a memory card or to the cloud.

⚠️ Attention: For deep scanning, DiskDigger requires root rights. Without them, the program will find only thumbnails and cached data. Getting root will void the warranty and may cause system failures.

6.Manual recovery via ADB (for power users)

If you're familiar with ADB (Android Debug Bridge), you can try extracting notes directly from system files, which works even if the phone isn't rooted, but requires USB debugging enabled.

Step-by-step:

🖥️ Install Android SDK Platform-Tools on PC.
📱 On the phone: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Tap 7 times to activate the developer mode) → Go back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Turn on Debugging. USB.
🔌 Connect your phone to your PC and execute on the command line: Adb devices (should display your device).
📂 Remove the Notes Database: Adb pull /data/data/com.miui.notes/shared_prefs/com.miui.notes_preferences.xml adb pull /data/data/com.miui.notes/databases/notes.db
🔍 Open notes.db with SQLite Browser and find deleted entries.

This method is complex, but sometimes allows you to recover notes that even professional utilities do not find. Risks: the wrong ADB commands can damage system files.

1. USB debugging enabled

2. Xiaomi drivers installed on PC

3. Battery charge > 50%

4. Current data backup made

5.Cable USB original (not cheap replica)-->

7. Contact Xiaomi Support

If all methods are exhausted, official support remains. Xiaomi does not guarantee data recovery, but in rare cases it can help, especially if the problem is related to a failure of the MI Cloud.

How to make a request:

🌍 Go to the support page.
📧 Select Contacts → Online chat or e-mail.
📝 Specify: Phone model (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro)+). Date and time of deletion of the note. MI Cloud. Mi Account number (hide personal data!).
📎 Attach screenshots of the cart, synchronization settings and errors (if any).

The response time is 24 hours to 5 days, and the chances of success are minimal, but if a note is critical (such as a password or legal information), it's worth a try.

⚠️ Warning: Don't trust "specialists" who offer to recover data for money through remote access. These are scammers! Xiaomi never asks for a fee to recover notes.

FAQ: Frequent Questions About Recovering Notes on Xiaomi

Can I recover a note that was deleted more than a year ago?

Theoretically, yes, but only if: The phone has never had a complete flashing (it erases all data irrevocably), you have not used the Clear all data function in the settings. You have physical access to the phone (remote recovery through the cloud is impossible after 30 days), try DiskDigger with a deep scan or contact the service center with a request to retrieve data via Chip-Off (reading from memory chips), the cost of such a service is from 5 000 rubles.

Why is it that I don't have a note in the MIUI basket when less than 30 days have passed?

Possible reasons: You manually cleaned the cart (Clear the Recycle Bin button) The note was deleted from another account (e.g., a work profile) The Notes app has been updated or reinstalled, it resets the cart. The phone activates Memory Optimization, which automatically clears the cache and temporary files. Solution: check MI Cloud or local backups.

How to recover notes after resetting the phone to factory settings?

After a hard reset, you can only recover notes if: You synced them with MI Cloud before reset. Then they automatically load when you first log in. You have a backup of MIUI (see section 3). You used third-party applications (such as Google Keep or Evernote) that sync with their clouds. If none of this works, the data is lost forever. In the future, set up automatic backup to Settings → Mi Cloud Account → MI → Backup.

Are recovery programs (like Dr.Fone) working on new Xiaomi models (2023-2026)?

Yes, but with reservations: 📱 Without root: programs will only find cached data (miniatures, parts of text) and no full recovery is possible due to limitations. MIUI 14/15. 🔓 With root: the odds are higher, but the risks are also – loss of warranty, possible failures after rooting. 🚫 On encrypted phones: if the settings enable Device Encryption (defaulted), even root won't help - the data is encrypted with a hardware key. 13/14 series and Redmi Note 12/13 We recommend EaseUS MobiSaver – it works better with new versions. MIUI.

Can I recover notes from a broken Xiaomi screen?

Yes, there are three options: Connect to a PC: If the phone is turned on but the screen is not working, connect it to the computer via USB and use MI PC Suite for data extraction. OTG-Mouse: If the sensor is working, connect it USB-mouse-wise OTG-Adapter and control your phone blindly (remember the location of the buttons in the Notes app).Recovery mode: if the phone doesn't turn on, try booting into Fastboot (hold power). + Volume down) and flash the stock firmware through the Mi Flash Tool. Attention: this will delete all data if there was no backup! If the screen is completely dead, contact the service center for direct memory reading (service paid, from 3 000 rubles).