How to return deleted notes on Xiaomi smartphones: from the basket to deep recovery

Losing important notes on Xiaomi is a familiar situation for many. Whether it’s accidental deletion, resetting or system failure, it’s often possible to recover valuable records. In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can return notes, from standard app features to advanced methods using backups and third-party utilities.

The Notes app on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones is integrated with the Mi Account ecosystem, giving users additional recovery options, but what you don't know is that even after cleaning the cart, the chances of getting your data back are still there, provided you act quickly and correctly.

Important: the effectiveness of the methods depends on whether the notes are synchronized with the cloud, whether the autoback was turned on, and how long it has been since the removal, and the earlier you start recovery, the better the chances of success.

1.Recover notes through the basket in the app “Notes”

The easiest way to return deleted records is to check the shopping cart in the app itself. By default, deleted notes are stored there for 30 days, after which they are permanently erased. The instructions are relevant for all Xiaomi models (including Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 11, etc.):

1. Open the Notes app (yellow notebook icon).
2. Slip on three horizontal lines (☰) top-left.
3. Select the basket item.
4. Find the desired note, click on it and select Restore.

If the cart is empty or notes are missing early, move on to the next method. On some firmware (for example, MIUI 14), the basket may be hidden - update the application through Google Play or the App Store (for POCO F5 with global firmware).

2. Recovery via Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

If your Xiaomi had Mi Cloud sync enabled, the notes could have been saved to the cloud, and this method works even after you reset your phone to factory settings or replace your device.

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Mi Account and make sure you are authorized.
• 🔄 Go to Mi Cloud. → Sync and turn on Notes slider if it is turned off.
• ☁️ Visit i.mi.com from your computer or phone, log in.
• 📝 In the Notes section, find the required records and copy them manually or export them.

Important: if synchronization has been disabled, this method will not work. Also note that in the free tariff of Mi Cloud, only 5 GB of memory is available - when overflowing, old data can be deleted automatically.

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Before you restore through the cloud, check if the password from Mi Account has changed. When you change your password, sync may temporarily stop.

3.Use backup via Mi PC Suite

If you've ever backed up your phone with official Mi PC Suite software, you'll have a chance to extract notes from the archive, which is suitable for users who regularly connect Xiaomi to a computer.

1. Download and install Mi PC Suite on PC.
2. Connect your smartphone via USB (enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version by pressing 7 times).
3. In the program, select Backup → Restore.
4. Specify the date of the backup in which the notes were taken and confirm the recovery.

Note that recovery from the backup will overwrite the current data on the phone, and if it's been a long time since you created the copy, some of the notes may be missing.

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

Some Xiaomi users are setting up sync notes with Google Drive instead of Mi Cloud. If you logged in to the Notes app through a Google account, try:

• 🌐 Open Google Drive in your browser.
• 🔍 In the search bar, type:note or note title.
• 📥 If you find files, download them in.txt or.json format.
• 📲 Transfer files back to your phone and import through the Notes app (if supported).

This method will only work for notes created or edited during active sync with Google. New Xiaomi models (like Xiaomi 13T) use Mi Cloud by default, so check your sync settings beforehand.

5. Deep Recovery Programs (without root)

If standard methods didn't work, you can try specialized data recovery tools that scan the phone's internal memory for deleted files. Importantly, don't install programs on the smartphone itself, it can overwrite deleted data. Use a PC and connect Xiaomi as a drive.

Algorithm of working with programs:

1. Install the utility on the PC.
2. Connect Xiaomi to USB in File Transfer mode.
3. Select the Android Data Recovery section.
4. Mark the file type of Documents or Databases.
5. Wait for the scan and save the notes found.

⚠️ Note: After deleting notes, do not write new data to your phone (do not install apps, do not take photos). This reduces the chances of successful recovery, as new files can overwrite deleted files.

6.Manual recovery via ADB (for power users)

If you're familiar with ADB, you can try extracting the note database directly, which requires USB debugging enabled and doesn't work on all firmware.

adb pull /data/data/com.miui.notes/shared_prefs/com.miui.notes_preferences.xml


adb pull /data/data/com.miui.notes/databases/notes.db

Note.db contains all notes in encrypted or open form. Use programs like DB Browser for SQLite to view them. Note that on MIUI 14 and newer, the base can be protected without root permissions to open it.

Install ADB-PC drivers

Enable debugging over USB on Xiaomi

Connect your phone to the original cable

Download the ADB platform tools (platform-tools)

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7.Losses prevention: how to protect notes in the future

To avoid looking for ways to recover, it is better to set up data protection in advance. Here are 5 mandatory steps for Xiaomi owners:

• ☁️ Enable autosynchronization with Mi Cloud: Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Notes.
• 📥 Export important notes manually: Open the note → ☰ → Exports (available in.txt or.html formats).
• 🔄 Create local copies through Settings → System system → Backup.
• 📧 Send copies to email: highlight the text of the note → Share. → Email.
• 🔒 Use third-party cloud-backed apps (like Google Keep or OneNote).

Xiaomi models with MIUI 13/14 have a feature called Secure Notes, which are encrypted and stored separately.

1. Open the note. → ☰ → Password-protected.
2. Set a PIN or pattern lock.
3. Sync protected notes via Mi Cloud (password confirmation required).

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Regularly exporting notes to the cloud or PC reduces the risk of permanent data loss by up to 1-2%.

FAQ: Frequent Questions About Recovering Notes on Xiaomi