How to Recover Data from Xiaomi Cloud: 5 Ways to Work (2026)

Losing important photos, contacts or documents from Xiaomi Cloud is a situation that one in five users of Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphones face. The reasons are different: accidental deletion, resetting the phone to factory settings, synchronization errors or even account hacking. Fortunately, Mi Cloud cloud storage provides several ways to recover data - both through official tools and bypasses.

In this article, we will discuss all the current methods of file return from the Xiaomi cloud, including hidden web features, working with archive copies and even restoring through third-party services (if standard methods did not work), especially focusing on typical errors, such as when the cloud shows a blank folder or requires two-factor authentication after changing the phone number. All instructions are checked on the updated Mi Cloud interface 2026 and are suitable for users from Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and other CIS countries.

Before you start, make sure you have access to a Mi Account (login and password) linked to the cloud. Without this, it is almost impossible to recover data - even appealing for Xiaomi will require confirmation of account rights. If you forget your password, first use the instructions for restoring access at the end of the article.

1.Recovery via the official Mi Cloud website

The easiest way to return deleted files is to use the web version of Mi Cloud on your computer or other device, which works if the data was deleted less than 30 days ago (recycle bin shelf life) or if it simply does not appear in the mobile application due to a sync failure.

To get started:

• 🌐 Go to i.mi.com and log in to your Mi Account.
• 📁 Select the section with the desired data: Photos, Contacts, Notes or Files.
• 🗑️ If files are deleted, open the Recycle Bin (the icon in the upper right corner) and restore them with one click.
• 🔄 The Version is available for photos, showing changes over the past 7 days (similar to "File History" in Google Drive).

An important caveat: if you deleted a file more than a month ago, it will disappear from the recycle bin irrevocably, however, Xiaomi sometimes stores archived copies of data on servers for up to 6 months - they can be requested through support (more on this in section 4).

⚠️ Note: When you restore contacts or notes from the shopping cart, they will replace the current data on the device. If you add new contacts after deleting, they will have to be exported in advance (via Settings). → System system → Imports/exports).

Log in to i.mi.com| Check the Recycle Bin section | Download backup of current contacts (if needed) | Make sure there is enough room on the device to sync-->

2.Recovery through the Mi Cloud mobile app

If the web version didn’t help or you prefer to work from a smartphone, use the official Mi Cloud app (pre-installed on all Xiaomi devices).

1. Open the Mi Cloud app (the cloud icon on your desktop).
2. Slip on the avatar in the upper right corner and select Account Management.
3. Go to the Cloud Storage section → Basket.
4. Select the files you need and click Restore.

For photos and videos, the Albums option is available → Recently deleted, where files are stored for up to 15 days (as opposed to 30 days in the web version). If the application gives an error "No connection to the server", try:

• 📶 Switch from mobile to Wi-Fi (or vice versa).
• 🔄 Update the Mi Cloud app to Google Play or App Store.
• 📱 Clear the app cache through Settings → Annexes → Mi Cloud → Warehouse.

It’s worth noting that the mobile version of Mi Cloud sometimes doesn’t show all the files, especially if they were downloaded from another device, in which case the web version or specialized PC software will help.

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If the Mi Cloud app doesn't show photos, try enabling the "Show Hidden Files" option in the gallery settings. Sometimes the cloud automatically archives media files if the device runs out of space.

3.Recovery through Mi Cloud backup

If you reset your phone to factory settings or bought a new Xiaomi smartphone, you can retrieve the data from a full backup you created earlier.

• 📱 System settings (Wi-Fi, wallpaper, sounds).
• 📞 Contacts, messages, call history.
• 📝 Notes, calendar, browser Mi Browser.
• 🎵 Music and documents (if included in a copy).

Instructions for remediation:

1. On a new or reset device, go through the initial setup before the “Data Recovery” step.
2. Choose Restore from Mi Cloud and log in to your account.
3. From the list of available copies, select the latest (dates of creation are indicated).
4. Tick the desired data categories and click Restore.

The process can take anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours depending on the amount of data and the speed of the Internet. If the copy does not appear, check:

• 🔒 Is your current Mi Account linked to the same device that made the copy.
• 🗓️ Has the copy expired (standard 6 months).
• 📡 Internet connection stability (when the recovery breaks).

⚠️ Warning: Restore from backup will completely replace the current data on the device. If you have already added new contacts or files after reset, they will have to be saved manually before recovery.

4.Speaking to Xiaomi: When Nothing Helps

If standard methods fail (e.g. files deleted more than 30 days ago or the cart is empty), the last chance is to contact Xiaomi’s support team, which stores archived copies of data on servers for up to 6 months, and in some cases can restore them.

To increase the chances of success:

1. Prepare proof of account ownership: 📄 Screenshots of Xiaomi device purchases in your name. 📧 Mi Account Confirmation Letters (if saved). 💳 Payment check for Mi Cloud Premium (if you bought a place).
2. Write in support through: 🌍 Official website (Contact Us section). 📧 E-mail: support@xiaomi.com (in English or ru_support@xiaomi.com (Russian). 💬 Chat in the Mi Community app (Feedback section).
3. Specify in the address: 🆔 Mi Account ID (You can find the settings → Mi Account → Personal information). 📅 Exact date of deletion of files (if you remember). 📌 Type of data (photos, contacts, etc.) and their approximate number.

The time frame for processing the request is 3 to 10 working days, and if support fails, you can try:

• 🔄 Repeat a request via another channel (for example, after refusing to mail to chat).
• 📢 Posting a post on Mi Community with the hashtag #HelpMeXiaomi – sometimes moderators help speed up the process.

5. Alternative methods: third-party tools

If the official methods didn't work, you can try informal data recovery tools, and it's important to understand that these are the ways to do this.

• ⚠️ May violate Xiaomi’s privacy policy.
• 🛡️ Care must be taken (the risk of losing access to your account if you have suspicious activity).
• 💻 Mostly they work only on PCs.

Among the tested tools:

• 🔧 Mi Cloud Explorer (unofficial client for Windows) – allows you to download files from the cloud, bypassing the limitations of the mobile application. 🔗 GitHub (Python skills required).
• 📥 JDownloader 2 – can parse direct links to files from Mi Cloud if you have access to the web version.
• 📁 Rclone – a console utility for working with cloud storage, including Mi Cloud (technical knowledge required).

To use Mi Cloud Explorer:

1. Install Python 3.8+


2. Download the repository from GitHub




Enter at the terminal:




pip install -r requirements.txt




python micloud.py




4. log in via token (instructions in README file)

⚠️ Warning: Unofficial tools may require username/password input from Mi Account. Never enter data on suspicious sites - only use proven open source repositories (like GitHub).

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Before using third-party tools, be sure to enable two-factor authentication in Mi Account (Settings → Security) to protect your account even if the data is leaked.

6. How to avoid future data loss

To avoid having to restore files, follow the simple rules:

• 🔄 Enable automatic synchronization in Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud for all critical data (contacts, photos, notes).
• 📅 Regularly (every 1-2 months) back up through Settings → System system → Backup.
• 💾 Save your most important files in two clouds (e.g. Mi Cloud) + Google Drive or Yandex Disk).
• 🔐 Use two-factor authentication for Mi Account to protect your data from hacking.
• 📱 Before resetting your phone, make sure that all files have been successfully uploaded to the cloud (status bar sync indicator).

Pay special attention to photos, which are most often lost when reset. Xiaomi has a hidden feature called Album Protection:

1. Open the gallery and select an album.
2. Tap. ⋮ → Protect the album.
3. Set a password or fingerprint.

These albums are not deleted when reset and are not synced to the cloud (only stored locally).

FAQ: Frequent questions about data recovery