Xiaomi Data Recovery After Resetting to Factory Settings: A Complete Guide

Resetting Xiaomi to factory settings is a radical way to restore performance, but it often results in the loss of important data. Photos, WhatsApp correspondence, contacts and documents disappear in an instant if a backup was not created. Fortunately, even after full formatting of internal memory, the chances of recovery remain — from standard MIUI tools to specialized programs like DiskDigger or Dr.Fone.

In this article, we will discuss all the current recovery methods, including working with the Mi Cloud, local backups and low-level memory scanning. We will focus on the nuances for different models, from the Redmi Note 10 Pro to the flagship Xiaomi 14, where the process may differ due to the version of MIUI or the file system type (F2FS vs ext4), and you will learn why data recovery after a reset via Fastboot is impossible without root rights, and how to circumvent this restriction in legal ways.

1. Verification of backups in Mi Cloud

The first and most reliable way to get your data back is to use Mi Cloud cloud storage. Xiaomi automatically syncs contacts, notes, photos (if Autoboot is enabled), as well as backups of system settings. However, many users turn off this feature due to limited volume (5 GB in free tariff) or simply forget to configure it.

To check for backups:

• 🔗 Go to i.mi.com and log in to the same Mi Account you were linked to before the reset.
• 📁 In the Devices section, select your Xiaomi model and check the date of the last sync.
• 📥 If there is a backup, click Restore and select the desired data categories (contacts, SMS, gallery-picture).

Important: Mi Cloud does not save apps or their data (for example, correspondence in Telegram or progress in games), this requires separate backups through Google Drive or third-party utilities, and also note that photos in their original quality are synced only when connected to Wi-Fi.

⚠️ Note: If you dropped your phone via Fastboot (the fastboot erase userdata command) rather than through the settings menu, cloud backups may not recover automatically.

2. Local backups: where to look and how to recover

MIUI It offers a tool to create local backups, but few people use it. MIUI/backup/AllBackup internal memory or SD-If you backup before reset, you can restore it even after formatting, provided that the folder has not been deleted.

Instructions for remediation:

1. Connect your phone to your computer through USB-cable (file transfer mode).
2. Open the folder. MIUI/backup/AllBackup and find a file with the.mbk extension (for example, backup_20260515.mbk).
3. Copy it to your phone in the same folder if it is empty.
4. On your smartphone, go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup and select a file to recover.

If the AllBackup folder is missing, try looking for a backup on the SD-card (if it was inserted at the time of making the copy) also check the computer - you may have saved the backup there via Mi PC Suite.

Contact list and call log|SMS and MMS-message|System settings (Wi-Fi, wallpaper, sounds)|Installed applications (without data)|Photos and videos (if optional)-->

3. Recover deleted files without backup: programs and utilities

If you don't have backups, the only option is to scan your internal memory for the "remnants" of your files, and after the reset, the data is not physically deleted, but only marked as free space, and the chances of success depend on:

• 🕒 Time after reset (the earlier you start recovery, the better).
• 📱 Phone models (on Xiaomi with) UFS 3.1 Recovery is more difficult than on eMMC).
• 🔄 Device usage intensity after reset (new files can overwrite old ones).

For scanning, programs are suitable:

• DiskDigger is a free utility for Android, works without root rights (but with restrictions).
• Dr.Fone (Wondershare) is a paid software with a high recovery rate, supports MIUI.
• EaseUS MobiSaver is an alternative for a computer (requires a USB connection).

Step-by-step instructions for DiskDigger:

1. Install the program from Google Play on the dropped phone.
2. Select Basic scan (no root rights) or Full scan (root rights).
3. Mark the types of files to search for (photos, videos, documents).
4. Wait for the scan to end and save the files found SD-map.

⚠️ Warning: Do not save recovered files back to the phone's internal memory - this may cause them to be rewritten.Use an external drive or cloud.

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If the phone is not detected by the computer in file transfer mode, try enabling USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times on the version, then go back to Additional Settings → For Developers).

4. Features of recovery for different Xiaomi models

The recovery process may vary depending on the iron and MIUI version. For example, on older models (Redmi 4X, Mi A1), the method still works with connecting internal memory as a removable disk via ADB, while on new models (Xiaomi 13T, Redmi Note 12), this method is blocked.

Key differences:

• Smartphones with Snapdragon chips (e.g. Poco F5): Support Fastboot commands to access memory partitions, but require unlocking the bootloader.
• MediaTek (Redmi 10C): Often has a closed bootloader, making it difficult to recover low-level.
• Android One devices (Mi A2, Mi A3): use stock Android, so they are suitable for universal utilities like Android Data Recovery.

For the exact definition of the MIUI model and version:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Remember the device model (e.g. 2201116PG for the Redmi Note 11 Pro+) and the MIUI version (e.g. MIUI Global 14.0.4).
3. Check the file system type in the DevCheck app (Section Storage).

5. Data recovery applications: WhatsApp, Telegram and others

Social networks and instant messengers store data separately from the system backup, for example, WhatsApp backs up Google Drive, but only if this option was enabled before the reset.

• 📱 Install WhatsApp again and log in with the same number.
• 🔄 When you request, click Restore – the program will automatically download the last backup from Google Drive.
• ⚠️ If the backup is missing, try to find the file. msgstore.db.crypt14 file WhatsApp/Databases Internal memory (through file manager with root rights).

Telegram is much easier, with all chats and media stored in the company’s cloud, so you just need to re-enter your account, but secret chats and local files (uploaded to Saved Messages) cannot be restored.

The most difficult things are with games and applications that do not support cloud sync, for example, progress in Genshin Impact can only be returned through a miHoYo account, and saves to PUBG Mobile through Facebook or Google Play Games.

6.When recovery is impossible: what to do in a desperate situation

There are cases when data will not be returned even with the help of professional utilities:

• 🔐 The phone was encrypted (encrypted in the security settings) and you can't decrypt the data without a password after resetting.
• 🗑️ Internal memory was re-marked (for example, when running through Fastboot with the command fastboot format userdata).
• 📉 It took too long and new files overwrote old data.

In such situations, all that remains is:

1. Contact a service center – some workshops offer data recovery services with a physical connection to memory (cost from 5,000) ₽).
2. Try specialized labs (such as ACE Data Recovery), but it is expensive and does not guarantee results.
3. Accept the loss and set up automatic backups in the future.

⚠️ Note: If you sell or transfer your phone after a reset, make sure that the data is actually deleted. Use the Cleanup of All Data function in Settings → Additionally. → Privacy or remember random files (such as movies) to overwrite old data.

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Photos and videos are the most likely to recover, and text files (SMS, notes) and application data are less likely to recover due to fragmentation and compression.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data recovery on Xiaomi