Recovery of backup on Xiaomi Redmi: 3 working methods + error solving

Losing important data on a smartphone is a familiar situation for many Xiaomi Redmi users. Photos, contacts, messages or app settings can disappear after a factory reset, firmware update or accidental deletion. Fortunately, if you back up in advance, you can restore everything in minutes. But how exactly can you do this on Redmi devices with MIUI firmware?

In this article, we will discuss three official recovery methods: through the built-in MIUI menu, Mi Cloud storage and custom recovery TWRP (for advanced users), and learn how to avoid typical recovery errors, why the backup may not open, and what to do if the system requires a password from an old Mi Account. Instructions are relevant for all Redmi models – from Redmi Note 4X to Redmi 13 Pro.

Before you start, make sure you have:

• 📱 Backup itself (a file with the.mbk extension for local backup or access to Mi Cloud).
• 🔋 Battery charge of at least 50% (recovery can take up to 30 minutes).
• 🔑 Data from Mi Account if backup was encrypted.

If you're not sure what type of backup you have, skip this step -- we'll detail each method below. And for those who've already tried to recover data and got an error, there's a solution section at the end of the article.

1.Recovery via MIUI menu (local backup)

The easiest way is to use the built-in backup recovery function in the MIUI settings. This method is suitable if you have saved a backup to your phone's internal memory, a SD- card or an external drive. Importantly, the backup file must be.mbk format (e.g., backup_20260515.mbk).

To begin recovery:

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Click Restore and select the desired.mbk file.
3. Confirm the recovery and wait for the process to be completed (the phone will restart).

If your backup isn’t on the list, check out:

• 🔍 Folder MIUI/backup/AllBackup on the internal drive or SD- card.
• 📁 The file may have been moved to another location – use Explorer to search by name.
• 🔒 If the backup is encrypted, the system will request a password from the Mi Account or PIN- code.

Check if the.mbk file is in your phone’s memory

Make sure the MIUI version matches the version when creating a backup

Connect your phone to charge.

Disable VPN (can block access to files)

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An important nuance: if you restore the backup to a new version of MIUI (for example, from MIUI 12 to MIUI 14), some settings may not apply, in which case the system will suggest restoring only compatible data (contacts, messages, photos).

⚠️ Warning: Don't interrupt the recovery process, even if the phone has been stuck on the progress bar screen for a long time. On Redmi models with a Snapdragon processor (such as the Redmi Note 11 Pro+), this can take up to 20 minutes.

2. Recovery from Mi Cloud (cloud backup)

If you've synced data to Mi Cloud, you can recover it even after you completely reset your phone, and it's convenient when the local backup is lost or damaged, but it has limitations:

• 📧 Access to a Mi Account tied to a backup is required.
• 🌐 You need a stable Internet connection (preferably over Wi-Fi).
• 📅 Cloud copies are only stored for 30 days from the last update.

Instructions for remediation:

1. Go to Settings. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Select the Backup of the Device section.
3. Click on the last copy and select the data to restore (contacts, notes, photos, etc.).
4. Confirm the action and wait for the download to be completed.

If your backup is not in Mi Cloud, check:

• 🔄 Whether automatic synchronization was enabled (Settings → Mi Cloud → Synchronization).
• 📱 Does the phone model in the cloud match your current device (backups with Redmi 9 won’t show up on Redmi Note 12).
• 🔒 You may have logged in to another Mi Account — check the email in your profile.

3 Recovery via TWRP (for advanced users)

If standard methods do not work (for example, after firmware custom software or damage to system files), you can use custom recovery TWRP. This method is suitable for Redmi models with an unlocked bootloader and requires technical skills.

Warning: Incorrect actions in TWRP can lead to a "brick" of the device (completely inoperable). If you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to contact the service center.

Step-by-step:

1. Install TWRP for your Redmi model (instructions are available on the XDA Developers or 4PDA forum).
2. Download the backup (.win or.tar files) to the microSD card.
3. Download your phone to TWRP (usually Power + Volume Up) mode.
4. Select Restore, specify the folder with the backup and confirm the recovery.

Features of recovery through TWRP:

• 🔧 Partitions can be selectively reconstructed (e.g., data or system only).
• 🔄 Supports backups created in TWRP on other devices (but not always compatible).
• 🔒 If the backup is encrypted, you will need to enter a password when you restore it.

⚠️ Warning: On Redmi models with MediaTek (e.g., Redmi 10C) after recovery via TWRP, IMEI may fly off. To avoid this, save the /nvram folder to a separate backup before the procedure.

fastboot flash recovery stock_recovery.img


fastboot reboot

Download the official recovery can be on the website [Xiaomi Firmware Updater](https://xiaomifirmwareupdater.com/).-->

4. Frequent errors in recovery and their solutions

Even if you follow the instructions correctly, Xiaomi Redmi users often encounter problems, and let’s look at the most common mistakes and ways to fix them.

Error: "Can't restore backup. Damaged file."

Reasons:

• 🗃️ The.mbk file was incorrectly copied or downloaded.
• 🔄 Backup is created on a different version of MIUI (e.g., on MIUI Global, and restore on MIUI China).
• 💽 The SD- card or internal memory is damaged.

Decision:

1. Check the checksum (MD5) of the backup file (should match the original).
2. Try to restore the backup on another Redmi device with the same MIUI version.
3. If the file is corrupted, try extracting data manually using the Mi Backup Extractor utility (available on GitHub).

Error: "A password from a previous Mi Account is required"

This problem arises if the backup was created on another Mi Account, and now you are trying to restore it on a new device or after a reset.

• 🔑 Remember or restore access to your old account (via email or phone number).
• 📧 If your account is deleted, please contact Xiaomi with proof of ownership of the device (IMEI, checks).
• 🔧 In extreme cases, delete the data associated with the account from the backup file (this can be done through Mi Backup Extractor, but some of the information will be lost).

Mistake: “There is not enough room for recovery”

This error occurs if the phone does not have enough free space to unpack the backup.

• 🗑️ Clear internal memory (delete unnecessary files, app cache).
• 📁 Move the backup to the SD- card (if the phone supports it).
• 🔄 Restore data selectively (e.g., only contacts and messages).

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If none of these methods worked, try creating a new backup on your work device and transfer data manually (e.g., contacts via export to.vcf, and photos via Google Photos).

5. How to check the integrity of a backup before restoring

To avoid recovery errors, it is recommended to check the backup for integrity in advance, which is especially important if the file has been stored for a long time or copied between devices.

Methods of verification:

1. Checksum (MD5): Download the hash utility (e.g. MD5 & SHA Checksum Utility for Windows or md5sum for Linux/Mac). Compare the resulting MD5 to the original one (if it was written when you created the backup).
2. View content: Rename the file.mbk to.zip and try to open it with the archiver. If you have folders inside com.android.providers.contacts or com.android.mms, the backup is probably intact.
3. Test recovery: Try to restore the backup on another Redmi device with the same MIUI version.

If the backup is damaged but you have access to the original device, try to recreate it:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Select the data for the backup (it is recommended to note all points).
3. Save the file to a safe place (for example, on a PC or cloud).

6. Alternative methods of data recovery

If standard methods don't work, you can try alternatives, they're less reliable, but sometimes they can get at least some of the data back.

Recovery through ADB (for experienced users)

If the phone is turned on but the backup is not restored via the menu, you can try extracting data via Android Debug Bridge (ADB):

adb pull /sdcard/MIUI/backup/AllBackup/backup_20260515.mbk C:\Backup\


adb shell am start -n com.miui.backup/.ui.RestoreActivity

This command will copy the backup file to the computer and open the recovery menu.

Use of third-party utilities

To recover certain types of data (photos, messages) you can use specialized programs:

• 📸 DiskDigger - to recover deleted photos and videos.
• 📱 Dr.Fone for contact retrieval, SMS and call log.
• 🔍 7-Data Android Recovery is a tool for scanning internal memory.

Important: These programs require root access, which can void the warranty on the device.

Manual data transfer

If the backup cannot be restored but you have access to the old device, transfer the data manually:

• 📇 Contacts: export to.vcf via Contacts → Settings → Export.
• 📷 Photos: Copy the DCIM folder to your PC or cloud.
• 💬 Messages: Use applications like SMS Backup & Restore.

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The most reliable way to avoid data loss is to create backups regularly in several places: locally (on the phone and SD- card), in Mi Cloud and in third-party clouds (Google Drive, Yandex.Disk).

FAQ: Frequent questions about backup recovery on Xiaomi Redmi