How to recover hidden or deleted notes on Xiaomi Redmi: all working methods

Hidden or accidentally deleted notes on Xiaomi Redmi smartphones are a common problem that can cause panic, especially if they contain important information such as passwords, ideas, work plans or personal records. Unlike photos or contacts, notes are often ignored when setting up backups, and their recovery requires knowledge of the nuances of MIUI and built-in Xiaomi services.

In this article, we'll look at 5 proven ways to return hidden or erased notes, from standard Notes features to ADB and third-party tools. It's important to understand that recovery success depends on several factors: whether you've synced with Mi Account, whether you've used Google Drive, and whether you've reset after deletion. If the notes are gone after a MIUI update or a flash, the chances of data being returned are reduced, but they're still there.

Before you start the instructions, check the obvious: maybe the notes are not deleted, but simply hidden in the archive or the Recycle Bin folder. In MIUI 14/15, the Notes app interface has changed, so that hidden records can now be in the More → Archive or Note Management section. If it's empty, go to the methods below.

1. Check the archive and basket in the appendix “Notes”

The first step is to make sure that the notes are actually deleted, rather than being moved to hidden sections, and there are two places in MIUI where "disappeared" records can be stored:

• 📁 Archive – here automatically move notes older than 30 days (setting depends on the version) MIUI).
• 🗑️ Recycle bin – temporary storage for deleted records (storage period – up to 30 days).
• 🔒 Closed notes – if you used the lock feature, they can be hidden behind a password.

How to check:

1. Open the Notes app (yellow notebook icon).
2. Tap it on three points (⋮) top-right → Select Note Management.
3. Check the tabs Archive, Cart and Closed.
4. If you find a note, click on it → Restore (for basket) or Return to notes (for archive).

⚠️ Attention: B MIUI 16+ The basket is cleaned automatically after 7 days, unless you change the settings. → Warehouse → Recycled cart and set a maximum period of 30 days.

If these sections are empty, move on to the next method, and it is possible that the notes have been permanently deleted or synced with another account.

2. Recovery via Mi Cloud (if synchronization was enabled)

Mi Cloud is Xiaomi's cloud storage that automatically backs up notes if sync is enabled. This method only works if:

• 🔄 You are logged into Mi Account on your device.
• ☁️ Notes Settings Activated Sync with Mi Cloud.
• 📱 The device had access to the Internet at the time of removal.

Instructions for remediation:

1. Open Settings → Mi Account and make sure you are logged in.
2. Go to Mi Cloud → Notes (or Cloud → Synchronization → Notes in older versions).
3. If sync is enabled, tap Recover Data and select the latest backup.
4. Confirm the recovery – notes will be returned to the app.

If there are no backups in Mi Cloud, try another account (you may have used another Mi Account before). Also check Settings → Memory → Backups – sometimes notes are saved in local backups.

⚠️ Warning: Recovery from Mi Cloud will overwrite current notes. If you create new records after deletion, they will be lost. It is recommended to export them manually first (Notes) → ⋮ → Exports).

💡

If sync with Mi Cloud is disabled but you remember the date of deletion, try recovering notes through ADB – this method works even without cloud copies.

3. Use of Google Drive (for notes tied to Google)

If you use Google Keep or sync notes with Google Account, the chances of recovery are higher. Xiaomi Redmi allows you to link Notes to Google Drive, but this feature is often disabled by default.

How to check and restore:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Make sure that sync is enabled for Google Keep or Notes.
3. Go to the Google Drive website from your computer.
4. In the search bar, type:note or check the Backup → Notes folder.
5. If you find a backup copy, download it and import it to Notes through ⋮ → Imports.

If there are no notes in Google Drive, try an alternative way:

• 📱 Install Google Keep from Play Market.
• 🔄 Enable synchronization in the application settings.
• 🔍 Check the archive in Menu → Archive and basket in Menu → Trash.

Important: If you used Xiaomi’s standard Notes app instead of Google Keep, this method won’t work – the data is stored on different systems.

Check if sync with Google Account is enabled

Make sure that Google Keep is installed on the device

Try to find notes through the web version of Google Drive

Export current notes before recovery-->

4. Recovery through ADB (for power users)

If the notes were deleted without a backup, but the device was not reset, you can try retrieving them via Android Debug Bridge (ADB).This method requires command line skills and is suitable for Redmi based on Android 10+.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap the version → Return to the Additional Settings → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Redmi to your PC and confirm debugging permission.
2. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the adb folder.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices must appear serial number of the device.
4. Download the Notes database (notes.db file): adb pull /data/data/com.miui.notes/shared_prefs/com.miui.notes_preferences.xml adb pull /data/data/com.miui.notes/databases/notes.db
5. Use the Mi Unlock Tool.
6. 📲 Install custom recovery (for example, TWRP).
7. 🔓 Get root access through Magisk.