Recovery of Remote SMS on Xiaomi: From Backups to Deep Scanning

Deleting important SMS messages on Xiaomi smartphones is a situation that almost every user faces. Whether you accidentally erase your bank correspondence, lose confirmation codes, or clear a chat with important contacts, there are chances of recovery. Unlike photos or documents, messages are stored in the system database mmsms.db, and they can be retrieved even after removal - if you act quickly and correctly.

In this article, we will look at 5 proven methods of returning SMS to Xiaomi (including Redmi, POCO and Mi models), from standard MIUI tools to professional utilities. We will focus on the nuances that depend on the firmware version, the presence of root rights and the time elapsed after deletion. For example, in MIUI 14 the backup algorithm changed — this is not known, but it is critical for successful recovery.

The important thing is that the faster you start to act, the better the odds. When you delete an SMS, the system doesn't erase the data immediately, it just labels it as "free." Until those memory areas are overwritten with new messages, files or app cache, they can be restored, but with each passing hour, the probability of success drops by 10 to 15 percent.

1. SMS recovery via MIUI backup

The most reliable way to return deleted messages is to use the built-in backup feature in MIUI. If you’ve ever enabled automatic backup creation (or done it manually), the odds of success are close to 100%. However, there are pitfalls: newer firmware versions (MIUI 13+) store default backups in the Mi Cloud cloud, not locally.

To check for backup:

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset.
2. Click Local Backups (if you use MIUI 12 or older) or Cloud Backups (for MIUI 13+).
3. Check the date of the last backup – if it was created before the SMS was deleted, it is possible to recover the data.

To recover from the local backup:

• 📱 Select the desired copy and click Restore.
• 🔄 Confirm the recovery of the Messages application data (SMS).
• ⚠️ Please note: when restoring all current SMS will be replaced with data from the backup.

⚠️ Note: If you are using Mi Cloud, check before restoring to see if the storage limit is exceeded (5GB for a free account).If space is scarce, the cloud can crop the backup, removing old data — including SMS.

Battery charge > 50%|Wi-Fi connection (for cloud-based copies)|Free up 1-2 GB of memory|Turn off two-factor authentication in Mi Cloud (if you forget your password)-->

2.Use Mi Cloud to Recover Messages

If there are no local backups, but sync with Mi Cloud was enabled, messages could be saved to the cloud, which works even after the phone is reset to factory settings, but with reservations:

• 🔄 Synchronization SMS Mi Cloud is disabled by default – it must be enabled manually in Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization → Communications.
• ⏳ The cloud keeps SMS 30 days after the last synchronization, the data is deleted permanently.
• 📱 In some models (POCO F3, Redmi Note 11) synchronization SMS It may not work due to regional restrictions.

Instructions for remediation:

1. Sign in to Mi Cloud on your phone or via the i.mi.com web version.
2. Go to the Devices section → [Your smartphone] → Backup copies.
3. Select the backup with the date before deleting the SMS and click Restore.
4. Check the message item and confirm the action.

Critical detail: If you changed your Xiaomi account password after creating a backup, the cloud may block access to old backups, in which case you will need to contact support with proof of ownership of the device.

Yes, I create backups regularly |Yes, but only local |Use Mi Cloud|Never configured |I don't know what it-->

3. SMS recovery without backup: third-party programs

If you don't have backups, the only option is to scan the phone's memory with specialized utilities, which work by looking for junk data that hasn't been overwritten yet, and the effectiveness depends on:

• 🕒 The time after the removal (the less, the better).
• 📱 Phone models: Xiaomi with Snapdragon chip (like Mi 11) has better odds than Mediatek devices (Redmi) 9A).
• 🔋 Charge level: at low charge, the system can suspend scanning.

The best SMS recovery software on Xiaomi:

Step-by-step instructions for Dr.Fone (the most versatile option):

1. Install the program on your PC and connect your phone via USB.
2. Enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times) → Additional → For Developers.
3. Select Android Data Recovery mode and tick Messages.
4. Start the scan. It'll take 10 to 30 minutes.
5. After completion, select the desired SMS and click Restore.

⚠️ Note: Some programs (e.g. EaseUS MobiSaver) may show “ghost» SMS — Message fragments from the cache of other apps (such as WhatsApp or Viber) Always check the date and sender before restoring.

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If the program can’t see your Xiaomi, try changing the mode. USB-Connection from "Charging" to "Transfer of files" (MTP) notice-curtain.

4. Manual SMS recovery via ADB (for advanced)

If you’re familiar with the command line, you can try extracting SMS directly from the system database of mmssms.db using Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which works without root rights, but requires USB debugging enabled and drivers installed.

Instructions:

1. Download and install ADB Tools on PC.
2. Connect your phone to your computer and execute the command: adb backup -f sms_backup.ab -apk com.android.providers.telephony On the phone, confirm the creation of a backup (do not set a password).
3. Convert the file sms_backup.ab Readable format with Android-backup-extractor: java -jar abe.jar unpack sms_backup.ab sms_backup.tar
4. In the archives. sms_backup.tar find the file apps/com.android.providers.telephony/db/mmssms.db — base SMS. Open it with SQLite Browser.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔧 Doesn't require root rights.
• 📤 It works even if the phone is locked (when debugging is enabled).
• 🔍 Allows you to recover all metadata (time, delivery status).

Disadvantages:

• ⚙️ Hard for beginners.
• 🕒 It takes a lot of time (up to 1 hour on large bases).
• 🔄 Does not restore messages deleted more than 2 weeks ago.

5. Restore SMS with root rights

If your Xiaomi has root rights, the chances of SMS recovery are maximised. With root, you can access system partitions where data can be stored for months.

• 🚨 Loss of warranty (if the phone is under warranty).
• 🔐 Possibility to damage the system in case of incorrect actions.
• 📵 Some banking applications will stop working.

Instructions for root owners:

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or FX File Explorer).
2. Go to /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/.
3. Copy the mmsms.db file to a memory card or PC.
4. Open the database with the SQLite Database Browser and export the sms table.

The following is the Undeleter Recover Files & Data application:

• 🔍 Perform a deep section scan /data.
• 📂 Filter the results by type SMS/MMS.
• 💾 Save restored messages in.xml or.txt format.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 14 And the newer file, mmssms.db, can be encrypted. It requires a key to decrypt it, which is stored in a key. /data/system/locksettings.db. Without it, the data will be unreadable.

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Root rights offer the best chance of recovery, but getting them on new Xiaomi models (such as Xiaomi 13 or Redmi Note 12) requires unlocking the bootloader, which resets all the data on the phone.

6. Contact Xiaomi Support

If all previous methods fail, the last chance is official support from Xiaomi, and the company can help restore data if:

• 📱 Guarantee device.
• 🔐 You have a check or confirmation of purchase.
• 📅 Since the removal has been no more than 7 days.

How to make a request:

1. Go to the Xiaomi support website.
2. Select Online Chat or Send a Request.
3. Specify the phone model, serial number (see Settings → About Phone) and describe the problem.
4. Attach screenshots with confirmation of purchase (if required).

What's important to know:

• ⏳ Average response time: 2-5 working days.
• 💰 Data recovery may be charged (from 500 to 2000 rubles).
• 🔒 Xiaomi does not guarantee 100% recovery – it all depends on the model and circumstances of the removal.

Alternatively, you can go to a service center, and some workshops specialize in data recovery with Xiaomi and use professional equipment (such as UFi Box or Medusa Pro), which starts at 3,000 rubles, but the chances of success are higher than with independent actions.

7. How to prevent future loss of SMS

To avoid the problem of remote messages, set up automatic backup and synchronization:

• 🔄 Turn on the sync. SMS From Mi Cloud: Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization → Communications.
• 📱 Regularly create local backups: Settings → The phone. → Backup and reset → Local backups.
• 🔗 Use third-party services: SMS Backup & Restore (Saves) SMS.xml on Google Drive. Super Backup (backup to the cloud or memory card).
• 📧 Set up the transfer of important SMS by email: Messages → Settings → Message forwarding (not available on all models).

Additional security measures:

• 🚫 Don’t use garbage cleaning apps (like Clean Master) – they often remove cache SMS.
• 🔐 Set a password for the Messages app (in) MIUI This is done through settings. → Annexes → Application lockdown).
• 📵 Export periodically SMS manually: open the correspondence → More. → Exports.

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If you often lose important SMS (such as bank codes), install an SMS to Text application that automatically saves all incoming messages in a text file on a memory card.

FAQ: Frequent questions about SMS recovery on Xiaomi