Recovering Deleted Messages on Xiaomi: Everything from Backup to ADB

You're not alone: 68% of smartphone users have lost data at least once due to accidental pressing or system failure. Fortunately, MIUI offers several built-in recovery mechanisms, and for complex cases there are third-party tools. In this article, we will analyze 5 proven methods - from simple (backups in Mi Cloud) to advanced (working with ADB and file system).

It’s important to understand that recovery success depends on three factors: (1) time (the earlier you start, the better the odds), 2 phone model (the Xiaomi 12T Pro and newer have different restrictions than the 2019 Redmi Note 8), 3 message type (SMS is restored differently than chats on WhatsApp or Telegram).

1.Restore from Mi Cloud backup

The most reliable way is to use Mi Cloud cloud storage if it was turned on before deleting messages. Xiaomi automatically backs up once a day (when connecting to Wi-Fi), but only if:

• 📱 In the settings of the Mi Account, the option Sync messages (Settings) is activated → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization).
• ☁️ Cloud is not crowded (free 5 GB, messages are taken up) ~100-500 MB).
• 🔄 The last synchronization took place no later than 30 days ago (old copies are deleted).

To recover the data:

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Select Restore from backup.
3. Find a copy with the desired date (focus on the time before deleting messages).
4. Click Restore and confirm the data selection (check in front of the Message).

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If the list doesn’t have the right copy, check another Mi Account – sometimes users register multiple profiles and forget about it.

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ It does not work if the synchronization has been disabled.
• ❌ Recovers all messages for the selected period (you can not select individual chats).
• ❌ On Poco models F5 and newer copies are encrypted - to restore you will need to enter a password from your Mi Account.

2. Local backups via MIUI Backup

If the cloud is not used, check local copies that are not used. MIUI It creates it on manual redundancy. These files are stored in a folder. /MIUI/Backup/AllBackup internal memory or SD-Characteristics of the method:

• 🔍 Copies are.mbk and contain all phone data, including SMS, calls and settings.
• 📅 The date of creation is indicated in the file name (example: backup_20260515_123456.mbk).
• 🔧 You need the same phone or model with the same version to recover. MIUI (Otherwise, mistakes are possible).

Instructions for remediation:

1. Copy the.mbk file to /MIUI/Backup/AllBackup (if it is not there).
2. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
3. Select the desired file and click Restore.
4. Confirm the data recovery (the process will take 5-15 minutes).

Make sure there is enough space on your phone (at least 1GB of free space is needed)

Connect the charger (the process drains the battery by 10-20%)

Turn off Wi-Fi and mobile data (to avoid interruption)

Make a current copy of important data (restore re-write existing files)

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Local copies of.mbk are not compatible with Android 13+ models (MIUI 14 and later) if they were created on older versions, in which case alternative methods will have to be used.

3. Restore via Google Drive (for SMS)

If your Xiaomi SMS app uses Google Messages (rather than the standard MIUI Messages), then the messages could be synchronized with Google Drive, which only works for text messages (not MMS or instant messenger chats).

Check this out:

1. Open Google Messages and go to Settings → Archiving and Recovery.
2. If the Archiving option in Google Drive is enabled, click Restore.
3. Select a Google account and confirm your recovery.

Please note:

• 📌 Archiving is manually enabled – by default it is disabled.
• 🕒 Messages are stored in the cloud for up to 3 years, but only if the archive is not disabled.
• 🚫 It does not work for Redmi Note 10 Pro and older models with MIUI 12 and below – Google Messages is not installed as a system application.

Standard MIUI Messages

Google Messages

Other (write in the comments)

I don't know which one is set.-->

4. Use of third-party programs (without root)

If you don’t have backups, try specialized data recovery tools. We tested 3 programs that work with Xiaomi without root rights (but with restrictions):

The general algorithm of working with programs:

1. Install the program on your PC and connect Xiaomi via USB (enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times click on the build number).
2. Select the type of data to scan (Messages or Messengers).
3. Wait for the analysis to be completed (it may take up to 1 hour).
4. View the messages found and save them in.txt or.html format.

Warning:

⚠️ Don't install recovery software on your phone, they can overwrite deleted data. Always use a PC or Mac.

5. Advanced Method: Recovery through ADB

For power users, there is a way to extract messages directly from system files using ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which works even after resetting settings, unless data has been overwritten by new messages.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools.
• 📱 Xiaomi with enabled debugging USB.
• 🔧 Knowledge of the command line (or willingness to follow instructions).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and open the command line (Win + R → cmd).
2. Enter the command to access the SMS database: adb shell su cd /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/ ls The mmssms.db file should be displayed here.
3. Copy the base on PC: adb pull /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db C:\sms_backup\
4. Open the file mmssms.db using the DB Browser for SQLite program or the online service sqlitebrowser.org.
5. In the sms table, find the columns address (phone number), body (message text) and date (time).

Important nuances:

• 🔐 Nana MIUI 14+ access /data/data/ Blocked – you will need to unlock the bootloader and install custom recovery (for example, TWRP).
• 🛠️ If the file is damaged, try to restore it using the SQLite Database Recovery utility.
• 📅 Messages are stored in timestamp format (milliseconds since 1970). To convert to readable form, use this service.

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ADB is the only way to recover messages after resetting to factory settings, but it requires technical skills. If you are not sure about your actions, it is better to consult a specialist so as not to damage system files.

6. Features of recovery for messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram)

Messages in messengers are restored differently than SMS. Consider two popular cases:

WhatsApp:

• 📱 If the backup was created in Google Drive, reinstall the app and confirm the recovery when you first start.
• 💾 Local copies are stored in /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases (file msgstore.db.crypt14). You can rename them to msgstore.db and put them in the same folder for recovery.
• ⚠️ On Xiaomi MIUI 13+ WhatsApp may not see local copies due to memory access restrictions.Solution: Use a file manager with root rights (e.g. Root Explorer).

Telegram:

• ☁️ All chats and media files are synchronized with the Telegram cloud – just reinstall the application and log into your account.
• 🗑️ Remote secret chats cannot be restored – they are stored only on the device and are deleted irrevocably.
• 🔄 If the messages are missing after the update MIUI, Try to clear the app cache (Settings) → Annexes → Telegram → Warehouse → Clear the cache).

Viber and other messengers:

• 📌 In Viber, backups are created manually (Settings) → Account. → Backup. The files are stored in /sdcard/Viber/Backup.
• 🚫 For Signal and Skype, recovery without backup is impossible – data is encrypted and not stored on the device.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When you recover messages, users often face typical problems, and we've collected the most common and ways to solve them:

Warning:

⚠️ Do not use programs like DiskDigger or Recuva to scan Xiaomi’s internal memory. These utilities are designed to work with flash drives and can damage partitions. /data, This will require a complete phone reflash.

If none of these methods work, the last option is to contact Xiaomi’s service center, and the official partners have access to specialized tools (such as the Mi Flash Pro) that can extract data even from damaged memory areas, but this is a paid service (from 1,500 to 5,000 rubles depending on the model), and success is not guaranteed.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions