MIUI Xiaomi Cloud Backup: A Complete Guide to Cloud Backup

If you own a Xiaomi, Redmi or a smartphone POCO, You probably have a problem with the system’s proposal to back up the data through MIUI Cloud Backup, a service from Xiaomi that lets you store important information, from contacts to system settings, in the cloud, so that when you change your device or reset your settings, everything can be quickly restored. But how exactly does this function work? How reliable is it? What data is really worth saving and what is not?

In this article, we will explain in detail what is MIUI Cloud Backup: How to set it up on different Xiaomi models (including Redmi Note 12, Xiaomi 13, POCO X5 And others), what are the pros and cons of this service, and also give step-by-step instructions for creating and restoring backups. We will pay special attention to the hidden restrictions of the free tariff, which the manufacturer does not always advertise, and tell you how to circumvent typical problems during synchronization.

What is it? MIUI Cloud Backup and Why You Need It

MIUI Cloud Backup is built into the firmware MIUI A cloud backup service that automatically or manually stores selected user data on Xiaomi servers, as opposed to local backups (for example, through Settings). → Additionally. → Backup, cloud copy is available from any device connected to the same Mi Account.

The main tasks of the service:

• 📱 Transfer data when changing your smartphone (for example, from Redmi 10 to Xiaomi 14).
• 🔄 Recovery after resetting to factory settings or firmware.
• 🛡️ Protection against data loss in case of breakage or theft of a device.
• ⚙️ Synchronize settings between multiple gadgets (e.g. themes, wallpaper, Wi-Fi settings).

It is important to understand that MIUI Cloud Backup is not the same as Mi Cloud or Google Drive, but it is a separate tool that is optimized for backing up system data rather than user files. SMS, Call log and lock screen settings, but not music or documents.

⚠️ Note: If you use Google services (e.g. Gmail or Google Photos), some of the data (contacts, calendar) may be duplicated in your Google Account, which may lead to recovery conflicts. → Accounts. → Google before creating a backup in MIUI Cloud.

What data can be stored in MIUI Cloud Backup

The service allows you to reserve not all files from the device. Here is a complete list of supported categories (relevant to the user). MIUI 14/15):

What is not preserved in MIUI Cloud Backup:

• 📸 Photos and videos (for example, Mi Cloud or Google Photos).
• 🎵 Music, documents, downloads.
• 🔐 Wi-Fi passwords (network names only).
• 💳 Banking Application Data (for security reasons).

How to turn on and set up MIUI Cloud Backup

There are two ways to activate cloud backup: through Settings or when you first launch a new smartphone. Let's look at both.

Method 1: Through device settings

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Backup (on some models, the path may differ: Settings → Additional → Backup).
2. Choose Cloud Backup and log in to Mi Account (if not authorized).
3. Click Start Backup and select categories of data to save.
4. Confirm the action and wait for the process to be completed (time depends on the amount of data).

Method 2: When the smartphone is first turned on

If you have just bought a new Xiaomi or reset the old one to factory settings, the system will offer to restore data from the cloud at the initial setup stage.

1. Choose a language and region.
2. Connect to Wi-Fi.
3. At the Data Recovery stage, select Restore from MIUI Cloud.
4. Enter Mi Account details and select the right backup.

Connect to a stable Wi-Fi|Charge your phone at least 50%|Close the background applications|Check the space available in the Mi Cloud-->

In the models with MIUI 14 and later, we got an automatic backup feature to turn it on:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone. → Backup → Settings.
2. Activate the Automatic Backup Switch.
3. Select frequency (daily/weekly) and categories of data.

⚠️ Warning: Automatic backup only works when connected to Wi-Fi and battery power is above 20%, and if the phone runs out during the process, the backup will be interrupted and it will have to be restarted.

Free tariff restrictions MIUI Cloud

Free Mi Account provides just 5GB of cloud storage, which is shared between the two MIUI Cloud Backup, Mi Cloud (photos/files) and other Xiaomi services are not enough for many users, especially if you reserve them. SMS attachment or settings of multiple devices.

Consider how much space different data categories occupy (approximate values):

• 📞 Contacts: 1-5 MB (depending on the amount).
• 💬 SMS/MMS: 10–100 MB (if there are many messages with photos / videos).
• ⚙️ System settings: 5–20 MB.
• 📱 List of annexes: 1-2 MB.

If 5GB is not enough, you can:

1. Buy additional space in Mi Cloud (tariffs from 100 GB per ~100-200 rubles/month).
2. Remove old backups in Settings → The phone. → Backup → Management of backup copies.
3. Use alternatives: Google Drive (15GB free) or local backup on PC.

How to recover data from MIUI Cloud Backup

Recovery from the cloud is possible in two scenarios: on a new device or after resetting, the process is slightly different depending on the situation.

Scenario 1: Recovery on a new smartphone

1. Turn on the new phone and go through the initial setup before the Data Recovery stage.
2. Select Restore from MIUI Cloud and log in to Mi Account.
3. From the list of available backups, select the desired one (they are sorted by date of creation).
4. Mark the data categories for recovery and confirm the action.

Scenario 2: Recovery after reset

If you reset your phone to factory settings (Settings) → The phone. → Resetting settings), then after restarting:

1. Go through the initial setting (choose language, connect to Wi-Fi).
2. At the Data Recovery stage, select Restore from backup.
3. Log in to Mi Account and select the latest backup.

Recovery time depends on data volume and Internet speed, for example, a 1GB backup can recover from 10 to 30 minutes.

⚠️ Note: If you restore data to a device with a different version MIUI (For example, backup is made on MIUI 13, and you restore it to MIUI 15), some settings may not apply or work incorrectly, in which case it is recommended to manually check the settings after recovery.

Typical problems and their solutions

Despite the convenience, MIUI Cloud Backup sometimes crashes. Here are the most common problems and ways to fix them:

If the backup is hanging in the Preparation stage, try:

• 🔄 Reboot the phone.
• 📶 Reconnect to Wi-Fi.
• 🗑️ Clear the app cache Settings → Annexes → Application management → Settings → Clear the cache.

💡

If it takes too long to recover data, try to recover only the most important categories (e.g. contacts and other data). SMS), And you can set the rest of the settings manually, and that speeds up the process.

Alternatives MIUI Cloud Backup

If you are not satisfied with the restrictions MIUI Cloud Backup, you can use alternative backup methods:

• 🖥️ Local backup on PC via Mi PC Suite or adb backup (for power users).
• ☁️ Google Drive – saves contacts, calendar, some app settings, but not SMS call-book).
• 📱 Third-party apps: Swift Backup (requires root rights for full backup) Titanium Backup (root rights are also required). SMS Backup & Restore (specialized in the SMS and call logs).

Advantages of alternatives:

• ✅ More free space (for example, Google Drive gives 15 GB for free).
• ✅ Ability to backup user files (photos, videos).
• ✅ More flexibility in settings (e.g., choosing an archive format).

Disadvantages:

• ❌ For a full backup, root rights are often needed.
• ❌ Some apps do not restore settings MIUI (themes).
• ❌ The process may be more difficult for beginners.

💡

If you want to save all the data (including files and application settings), combine it. MIUI Cloud Backup with Local Backup on PC or Google Drive.

FAQ: Frequent questions about MIUI Cloud Backup