Where is the backup on Xiaomi: all the ways to find and restore backups

Why Xiaomi’s backup could “disappear” and where to look

You backed up on Xiaomi, but you can't find it now? It's a typical situation: MIUI saves backups in non-obvious folders, and sometimes hides them from the user. The reasons for "disappearance" can be different, from resetting settings to updating the firmware, when the path to the files changes, but even if you don't remember where you saved the copy, it's almost always possible to find it - the main thing is to know where.

In this article, we’ll look at all possible backup locations on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO, from standard internal memory folders to Mi Cloud services, and how to recover data if the backup file is damaged or not opened. Whether you’re using the Mi 11, Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5, instructions are suitable for all devices on MIUI 12-14.

Before you start searching, check what type of backup you’ve created:

• 📱 Local backup – stored in internal memory or on SD-map.
• ☁️ Cloud backup – downloaded to Mi Cloud (requires authorization).
• 💻 Backup via PC – created with Mi PC Suite or adb backup.

Each option is stored in its place and we will show you where.

Standard location of backups in internal memory

If you backed up through Settings → About Phone → Backup, the file must be in one of the system folders. The path depends on the MIUI version and device model, but most often it is:

/storage/emulated/0/MIUI/backup/AllBackup/

In this directory, you will find files with the.bak or.mbk extension (for newer versions). MIUI 14). File names usually contain the date of creation, for example: backup_20260515_123456.mbk. If the folders MIUI No, check out the alternatives:

• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/Backup/ — old-form MIUI (before 12).
• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.miui.backup/files/ — If the backup was created through Mi Cloud but was not uploaded to the cloud.
• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/Download/ — Sometimes users manually save copies here.

⚠️ Attention: Folder /storage/emulated/0/ — This is the root directory of internal memory. To see it, turn on the hidden files in any file manager (for example, in Mi File Explorer or Total Commander).

If you use SD-map, check the path:

/storage/XXXX-XXXX/MIUI/backup/

where XXXX-XXXX is your memory card's unique identifier, usually displayed in the file manager as an SD Card or External Storage.

How to find a backup in Mi Cloud and download it to your phone

If you enabled sync with Mi Cloud, your backups could automatically be uploaded to the cloud to find them:

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Sign in if you are not already logged in.
3. Go to the Device Backup section.
4. This will show all available backups, sorted by date, and click on the right one to restore or download it.

Note: Mi Cloud stores not only full backups, but also individual data:

• 📞 Contacts
• 📅 Calendar
• 📸 Photo and video (if Gallery synchronization is enabled)
• 📝 Notes (Mi Notes)

This data can be retrieved selectively without downloading the entire archive.

⚠️ Warning: Free Mi Cloud account only provides 5GB of space. If backup is not saved, check if the free space is out. Delete old copies or buy an extra amount.

To download the backup from Mi Cloud to your phone:

1. In the Backup Device section, select the desired copy.
2. Click Download (Icon with arrow down).
3. The file will be saved in the folder. /storage/emulated/0/Download/ name-name miui_backup_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.mbk.

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If the backup in Mi Cloud is damaged or not restored, try downloading it to your PC via cloud.xiaomi.com. Sometimes this solves the file encoding problem.

Where to look for backups created through Mi PC Suite

If you connected Xiaomi to your computer and backed up through the official Mi PC Suite utility, the files are stored on your PC hard drive.

C:\Users\<Username>\Documents\Xiaomi\MiPhone\Backup\

In this folder, you'll find files with the.mbk or.zip extension (if you've manually archived it). If you don't, check:

• 🔍 C:\Program Files (x86)\Xiaomi\MiPhone\Backup\ — for older versions of Mi PC Suite.
• 🔍 C:\Users\<User name>\AppData\Local\Xiaomi\MiPhone\Backup\ — If the utility saved data in a hidden directory.

To recover the backup through the Mi PC Suite:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and start the program.
2. Go to the Backup section.
3. Click Restore and select the desired.mbk file.

If you don't remember which backup you want, look at the date the file was created. YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.

Battery charge (minimum 50%|Free space on the phone|Stable Wi-Fi connection (for cloud backup)|Disabling antivirus (can block access to files)-->

Backup via ADB: Where files are stored and how to extract them

Advanced users sometimes back up through adb backup, a developer tool, and these backups are saved in.ab format and are placed by default in the folder where the command was launched. For example, if you used adb from the platform-tools, the file will be here:

C:\platform-tools\backup.ab

To recover data from the.ab file:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and enable USB Debugging (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times press to unlock the developer mode).
2. Open the command line in the adb folder.
3. Enter the command: adb restore backup.ab

⚠️ Note:.ab files can be encrypted if you set a password when you create a backup. MIUI Does not provide tools for resetting the backup password.

If you have forgotten where you saved the.ab file, try searching for it on your computer:

• 🔍 Enter in the Windows search box: *.ab.
• 🔍 Check Downloads, Documents and Desktop folders.

What to do if the backup is not located or restored

If you have tried all the methods, but the backup has not been found, the following reasons are possible:

• 🗑️ File deleted – for example, after resetting settings or cleaning memory.
• 🔄 Backup is not complete – if the process is interrupted, the file may not be saved.
• 🔒 No access rights - some folders (/data/data/) rootless.
• 🛠️ File damage – if the backup was created with errors.

Here's what we can do:

1. Check the Recycle Bin – Mi File Explorer has a Recycle Bin section where files are stored for 30 days.
2. Use data recovery – programs like DiskDigger or Recuva can find remote backups (but don’t guarantee 100% results).
3. Try another file manager, such as Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer with root rights.
4. Contact Xiaomi for support – if the backup was in the Mi Cloud but disappeared, write to support with the date of creation of the copy.

If a backup is found but not restored, try:

• 🔄 Reboot your phone before restoring.
• 📶 Use a stable Wi-Fi connection (for cloud backups).
• 🛠️ Update MIUI Up to the latest version – sometimes errors are due to incompatibility of versions.

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If the backup is damaged, don’t try to restore it repeatedly, it can lead to complete data loss.

How to protect backups from future losses

To avoid missing backups, follow these tips:

• 🔄 Automate backups - in Settings → Backup enable Automatic Backup and specify a schedule (e.g. once a week).
• ☁️ Use multiple clouds – in addition to Mi Cloud, duplicate copies in Google Drive or Dropbox.
• 💾 Store backups on PC – regularly copy.mbk files from phone to computer.
• 🔐 Encrypt important data – when creating a backup using adb or Mi PC Suite set the password.

It is also useful to keep a backup log — write down the dates of creation, save paths and file sizes, which will help you quickly find the right copy if you need a recovery.

If you often experiment with firmware or system modifications, consider a customized Recovery (such as TWRP) that allows you to create full /data partition backups that are stored in a folder:

/TWRP/BACKUPS/

They are restored even after resetting to factory settings.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi backups