Where to look for notes on Xiaomi phone: 5 proven ways

Why Users Lose Notes on Xiaomi and How to Find Them Quickly

You created an important note on a Xiaomi smartphone and now you can't find it? This problem is familiar to many owners of Redmi devices, POCO The fact is that the manufacturer uses several storage places for notes, from a standard application to the Mi Cloud service. MIUI The interface may change, and the usual tabs “hide” in new sections.

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible places your Xiaomi notes can be stored, from the obvious to the hidden, how to recover deleted records, where to look for backups, and what to do if notes “disappear” after resetting, and how to set up sync so that you never lose important information again.

First, check the simplest option, the standard Notes app, which is preinstalled on all Xiaomi smartphones and usually has a yellow icon with a pencil and a notebook. If you haven't changed the settings, all your notes should be there. But what if the app isn't on the home screen or menu?

Method 1: Standard Notes app – where to look and how to use

Notes (or Notes in global firmware) is the main storage location for text recordings on Xiaomi. MIUI It automatically syncs to your Mi Account if you're logged in. Here's how to find it:

• 🔍 Search System: Swipe your finger down the home screen to open the search bar, and type "Notes." The system will show the app even if it's hidden in the folder.
• 📱 All Apps menu: Click on the All Apps icon (usually at the bottom of the screen) and scroll through the list to the Utility or Office section.
• 📂 Desktop folder: Sometimes Xiaomi groups apps into folders. Check folders with names like Google, Tools, or Office».
• 🔄 Update MIUI: If you've recently updated your firmware, the icon may have changed.

If the app is found but there are no notes inside, check:

1. Archive tab (you may have accidentally archived the record).
2. Recycle Bin (deleted notes are stored there for 30 days).
3. Date filter – you’ve been writing a note much earlier than you think.

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If you use notes often, fix the app on the home screen: long-click on the icon → «Fix it on the main screen».

If the app is missing at all, this may mean:

• 🚫 It was removed (which is unlikely because it is system software).
• 📱 You have custom firmware without preinstalled utilities Xiaomi.
• 🔧 Application disabled in settings (see next section).

Method 2: Restore a disabled or hidden Notes application

Sometimes users accidentally disable system applications in an attempt to free up memory. If standard Notes are missing, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Show All Apps.
3. In the search bar, type “Notes” (or “Notes”).
4. If the application is found but disabled, click Enable.

If the app is enabled but not displayed in the menu, try:

• 🔄 Reset the launcher settings: a long press on the home screen → Launcher settings → Reset the settings.
• 📥 Update the app via Google Play (if you have global firmware).
• 🔧 Clear the app cache in settings (sometimes helps to return hidden data).

Find in the menu of all applications

Check in settings (on/off)

Clear cache and data

Update via Google Play (if available)

Reset the launcher settings-->

If the app never came along, it might have been removed along with the custom firmware, and there are two options left:

1. Install a side app for notes (like Google Keep or ColorNote) and check if old entries are synced there.
2. Recover notes through Mi Cloud (see the next section).

Standard Xiaomi Notes

Google Keep

ColorNote or other third party

OneNote

Other-->

Method 3: Search for notes in Mi Cloud – Xiaomi cloud storage

All notes on Xiaomi are synced by default to the Mi Cloud service if you are logged in to your Mi Account, which means that even if you delete a note on your phone, it can be restored via the web version.

1. Open your browser and go to i.mi.com.
2. Sign in with the same account that is linked to the phone.
3. Select the Notes (or Notes) section from the menu.
4. Check out the list of records – there may even be those you deleted from your phone.

If there are no notes in the cloud, check:

• 🔄 Synchronization settings on the phone: Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Notes (slider should be included).
• 📡 Internet connection at the time of creating a note (without a network synchronization does not work).
• 📅 Last sync date – it is possible that the note was created before the account was connected.

Important: If you reset your phone to factory settings, but were logged in to Mi Cloud before, all notes must be saved to the cloud, and they will automatically be downloaded to your device after you log in again.

If you don’t remember if your Mi Account was linked to your phone, try to restore access:

1. Go to account.xiaomi.com.
2. Click Forgot Password? and follow the instructions.
3. If you have a phone number or email attached, you can restore access and check notes.

Method 4: Find notes in file manager – where local copies are stored

All notes on Xiaomi are stored not only in the app, but also as files in the device's memory. If you're not using the Mi Cloud, the records can be stored locally in the Notes or MiuiNotes folder. Here's how to find them:

1. Open the File Manager (Blue folder icon).
2. Go to the phone’s internal memory (Device or Internal Storage).
3. Open the MiuiNotes or Notes folder (may be in Android) → data → com.miui.notes).
4. Look for files with the.json or.db extension, which are note databases.

If there is no folder, try to enable the display of hidden files:

• In the file manager, click on three points → Settings.
• Activate the option to show hidden files.
• Repeat the search by Android and data folders.

Local note files usually have the following paths:

Internal Storage/MiuiNotes/backups/


Internal Storage/Android/data/com.miui.notes/files/




Internal Storage/Android/data/com.miui.notes/databases/notes.db

To open these files:

• 📄.json files: You can view them through any text editor (e.g. QuickEdit).
• 🗃️.db files: you will need special software like DB Browser for SQLite.
• 🔄 Backups: If you have a backups folder, copy it to your PC and unpack it.

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Local note files are stored in encrypted form, and if you are not knowledgeable about databases, you should use standard recovery via Mi Cloud or backup.

If you find files but can’t open them, try the following:

1. Copy the MiuiNotes folder to your computer.
2. Install Mi Notes Backup Decoder (available on GitHub).
3. Upload files to the program - it will decrypt notes in a readable format.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete or edit files in the com.miui.notes folder directly - this may lead to data loss.

Method 5: Recover notes from backup MIUI

If you regularly create backup copies through MIUI Backup, there's a chance to recover notes even after a phone reset:

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Check the backup list, look for the date when the notes were still on the phone.
3. Press the backup. → Choose Restore.
4. In the data list for recovery, mark Notes (or Notes).
5. Confirm the recovery and wait for completion.

If there are no local backups, check the cloud backups:

• Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Backup of the device.
• Select the device and backup date.
• Find the Notes section and click Restore.

If you don’t have backups, but remember you’ve done a reset recently, try:

• 🔍 Check the folder. MIUI/backup/AllBackup file-manager.
• 📅 Look for files with a date before reset – they may contain notes.
• 🔧 Use data extraction software (e.g. Mi) PC Suite).

⚠️ Attention: Restore from backup will overwrite current data. If you create new notes after backup, they may be gone. Before restoring, export current records manually (via Notes app) → More. → Exports).

Method 6: Alternative Storage Sites – Google Keep, OneNote, and Others

If you didn't find notes in the standard Xiaomi app, it's possible they're saved in another service. Many users install third-party note-taking apps without ever having to.

• 📝 Google Keep: If you used Google services, your notes could be synced automatically. check at keep.google.com.
• 📒 Microsoft OneNote: If you have Microsoft Office installed, notes may be saved here.Available at onenote.com.
• 📱 ColorNote, Evernote, Simplenote: popular note-taking apps. Check if they're installed on your phone.
• 📧 Mail or messengers: sometimes users send themselves notes via Gmail, Telegram (saved messages) or Viber.

How to check which note apps are installed:

1. Open Google Play → Menus. → My apps and games. → Library.
2. Enter “notes” or “notes” in the search.
3. Check the list of previously removed and installed applications.

If you find the app but don’t remember the password:

• 🔑 For Google Keep: Restore access via accounts.google.com.
• 🔑 For OneNote: Use a Microsoft account linked to your phone.
• 🔑 For Evernote: Try recovery by email at evernote.com.

If you used Telegram to save notes:

1. Open the app and go to Save Messages (at the top of the chat list).
2. Use keyword search.
3. Check the attached messages, there may be important records.

What to do if the notes are not found?

If you've tried all the ways, but you haven't found any notes, you've got to take radical measures.

• 🔍 Full phone search: Use a file manager with content search function (e.g. Solid Explorer.
• 📱 PC Connection: Sometimes Windows or macOS finds files that aren't visible on the phone. Connect the device in File Transfer mode and check folders manually.
• 🔧 Specialty software: programs like Dr.Fone or EaseUS MobiSaver can recover deleted data, but require root rights.
• 📞 Xiaomi Support: If Notes Are Critical, Write to Support with Phone Model and Record Creation Date.

If you are ready to try recovery via PC:

1. Download and install Mi PC Suite from the official Xiaomi website.
2. Connect the phone to your computer and wait for recognition.
3. In the program, select the Backup and Restore section.
4. Create a new backup or restore the old one.

⚠️ Note: Data recovery software like Dr.Fone often requires payment for the full version. Before buying, check if the free version finds your notes in the pre-scan. Also remember that such programs may pose a security risk – download them only from official websites.

If nothing helped, perhaps the notes were:

• 🗑️ Removed irrevocably (for example, after a reset without a backup copy).
• 📵 Saved on another device (tablet, second phone).
• 📝 Recorded by hand in another application (for example, in Squid or LectureNotes).

In this case, you just have to start a new system of storing notes.

• 🔄 Enable automatic synchronization with Mi Cloud or Google Drive.
• 📤 Regularly export notes to PDF or TXT (via app menu).
• 📱 Use cross-platform services (e.g. Google Keep or Notion).

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi notes