Where to look for notes in Xiaomi phones: 5 storage places + recovery of deleted records

Did you create an important note on a Xiaomi smartphone but now you can't find it? Or did you reset all the saved texts? The problem with finding notes is one of the most common ones among Redmi, POCO and other brands, because Xiaomi uses several different storage locations depending on the firmware version, the device model and how you create the note.

In this article, we’ll look at all possible locations where your records can be stored, from the standard Notes app to hidden folders in the file manager, and learn how to recover deleted notes, transfer them to a new phone, and set up automatic sync with Mi Cloud. We will focus on the differences between the global (MIUI Global) and Chinese (MIUI China) firmware versions are critical for file search.

1. Standard app “Notes” – the main storage location

Most users create notes through the built-in Notes app (yellow notebook icon), which is pre-installed on all Xiaomi smartphones and synced with the Mi Account account to open it:

• 📱 Click on the Notes icon** on the home screen or in the app menu.
• 🔍 If there is no icon, search: swipe down the main screen and type “Notes».
• 📁 In some firmware applications are hidden in the folder Tools or Utilities.

All the notes here are categorized as: All, Favorites, Drafts, Recycle Bin. If you deleted a post by accident, check the Recycle Bin section — there are files stored for 30 days before final deletion. For convenience, you can use built-in search (lamp in the upper right corner) for keywords.

An important nuance: MIUI China (Chinese firmware) notes app can be called Mi Notes and has a different interface, and there is no integration with Google Drive, but there is synchronization with Baidu Cloud, which is important to consider when searching for backups.

2. Where the note files are physically stored in the phone's memory

If you want to manually find notes files (for example, for backup), they are stored in hidden folders of the system. MIUI:

⚠️ Attention: folders /data/data/ You can only access root rights. Without root rights, you'll only see files in the root rights. /storage/emulated/0/. To open hidden folders:

1. Open File Manager → click on three dots in the upper right corner.
2. Select Settings → turn on Show hidden files.
3. Then, follow the path above (depending on your location).

Note files in.mnote format are encrypted – they can not be read without special tools (for example, Mi Notes Decryptor). If you need to transfer notes to another phone, use the built-in export through Settings → Export in the Notes app.

3. Mi Cloud Sync: How to Find Notes in the Cloud

If your Xiaomi is synced to Mi Cloud, all notes are automatically copied to the cloud, and you can check them in two ways:

• 🌐 Through the web version: go to i.mi.com, log in and select the Notes section.
• 📱 Through the Mi Cloud app on your phone: open it, find the Notes section and click Sync.

If the notes are not displayed in the cloud:

⚠️ Warning: Make sure that Notes app settings include Sync with Mi Cloud (Settings) → Also check that the phone has added a Mi Account (in Settings) → Accounts).

In MIUI China, instead of Mi Cloud, you can use Baidu Cloud or Xiaomi Cloud (Chinese version) to access notes from China:

Register for account.xiaomi.com (select China region)

Install the Chinese version of the Mi Cloud app (APK can be downloaded from APKCombo)

Enable VPNs with servers in China (e.g. Hong Kong)

In the phone settings, change the region to China (Settings → Additional → Region)

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If you can’t log in to the Chinese cloud, the only way to recover your notes is to use local files (see section 2) or contact Xiaomi with proof of account ownership.

4. Alternative Notes Apps on Xiaomi

Not all users use the standard Notes app. If you have installed third-party programs, check:

• 📝 Google Keep: Notes synced with Google Account and available at keep.google.com.
• 📒 Microsoft OneNote: Files are stored in OneDrive (check the OneNote Notebooks folder).
• 📌 ColorNote or Simple Notes: Data is stored in /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/ (file-book).
• 🔖 Evernote: syncs with the company's servers, access via evernote.com.

To find third-party application files:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the app you want (like Google Keep) and click on it.
3. Select Warehouse → Space Management → Data.

If you delete an application but don't back it up, it's hard to recover notes. Some programs (like ColorNote) store.xml or.txt data in their folder, which can be retrieved through the file manager.

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Before you delete the note app, export your data! Most programs have the option to export to TXT/HTML in the settings. Save the file to Google Drive or send it to your email.

5. How to Recover Deleted Notes on Xiaomi

If you accidentally delete a note, you have a few ways to return it:

1. Check the Recycle Bin in the Notes app (the section stores files for 30 days).
2. Restore from backup copy: 🔄 Through Mi Cloud: Settings → My device. → Backup → Select the date when the note was still in place. 💾 Through Google Drive: if automatic backup is enabled (Settings) → Google → Backup).

Use Recovery Programs to Recover

• DiskDigger (restores files from internal memory)
• EaseUS MobiSaver (works with.db and.json note files).

⚠️ Note: Recovery programs only work if:

You didn't write new data to your phone after you deleted it (files are overwritten!) You have root access to scan system partitions. You use it. ADB-commands to extract the database (e.g., adb pull) /data/data/com.mi.android.notes/databases/notes.db).

If the note was synced to Mi Cloud but disappeared on both the phone and the cloud, contact Xiaomi support with the following: account ID, device IMEI and exact deletion date. In some cases, they can recover data from server backups (but this is not guaranteed).

6.Transfer notes to new Xiaomi phone

When buying a new Xiaomi smartphone, you can move notes in several ways:

• 📱 Via Mi Cloud: On an old phone: Settings → Accounts. → Mi Account → Synchronization → On the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account and wait for sync.
• 🔗 Through Export/Import: Open Notes → Settings → Export (the file will be saved in.zip format) Transfer the file to a new phone (e.g. via Bluetooth or Mi Share). → Imports.

Through the PC.

1. Connect your old phone to your computer and copy the folder /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.mi.android.notes/.
2. Move it to the new phone in the same location.

If you are switching from MIUI China to MIUI Global (or vice versa), direct transfer may not work due to different storage formats.

Take screenshots of important notes (as a backup option)

Export notes to.txt via a third-party app (e.g. Simple Notes)

Use Google Keep as an intermediary storage

On the new phone, import data via Mi Mover (a data porting app from Xiaomi)

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For POCO models (e.g. POCO X3, POCO F4), the transfer process is no different, as they run on the same MIUI. Except for devices with POCO Launcher: there may be no Notes icon on the home screen, but the application remains in the system.

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

Xiaomi users often face the following problems when working with notes:

If all the notes are missing after the MIUI update, try:

1. Reverse to the previous firmware version via Fastboot (instructions are available on xiaomi.eu).
2. Check the /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.mi.android.notes/backup/ folder – sometimes backups are left.
3. Write in support of Xiaomi with error logs (you can get them through the Bug Report app).

For the Redmi Note 10/11/12 and POCO X5 models, the problem with missing notes after resetting to factory settings is relevant. To avoid this, always back up through Settings → My Device → Backup and save the file to Google Drive or PC.

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The most reliable way to save notes is to enable automatic sync with Mi Cloud and make manual export to.zip. Don't rely on just one storage!

FAQ: Frequent Questions About Notes in Xiaomi