Hidden notes on Xiaomi smartphones are one of the most useful, but little-known features of the brand shell MIUI. Many users are unaware that the standard Notes app allows you to create confidential entries that do not appear in the main list and are protected by a password or fingerprint. However, there are times when you need to access this hidden data, whether it’s a forgotten password, flashing your device, or having to transfer information to a new phone.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all possible ways to open hidden notes on Xiaomi, Redmi and other devices. POCO steerable MIUI 12-15 You will learn not only about standard methods through the application, but also about hidden system functions, alternative applications and even how to restore access when you lose your password. Particular attention will be paid to the nuances of the function on different models and firmware versions - from the budget Redmi Note 10 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra.
What are hidden notes on Xiaomi and why you need them
Hidden notes in MIUI — This is a secure partition inside the standard Notes app that allows you to store sensitive information, such as passwords, bank details, personal diaries or business secrets:
- 🔒 Password/fingerprint protection – access only after authentication.
- 👁️ Invisibility – Hidden notes are not displayed in the main list.
- 🔄 Synchronization – Linking to Mi Account (optional).
- 📱 Cross-platform – access from other Xiaomi devices.
What's different about hidden notes is that they can't be found through a search or accidentally opened, and even if someone takes your phone, they won't see it without knowing your password or your fingerprint, but that creates the opposite problem: if you forget your login data, it's harder to restore access than normal notes.
⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 14+ Hidden notes are attached to your Mi Account by default, and when you reset your phone without first turning off sync, your data may be lost!
The feature is available on all modern Xiaomi smartphones, including:
- 📱 Xiaomi series 12/13/14 (including Pro, Ultra, Lite).
- 📱 Redmi Note lineups 10/11/12 redmi K50/60.
- 📱 Devices POCO F4/F5, POCO X5/X6.
- 📱 Redmi budget models A2, Redmi 10C.
Method 1: Standard access through the Notes app
The easiest way to open hidden notes is to use the built-in Notes app (an icon in the form of a yellow notebook). MIUI 12 and later if the function was not manually disabled.
Step-by-step:
- Open the Notes app (if it is not on the desktop, search through the system search).
- In the upper right corner, tap the icon "Three dots» (⋮) → Choose Hidden Notes.
- The system will request authentication: 🔐 Enter your password (if you have set it). 👆 Or use a fingerprint. 😊 Or confirm by face (Face) ID supported-model).
After you've done a successful check, you'll see a list of hidden notes.
If you don't have Hidden Notes on the menu, it's disabled, and you can turn it on in the app settings:
- Get in the notes. → ⋮ → Settings.
- Select Hidden Notes → Turn on.
- Set a password or choose a biometric method of protection.
Instructions for restoring access:
- Go to notes.mi.com and log in to your Mi Account.
- In the web interface, look for Hidden Notes (can be called Private or Locked).
- The system will prompt you to enter a password for hidden notes. If you don't remember it, click Forgot the password?
- Follow the recovery instructions (usually confirmation is required through the SMS or email linked to an account).
If you have a second Xiaomi smartphone with the same account:
- Install Notes from the Mi App Store.
- Sign in with the same Mi Account.
- Enable synchronization in the application settings.
- Go to Hidden Notes – if the synchronization is successful, you will see your records.
| Conditions | Recovery capability | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Synchronization is enabled, password is forgotten | ✅ Tall. | Recovery via notes.mi.com or second phone |
| Synchronization is disabled, password is known | ✅ 100% | Open through the "Notes" app |
| Synchronization is disabled, password is forgotten | ❌ Low. | Try resetting (see Method 4) |
| Phone dropped to factory | ⚠️ Medium | Restore from a backup of Mi Cloud |
💡
If you often forget passwords, enable two-factor authentication in your Mi Account settings (2FA) And you can link backup emails, which will make it easier to restore hidden data.
Method 3: Using Hidden Codes and Engineering Menus
Xiaomi devices have hidden service codes that allow you to access system functions, including some protected data — MIUI It doesn't provide direct access to protected data through an engineering menu.
Option 1: Code for resetting the password notes (does not work on all firmware)
Some users have reported that older versions MIUI (up to 12.5) the following method:
##36446337##Once you enter this code, you open the hardware testing menu.
- Go to Storage or Memory.
- Find the Notes Database item (if any).
- Select Reset Lock.
Starting with MIUI 13 This method stopped working – Xiaomi removed the ability to reset password notes through the engineering menu for security reasons.
Option 2: Access through ADB (for advanced users)
If you have developer rights and debugging is enabled USB, You can try to extract a database of notes through ADB. For that:
- Connect your phone to your PC and open the command line.
- Enter the command to get a list of packages: adb shell pm list packages | grep notes Usually the name of the package is com.miui.notes.
- Download the database: adb pull /data/data/com.miui.notes/databases/notes.db
- Open notes.db file via SQLite Browser – hidden notes can be stored in a note table with a flag is_private=1.
⚠️ Attention: Use ADB requires an unlocked bootloader and may result in a loss of warranty, and a database of notes in new versions MIUI They are encrypted and cannot be read without a key.
What happens if you enter the wrong code of the engineering menu?
Method 4: Recovering access after resetting or losing a password
If you reset your phone to factory settings or forget the password from hidden notes, the chances of recovery depend on whether sync with Mi Account was enabled.
Scenario 1: Synchronization was enabled
- 📱 Sign in to your phone under the same Mi Account.
- 🔄 Install the Notes app and enable synchronization in its settings.
- 🔓 Go to Hidden Notes → press Forgot the password? → Restore access via an attached email or SMS.
Scenario 2: Sync is disabled, but there is a backup
- 💾 Connect your phone to your PC and check the folder MIUI/backup/Notes/ backup.
- 🔍 Note files usually have the.backup or.db extension.
- 📂 Try to restore them through Mi. PC Suite or manually copy in /data/data/com.miui.notes/databases/ (Root rights are required).
Scenario 3: No synchronization and backup
So, if you do that, you have minimal chances of recovery.
- 🔧 Use data recovery software (such as Dr.Fone or EaseUS MobiSaver) but they rarely find hidden notes.
- 📱 Contact Xiaomi Support with proof of ownership of the device (check, IMEI). In some cases, they can help to reset the protection.
| Method of recovery | Probability of success | Conditions required |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery through Mi Account | ✅ 90% | Synchronization was enabled, access to the account |
| Recovery from backup | ✅ 70% | There is a backup in Mi Cloud or locally |
| Data recovery programmes | ⚠️ 30% | Root access, deleted data not overwritten |
| Appeal for Xiaomi support | ⚠️ 20% | Evidence of possession of the device |
💡
If you plan to reset your phone to factory settings, be sure to check if hidden notes are synchronized with Mi Account. Without this, data will be lost without recovery!
Method 5: Alternative Note-taking Applications with Hiding Function
If the standard hidden notes in MIUI You may not be happy (for example, due to problems with access restoration), you may use third-party applications with similar features, which often offer more flexible security and backup settings.
Top.-5 Apps for hidden notes on Xiaomi:
- 🔐 KeepassDX – open password manager with note support and encryption AES-256.
- 📝 Standard Notes – a cross-platform application with end-to-end encryption.
- 🔒 Cryptomator – creates encrypted storage (can be used for notes).
- 📱 Notion – with the Lock for Notion plugin, you can hide pages.
- 💡 Google Keep – doesn’t have built-in encryption, but you can archive and hide notes.
How to transfer notes from the standard Xiaomi app to an alternative:
- Export notes from MIUI Notes: Open notes → ⋮ → Settings → Export. Select the.txt or.zip format. Save the file to a safe location (e.g. Google Drive).
- In Standard Notes: Settings → Imports → Select a file.
- In KeepassDX: Create a new entry and paste the text of the note.
⚠️ Note: When using third-party apps, turn off automatic synchronization of standard Notes with Mi Account to avoid data duplication. → Accounts. → Mi Account → Synchronization.
Frequent problems and their solutions
When working with hidden notes on Xiaomi, users often encounter typical errors, and consider the most common ones and how to fix them.
Problem 1: The item “Hidden Notes” is not on the menu
Decisions:
- 🔄 Update the Notes app through the Mi App Store.
- 📱 Check the firmware region: on some global versions MIUI The function is off. Try switching to MIUI China (requires unlocking of the bootloader).
- 🔧 Set notes manually through APK (You can download it from APKCombo).
Problem 2: Biometric authentication is not working
Decisions:
- 👆 Make sure your fingerprint is added to your settings → Passwords and security → Fingerprints.
- 🔄 Reboot your phone – sometimes it resets authentication errors.
- 📱 Remove and add the print again.
Problem 3: Synchronization of notes is suspended
Decisions:
- 🌐 Check your internet connection (synchronization only works via Wi-Fi or mobile data).
- 🔄 In Mi Account settings, turn off and enable synchronization of notes again.
- 📱 Clear the app cache Notes in Settings → Annexes → Application management → Notes → Clear the cache.
Problem 4: After the update MIUI missing notes
This is one of the most frustrating situations that sometimes arise when you switch to a new firmware version.
- Check the folder. /sdcard/MIUI/backup/Notes/ backup.
- Log in to Mi Account and check if your notes have recovered after synchronization.
- If nothing helps, try to revert to the previous version. MIUI via Fastboot (instructions are available on the forum) XDA Developers).
💡
After the update MIUI Not only are the hidden notes gone, but the usual notes are gone, so try resetting the Notes app to the factory settings. → Annexes → Notes → Warehouse → Data will not be deleted, but links to the database can be restored.
FAQ: Answers to popular questions
Can I open hidden notes on Xiaomi without a password?
Where are the hidden notes stored in your phone’s memory?
How to transfer hidden notes to a new Xiaomi phone?
Through backup:
- On your old phone, make a backup of notes in Settings → System system → Backup.
- Transfer the backup file to the new phone and restore it.
After that, the hidden notes will only be stored locally on the device.