Modern Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI shells or the new HyperOS offer many convenient features for everyday use, and one of the most popular is automatic login retention. When you log into social networks, Internet banking or email services, the system often suggests remembering your username and password to save you from having to enter them every time. This really saves time, but creates a situation where the user forgets their own access data, relying on the memory of the device.
The need to know your password can arise for a variety of reasons: you want to log in from a new gadget, change your device or simply forget a complex combination of characters. In the Xiaomi ecosystem, two main sources can answer for storing this information: the built-in Mi Browser browser or the Google Password Manager system service. Understanding the differences between them is critical to successfully finding the necessary data.
In this article, we will take a look at all the possible ways to retrieve stored credentials. You will learn where to look for security settings in a standard application, how to manage passwords through a Google account and what precautions to follow. Data security is a priority, so we will also discuss how to protect access to this sensitive information from prying eyes.
Differences between Mi Browser and Google Chrome on Xiaomi
Before we get to the instructions, it’s important to clearly understand where your data was stored. Xiaomi smartphones pre-installed its own Mi Browser app, which many users use by default to browse the web. However, a significant portion of the audience immediately after purchase installs Google Chrome or uses it as the main one.
Mi Browser stores data locally on your device or syncs it to the Mi Account cloud if the feature is enabled, which means that passwords are accessed through the app’s settings or phone’s system security settings. At the same time, Google Chrome links all data to your Google account. If you’re used to using Google services, your passwords are likely to be there, even if you open links in a standard browser.
⚠️ Note: If you searched for passwords in Mi Browser settings but didn’t find them, be sure to check Google Password Manager. Often users confuse these storages, especially after switching from one device to another.
You can tell where the data is stored by the behavior of the smartphone when you log in to the site. If the pop-up with a suggestion to save the password had a Google logo or offered a choice of Gmail account, the data in Mi Browser. If you used the system curtain with the key logo or Google icon, then you should search in the settings of the system.
Search for passwords through Mi Browser settings
The standard Xiaomi browser has its own built-in password manager. To access the stored data, you need to open the application and go to the settings menu. This is usually done by clicking on the profile icon or three dots in the bottom navigation bar, then select Settings. Next, you should find the section related to privacy or security.
Inside the settings menu, you will need to find Save Passwords or Privacy and Security → Passwords. The interface may vary slightly depending on the version of the MIUI shell and the version of the browser itself. Once you log in, you will see a list of sites for which credentials have been saved. To view a specific password, you will need to verify your identity using screen unlock, fingerprint or Face ID.
☑️ Checking the Mi Browser settings
It is worth noting that in some versions of HyperOS firmware, access to this data can be redirected to the Google password system store to unify the experience. If you do not see a list of sites in the browser menu, check if sync is activated with a Google account that may have intercepted the save feature.
What if the list is empty?
Google Password Manager for MIUI and HyperOS
The most reliable and versatile way to view passwords on Xiaomi smartphones is to use Google’s password manager system. This service is integrated directly into the Android operating system and works on top of any browsers, including Mi Browser, Chrome, Firefox and others.
The way to set up is to open your smartphone Settings, scroll down to the Google section and select it. In the menu that opens, find the Autocomplete button, and then go to Google Autocomplete. Here you will see Google Passwords or Google Password Manager. When you click on it, you will be taken to a full password manager, where the data is sorted alphabetically.
| Function | Description | Where to find out. |
|---|---|---|
| Password review | Shows hidden password text | Pressing the eye icon |
| Copying | Copies the login or password to the buffer | Copy icon next to the field |
| Security check | Analyzes the reliability of passwords | Password verification section |
| Removal | Remove stored site data | Remove button in the site card |
A unique feature of this method is that it can check your passwords for vulnerabilities, reuse or leaks to the network, and if you have a red warning, you need to change it first, because it can be known to attackers, a critical feature that helps maintain digital hygiene.
Managing the Mi Account
Xiaomi device owners often create a Mi Account to sync data between devices, find a lost phone, and use cloud storage. While most of the passwords from sites are stored in Google today, Mi Account also has its own section to sync browser data if you used this feature before or switched from an old Xiaomi device.
To check this data, go to Settings of your smartphone, click on the top plaque with your name and photo (Mi Account). From the account menu, select the Cloud or Xiaomi Cloud section. There may be a Browser or Sync option. If the function was active, you can see a list of saved bookmarks and, in some versions of firmware, credentials.
However, it is worth considering that with the release of HyperOS and increased integration with global services, the priority is shifted to Google Password Manager. The functionality of the Mi cloud in this aspect can be limited or changed depending on the region of use of the device. If you do not find your data there, do not worry - most likely, it is securely stored in a Google profile.
⚠️ Note: When you reset your phone to factory settings without first syncing with Mi Account or Google, locally stored data in your browser may be permanently lost. Always check sync status before resetting.
Display problems and hidden symbols
Users often find themselves in a situation where when trying to view a password, dots or stars are displayed instead of characters, and the show button does not work or requires re-authorization. To view it is necessary to pass biometric identification or enter PIN-screen-lock.
Sometimes there is a problem when the password is displayed incorrectly or contains unnecessary characters. This can be due to errors when automatically filling in fields, when the password gets a space at the beginning or end of the line. When manually entering such errors can be avoided. Also worth paying attention to the layout of the keyboard: sometimes similar Cyrillic characters can be entered instead of Latin characters, if the language bar was switched at the time of saving.
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If the password doesn't fit when you manually type it, try copying it from the password manager (copy icon) and pasting it into the input field, which will eliminate typo errors and character register problems.
In rare cases, display problems can be caused by a conflict of application versions: Make sure that the components of Google Play Services and the browser itself are updated to the latest version through the GetApps app store or Play Market. Outdated software may not work properly with new encryption protocols.
Data security and export
Keeping all your passwords in one place is convenient, but it creates a single point of failure. If someone gets access to an unlocked phone, they can log in to all your accounts. So it's critical to set up a secure lock on the screen. PIN-0000 nullifies all password manager protections.
For maximum security, it is recommended to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for your Google account, in which case, even if an attacker learns your password, they will not be able to log in without a second confirmation factor, such as code from an SMS or an authenticator application, which adds an additional layer of protection that is difficult to bypass.
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The reliability of password storage on Xiaomi depends on the complexity of the screen unlock password and the presence of two-factor authentication on the Google account.
It is also worth periodically backing up important data. Although cloud services are reliable, having a local copy or writing critical passwords in a paper notebook (which is stored in a safe place) will never be superfluous. In an emergency situation, when the phone is discharged or locked, paper storage will be the only way to access.