The Android operating system on Xiaomi smartphones may eventually become unstable, requiring radical measures such as a complete reset. Users often face a dilemma: how to clean up the system from accumulated debris, but not lose installed programs and their data. The process of recovering from formatting can take hours if you do not take care of creating a quality backup.
In this article, we will discuss how to save applications when resetting to the factory settings of Android on shaomi, using built-in MIUI tools and third-party utilities. Proper preparation will allow you to return the device to the state of “out of the box”, while preserving all the important game progressions, banking application settings and logins in social networks.
Before you start any manipulation of system partitions, you need to understand the risks. Incorrectly executed backups can lead to loss of photos, contacts and correspondence in messengers. We will look at proven methods that minimize these risks and ensure that your gadget is quickly restored to health.
Preparation of the device for the backup procedure
The first step towards safe resetting is to carefully prepare the smartphone itself, and the battery should be at least 60-70% charged, as the process of creating an archive and subsequent recovery can be energy-intensive, and it is also critical to ensure a stable connection to the Wi-Fi network, since synchronization with the cloud can require the transfer of large amounts of data.
Xiaomi device owners need to check the amount of free memory in advance. Built-in storage is often overflowing with cache and temporary files that prevent the creation of a full copy. It is recommended to delete unnecessary video files or transfer them to the computer, freeing up at least 5-10 GB of space for system utilities.
Special attention should be paid to the Mi Account, which is the key to recovering most settings and data after a reboot. Make sure you remember the password from the account, as without it, activation of the device after a reset can be blocked by the security system Find Device.
☑️ Checklist before reset
Also, be sure to check for system updates. Sometimes newer versions of MIUI fix bugs related to the backup module, making the procedure more reliable. Go to settings and select About Phone to make sure the firmware is up to date.
Using Xiaomi’s built-in cloud to save data
The easiest and most integrated way to save important data is to use the Mi Cloud cloud service, which allows you to automatically synchronize contacts, SMS, call history, notes and voice recordings. To activate the function, go to the Settings menu → Mi Account → Xiaomi Cloud and turn on the desired switches.
However, free cloud space is limited to 5GB, which may not be enough to save heavy apps or photos in high resolution, so the system will offer to buy additional space or select only the most important categories of data for synchronization.
⚠️ Note: When using the Xiaomi cloud, make sure that sync is complete before reset.Sync status should be displayed next to each point, otherwise the data may be lost.
You can also use cloud functions to save your desktop structure and icon layout. Once you've recovered from a backup, MIUI will try to recreate your familiar environment by automatically downloading application shortcuts that were installed earlier, especially if you change devices frequently or prefer a clean installation.
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Use the Advanced Cloud feature to create a full copy of your system settings, but remember that the application files themselves (APKs) are not uploaded to the cloud, only their settings and data.
Local backup of applications and settings
A more flexible tool is local backup, which creates an archive directly in the phone's internal memory. To use this method, open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Restore. Here you can choose which data to save: system settings, calls, messages or installed applications.
When selecting backup applications, the system will suggest ticking the desired programs. It is important to understand that for some applications (especially banking and encrypted messengers), data storage may not be available for security reasons, in which case only the application shortcut is copied, not its contents.
After the archiving process is complete, the backup file is usually saved by MIUI/backup/AllBackup. It is strongly recommended to copy this folder to a computer or external drive, as if you completely reset the internal memory will be cleared and the local archive will disappear along with the rest of the data.
To access hidden backup settings, you can use the code in the Phone app. Enter ##2828## to go to the engineering menu, where additional logging and backup options are available, but the average user is better off limiting himself to the standard settings interface to avoid errors.
Keeping progress in games and messenger data
A separate and critical task is to keep progress in games and messaging. Android’s standard tools often fail to properly store data from applications that use sophisticated encryption mechanisms. WhatsApp, Viber and Telegram need built-in chat export features.
On WhatsApp, go to Settings → Chats → Backup Chats and click on the Backup button. Make sure you select Google Drive, not local storage, if you plan to completely reset. Similar steps need to be done in Viber (Settings → Account → Backup Viber) and Telegram (Chat Settings).
For games, it depends on how you are logged in. If the game is tied to a Google Play Games or Xiaomi Account, your progress will be automatically saved after logging in to the same akka aunt on the dropped phone. If the game is offline or using its own server without a link, it is almost impossible to save progress without root rights.
| Annex | Method of conservation | Where the copy is kept | Important condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hand backup in settings | Google Drive / Locally | Having a Google account | |
| Telegram | Cloud synchronization | Telegram servers | Access to the phone number |
| Viber | Backup | Google Drive | The same Google account |
| Games (Google Play) | Autopreservation | Google Play Games | Log in before resetting |
What if the game doesn’t keep progress?
Syncing with a Google account as a universal method
Google’s ecosystem offers a powerful data-saving tool that Xiaomi owners often underestimate: When you link a device to a Google account, your contacts, calendar, passwords (via Google Password Manager) and installed app list are automatically synchronized, allowing you to quickly return all programs after a reset by simply confirming their installation.
To make sure that sync is active, go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google. There should be a checkbox opposite to "Application Sync". Also check that the "Backup" section activates the option to save application data and call history.
The advantage of this method is that it is independent of the MIUI shell. Even if you decide to change Xiaomi to another Android smartphone brand, your data will remain available. However, it is worth remembering that this method does not store logins and passwords inside the applications themselves unless they use the standard Android password manager.
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Google accounts save a list of apps and their basic settings, but to fully restore access to banking applications and instant messengers, additional actions are taken within each of them.
Once reset and set up initially, the phone will prompt you to restore data from Google's backup. Choose the latest date and the system will start loading the app list. This process can take time, so be patient and don't interrupt your network connection.
Advanced methods: ADB and third-party utilities
For power users who need a full clone of the system with all the data, including secure applications, there are more sophisticated methods. ADB (Android Debug Bridge allows you to create full data partition backups. USB on the Developer Menu.
The command to create a backup through ADB is as follows:
adb backup -apk -shared -all -system -f backup.abThis method creates a backup.ab file that contains a full copy of user data. However, modern versions of Android (starting from 9-10) often block the creation of full backups by third-party applications for security reasons, so this method may not work on all Xiaomi devices.
⚠️ Attention: Use of teams ADB A fault in the syntax of a command or a process interruption can cause a file system to be damaged or data lost.
Alternatively, specialized applications from the Play Market, such as Swift Backup or Titanium Backup (requires a Root-right), allow you to flexibly adjust the copy schedule and select specific items to save, ignoring system debris. Root rights give full access to the file system, allowing you to save absolutely everything, but deprives you of warranty on the device.
Data recovery process after reset
Once you have reset to factory settings (Settings → About Phone → Reset → Erase All Data), the initial setup process will begin. At the welcome stage, the system will suggest connecting to Wi-Fi and logging into a Google or Mi Account.
When you log in to a Google account, your phone will ask if you want to restore data from the backup. Select the right backup by date. Then it will automatically download applications. If you used a local MIUI backup, search the backup program in the application menu, go to the Mobile Device or Computer section and select the saved file for recovery.
This is normal security behavior. Don't try to transfer the settings files of such applications from the backup manually, as this may cause the bank's security to lock the account.
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Once you have recovered the data, restart the phone again, which will help the system to correctly index the files and adjust the background work of all the restored applications.
In conclusion, check all the important functions: calls, Internet, camera and applications. If any data is not restored, check the MIUI/backup folder for a backup file or look into the cloud service basket where deleted files may have been accessed.