Recovering Deleted WhatsApp Messages on Xiaomi: All the Ways to Work in 2026

Deleted an important WhatsApp message on a Xiaomi smartphone and unsure how to return it?The situation is familiar to many: Accidental clicking, resetting or even a virus attack can deprive you of your correspondence history. Fortunately, owners of Redmi, POCO or Mi devices have several ways to restore remote chats - from standard backups to hidden MIUI features and third-party tools.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current methods of returning messages, including those that work even without a backup. We’ll focus on the nuances of MIUI firmware (including versions 14 and 15), as they affect the location and access to system files.

Important: the effectiveness of each method depends on whether the automatic backup function was enabled in Google Drive or locally on the device. If not, do not despair: Xiaomi has utilities that few people know about.

1.Restore through Google Drive Backup

The most reliable way to return messages is to use a cloud backup in Google Drive, which works if:

• 🔹 You previously enabled backup in WhatsApp settings.
• 🔹 You have the same Google account as when you created a backup.
• 🔹 There is enough room on the phone to recover (minimum — 2-3 GB of free space).
• 🔹 You did not change your phone number after you created a backup.

To restore the chats:

1. Remove WhatsApp from your smartphone (via Settings → Apps → WhatsApp → Delete).
2. Restart the device – this will clear the cache of the system.
3. Install WhatsApp again from Google Play.
4. When you first start, enter the same phone number that was used earlier.
5. When a recovery request appears from Google Drive, click Restore.
6. Wait until the process is complete (it can take anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the backup).

⚠️ Note: If no messages have appeared after recovery, check if your Google account has changed. on Xiaomi, there is sometimes an automatic profile change when updating. MIUI — This blocks access to old backups.

If the backup in Google Drive is missing or lost, move on to the next method. Also note that WhatsApp only stores the latest backup in the cloud - older versions are overwritten automatically.

2. Local recovery from the WhatsApp folder on Xiaomi

Even without a cloud backup, your Xiaomi can still have local copies of messages stored in the hidden folder /sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases (or /storage/emulated/0/WhatsApp/Databases for newer versions of MIUI). The files are msgstore.db.crypt14 (or crypt12/crypt15 depending on the version of the application).

To recover messages from the local backup:

Use a file manager with root folder access (e.g. Mi File Explorer or Solid Explorer)

Enable the display of hidden files in the manager settings

Copy the Databases folder to your computer or to the cloud (in case of a crash)

Make sure there is enough room on your phone to recover.-->

Follow the instructions:

1. Rename the current database file (e.g., msgstore.db.crypt14) to msgstore.db.crypt14.current, which will keep the current version.
2. Find the latest backup (usually it has a date in the title, for example msgstore-2026-05-15.db.crypt14).
3. Rename the selected file to msgstore.db.crypt14.
4. Remove and reinstall WhatsApp.
5. When you first start up, the app will automatically detect the local backup and prompt you to restore it.

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi with MIUI 14+ Access to the WhatsApp folder may be restricted due to security policies.If files don't show up, try connecting your phone to your PC and use it. ADB backup.

If local files are damaged or missing, try the following method – it will work even without prior backups.

3.Using built-in MIUI tools for recovery

Xiaomi has integrated several hidden features into MIUI that can help retrieve deleted data, including Mi Mover, a utility originally designed to transfer data between devices, but it also scans internal memory for deleted files, including WhatsApp databases.

How to use Mi Mover:

1. Open the Mi Mover app (if not, download from the Mi App Store).
2. Select the option Data Recovery (or Scan for Lost Files in English).
3. Wait until the scan is completed (may take a while). 10-30 minute).
4. In the search results, find the WhatsApp folder and mark the files msgstore.db.crypt*.
5. Click Restore and follow the instructions.

Another tool is the Security App, which has a Cleanup module that can recover accidentally deleted files:

• 🔧 Open Security. → Cleanup → Basket.
• 🔧 Check the Deleted Files section – sometimes temporary copies of databases remain here.
• 🔧 If you find WhatsApp files, restore them and repeat the procedure from Section 2.

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On Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 13+, turn on Developer Mode (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version – press 7 times) and activate the option Do not delete data when you delete the application in Settings → Additional → For developers. This will save local WhatsApp backups even after uninstallation.

4. Third-party utilities: risks and opportunities

If standard methods don’t work, you can try specialized data recovery software.

• 🛠️ Dr.Fone (Windows/macOS) — supportive MIUI and recognize files crypt14/crypt15.
• 🛠️ EaseUS MobiSaver scans internal memory for remote databases.
• 🛠️ Tenorshare UltData – Restores messages even after resetting settings (root access required).

Instructions for Dr.Fone:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your PC via USB (enable USB debugging in the developer settings).
2. Run Dr.Fone and select WhatsApp Data Recovery.
3. Follow the Connection Wizard (the program will automatically determine the Xiaomi model).
4. After scanning, select the recovery messages and save them in.html or.txt format.

⚠️ Note: Most utilities require root rights, which voids Xiaomi’s warranty and may result in a lock MIUI. Before using, create a full phone backup via Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

There are also online services (such as WhatsApp Viewer) that decrypt msgstore.db.crypt* files without installing software. However, transferring data to third parties carries the risk of leakage.

5. Recovery after resetting the phone to factory settings

If you have done a hard reset on Xiaomi, the chances of returning WhatsApp messages are dramatically reduced, but they are.The main thing is not to write new data to your phone after a reset (this will overwrite deleted files).

Act on the algorithm:

1. Do not install WhatsApp immediately after resetting.
2. Connect your phone to your PC and use Dr.Fone or EaseUS for deep memory scanning.
3. If you find files msgstore.db.crypt*, copy them to your computer.
4. Install WhatsApp, but don’t run it.
5. Place the copied backup in the /WhatsApp/Databases folder.
6. Launch WhatsApp and wait for the request to recover the data.

On Xiaomi with Qualcomm chipsets (like the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ or Xiaomi 13T), the odds are higher thanks to the EFUSE feature, which partially stores data even after a reset. On devices with MediaTek (like the POCO X5), recovery is more difficult due to the features of the memory controller.

6. Alternative methods: from cloud services to legal inquiries

If none of the above has worked, there are some non-standard approaches:

• ☁️ Xiaomi Cloud Services: Check out Mi Cloud (if sync is enabled) and sometimes get copies of WhatsApp files.
• 📧 Exporting correspondence: If you’ve ever sent yourself important email messages through WhatsApp’s Chat Export feature, check your email.
• 📑 Legal Request: In extreme cases, you can contact WhatsApp with a formal request for data recovery (identity and justification required).
• 🔄 Recovery via another phone: If you had a second device with the same WhatsApp account, try moving the backup from it.

Another trick is available for Xiaomi owners with MIUI Global: if you synchronized contacts with Mi Account, some metadata of correspondence (dates, contact names) can be saved to Mi Contacts.

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The best chance of recovery is in the first 72 hours after deleting, and the longer you use your phone after losing your data, the greater the risk of overwriting it with new files.

7. How to prevent future message loss

To avoid the problem of remote chats, set up WhatsApp and Xiaomi for these recommendations:

• 🔄 Automatic backup on Google Drive: Go to WhatsApp → ⋮ → Settings → chat → Backup and set up daily copying.
• 📱 Local Copies on Xiaomi: Enable Local Backup in the same settings (files will be saved on your device).
• ☁️ Mi Cloud: Activate System Backup in Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Backup of the device.
• 🔒 Accidental Deletion Protection: On WhatsApp, enable Chat Archive (long-click chat) → 📁 Archive).

For additional protection:

1. Set a password on WhatsApp through Settings → Account → Privacy → Fingerprint Block.
2. Export important chats to.txt or.zip regularly ⋮ → Chat exports.
3. Use two-factor authentication on WhatsApp (Settings → Account → Two-step verification).

Xiaomi with MIUI 14/15 also has a Private Safe Storage (Security) feature, where you can transfer WhatsApp backups for additional protection.

FAQ: Frequent questions about WhatsApp messaging recovery on Xiaomi