How to restore closed tabs in the browser on a Xiaomi smartphone: from history to backups

Did you accidentally close an important tab in your browser on Xiaomi? Or did you just disappear after you upgraded your system? You know, you're working with a dozen tabs, and one wrong gesture, and it's all gone. Fortunately, you can restore tabs in your Xiaomi browser in a number of ways, even if you didn't save them on purpose.

Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi, POCO and Black Shark models) have the Mi Browser branded by default, but many users prefer Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Edge. Recovery methods depend on the browser, the MIUI firmware version, and even whether account sync was enabled. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods from basic to advanced, including recovering from a phone reset to factory settings.

If you're reading this right after you lose tabs, don't panic. The first 30 minutes are critical: the faster you start to act, the better the chances of getting it back to normal. And if the tabs are gone, don't despair: backups and browser cache can store data for weeks.

1. Recovery through browser history

The easiest way to return closed tabs is to use browsing history, which works in all browsers, but there are nuances depending on the application.

In Mi Browser, the history is stored for up to 90 days (unless manually cleared) to restore the tab:

1. Open Mi Browser.
2. Tap the ⋮ icon (menu) in the lower right corner.
3. Select History → Find the right page.
4. Click on the record and hold 2 seconds → select Open in a new tab.

Google Chrome has a similar algorithm, but there is an additional feature:

• 🔍 Open Chrome and tap on ⋮ → History.
• 📌 At the top of the list will be the recently closed block (up to 5 tabs).
• 🔄 Click on the cross next to the tab to return it.
• 🕒 For older tabs, use a history search (magnifying glass icon).

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If the story is cleared, try to restore it through Settings → System → Backup to MIUI. Xiaomi saves browser data in the cloud if the MIUI Backup feature is enabled.

Note that if you've used incognito mode, the history is not saved, and then move on to the following methods.

2. sync with a Google or Mi Account

If your Xiaomi has enabled sync with your Google Account or Mi Account, tabs can be restored on another device or after reinstalling the browser.

For Chrome and Edge:

• 📱 Make sure that you have added a Google Account on your phone (check Settings → Accounts).
• 🔄 Open Chrome → click on the profile avatar in the upper right corner.
• 🖥️ Select Sync enabled → check that Tab option is active.
• 🔍 On another device (or after reinstalling Chrome), tabs will appear in the Recently Closed section.

For Mi Browser, synchronization works through the Mi Account:

1. Open the Settings. → Mi Account.
2. Make sure that the browser data synchronization is enabled.
3. Reinstall Mi Browser (if deleted) – tabs will recover automatically.

Important: If the sync was disabled before the tabs were lost, this method won't work, so try the next one.

3. Recovery through MIUI backups

Xiaomi offers a built-in backup feature that saves browser data, including open tabs.This method will help if you were backing up before the incident.

Instructions:

• 📲 Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset.
• 🔄 Select Local Backups → Find the latest copy (check date!).
• 📥 Press Restore → tick the browser data.
• ⚠️ Warning: Restore will replace the current browser data with the backup data. Close all applications before you process.

If there are no local copies, check the cloud backup:

1. In the same menu, select MIUI Backup.
2. Sign in to the Mi Account.
3. Find the latest cloud copy and restore your browser data.

This is the most reliable method, but it only works if backups are created regularly, so if you've never set up a backup, move on to the next section.

4. Use of cache and temporary files

Browsers save a cache of pages that can contain data from closed tabs, a technique that is technically more complicated, but sometimes saves you when other methods don't work.

For Google Chrome:

• 📁 Connect your phone to your PC and turn on Developer Mode (click 7 times on Version MIUI in Settings → About Phone).
• 🖥️ Use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to copy the cache folder: adb pull /data/data/com.android.chrome/app_chrome/Default/Top\ Sites
• 🔍 Top Sites may store URL last tabs (open it through a notebook).

For Mi Browser, the path to cache:

/data/data/com.android.browser/databases/browser.db

This tabs table contains data about the last sessions, and you will need a SQLite browser (for example, DB Browser for SQLite) to view it.

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Working with cache requires root rights or ADB. Without technical skills, it is better to use other methods - the risk of damaging system files is high.

If you are not sure of your abilities, skip this section and try to restore tabs through third-party utilities (more about them - later).

5. Third-party applications for tab restoration

Google Play has utilities that scan the phone's memory for lost browser data.

• 🛠️ Session Buddy – saves Chrome sessions and allows you to restore closed tabs even after a reboot.
• 🔄 Tabs Restore works with most browsers, including Mi Browser.
• 📱 Undo Closed Tabs is a simple tool with a widget for quick recovery.

How to use:

1. Install an app (e.g. Session Buddy).
2. Give access to the phone's memory.
3. Run the scan - the utility will show a list of closed tabs.
4. Choose the right ones and click Restore.

Warning:

⚠️ Warning: Some data recovery applications require root rights or may contain advertising software. Check reviews and rankings on Google Play before installing.

If none of these methods work, the last chance is to recover through MIUI Recovery Mode (in the next section).

6. Recovery after resetting or firmware

This becomes more complicated if the tabs are lost after a hard reset (Wipe Data) or flashing the phone, in which case only a backup made in advance will help.

Algorithm of action:

1. 🔧 Go to Recovery Mode (turn off phone → pinch Power + Volume up).
2. 📥 Select Connect with MIAssistant (if the copy is in the cloud) or connect your phone to your PC for manual recovery.
3. 📂 Restore data from the backup by paying attention to the folders: /data/data/com.android.chrome/ /data/data/com.mi.globalbrowser/

If there is no backup, try using the synchronization services:

Important: After reset, browser data is permanently deleted if there was no synchronization. In the future, set up automatic backup in Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.

7.How to prevent tabbed loss in the future

To avoid having to deal with lost tabs, follow these tips:

• 🔄 Enable browser sync with Google/Mi Account.
• 📱 Install a tab management application (e.g., OneTab or Session Buddy).
• 🔄 Regularly back up MIUI (once a week).
• 📌 Use bookmarks for important pages (in Chrome: click on the star in the address bar).

For Mi Browser, it is also useful:

1. Open the browser → Settings → General → Save tabs when you exit.
2. Activate the option Quick access to the latest tabs.

Sync with Google/Mi Account enabled

Installed session management application (e.g. Session Buddy)

MIUI backup created in the last 7 days

Important pages are saved in bookmarks

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If you often work with a lot of tabs, consider alternative browsers with advanced backup features, such as:

• 🌐 Vivaldi saves sessions in the cloud.
• 🦊 Firefox supports synchronization between devices.
• 🔍 Brave – has a built-in tab manager.

FAQ: Frequent questions about tab restoration

If none of these methods worked, don't despair. In most cases, lost tabs can be found through search engines: remember the keywords from the page and try to find it through Google or Yandex. In the future, set up automatic backups, which will save you hours of operation!