When the screen of Xiaomi smartphone is broken, but the device continues to work, is one of the most stressful for the owner. Touchsclore may not respond to touch, and the image may be absent or distorted by cracks. However, physical damage to the display does not always mean the irretrievable loss of all accumulated information. The internal memory of the device remains intact, and access to it can be obtained by alternative methods, if you know the technical details of the MIUI operating system.
Before you start to take action, you need to assess the degree of damage, if the display is even partially responsive to touch or visible parts of the image, the recovery process will be much faster. In the event of a complete lack of touchscreen or black screen reaction, additional accessories will be required, such as: USB-It's critical to understand that the primary goal is not to repair the screen itself, but to evacuate important files, photos and contacts to a new device or to cloud storage.
There are several proven methods to bypass a broken sensor, and the specific method depends on whether the sensor was activated beforehand. USB-Debugging, whether the Mi Account is activated, and whether the necessary cables are available, some methods require a computer, others can be implemented exclusively with the help of adapters. In this article, we will discuss in detail each of the available options so that you can choose the most suitable for your situation.
Using USB-OTG and computer mouse to control
The easiest and most affordable way to get full control of a smartphone with a broken screen is to use an adapter. USB If your device supports this feature (and modern Xiaomi supports it almost universally), you can connect a regular computer system. USB-You can put a mouse directly into the charging port of the phone, and even if it's broken, you can have a cursor that you can control by clamping the left mouse button.
This allows you to completely emulate touch with your finger, you can unlock the device, enter a pattern lock or PIN, and open the necessary applications. To transfer data, you will need to connect to the same hub (if it has several ports) or a flash drive in sequence to copy files. If the screen is completely black, but the phone makes sounds when you connect, this method can still work, because the system recognizes the input device.
But there's a caveat: if the screen is broken so you can't see anything, you'll have to go blind or rely on the audio, and in such cases, it's helpful to know the approximate location of the interface elements in advance, and connecting the mouse often allows you to activate debugging mode if it's hidden, or simply start synchronization through standard system tools.
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Use it. USB-hub with an additional power port if your mouse requires a lot of power or if you plan to connect external drives, as the phone’s battery can quickly run out when you are actively transferring data.
It is important to note that not all adapters are equally efficient: Cheap adapters may not be defined by the system or work unstable. It is better to use original Xiaomi accessories or certified counterparts from well-known brands such as Baseus or Ugreen. This will increase the chances of a successful connection the first time and eliminate the risk of damage to the smartphone power controller.
Synchronization through Mi Cloud and Web Interface
If you have your Mi Account activated on a damaged smartphone and synced, most of your data is already in the cloud, and that's the most reliable way to save contacts, notes, calendars, even photos if you have the gallery sync option enabled. You don't need physical screen access to verify that, just log in from another device.
To access data, go to the official website of the cloud service via a browser on your computer or a new phone. The interface of the web version of Mi Cloud is fully functional and allows you not only to view, but also to export information. You can upload contacts in.vcf format, and download photos archived or separately. This is ideal if the touchscreen does not work at all, but the Internet on the phone is active.
⚠️ Attention: Sync only happens when you have a Wi-Fi or mobile Internet connection. If the phone has been broken for a long time and was turned off or in flight mode, the data may not have time to download to the server.
In addition, the web interface allows you to use the "Device Search" function, which allows you not only to track the location, but also remotely back up some types of data, if this option was provided by the manufacturer in a particular version of MIUI. You can also send a command to lock or clean the data, but in our case the purpose is saving, so use these functions with caution.
The table below compares the capabilities of different data recovery methods to help you choose the best path:
| Method | Conditions required | Type of data stored | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| USB-OTG + Mouse | USB port, OTG adapter | Everything (photos, videos, files) | Low. |
| Mi Cloud | Mi Account, Internet | Contacts, notes, photos | Low. |
| Mi PC Suite | Computer, drivers, USB-cable | Complete copy of the system | Medium |
| ADB Command Line | Included debugging, PC, CLI knowledge | All system files | Tall. |
Backup with Mi PC Suite
The official Mi PC Suite (or its international version) is designed to control a smartphone from a computer. If a broken phone previously allowed a connection to this PC (was ticked "Always allow from this computer"), the process will go automatically. You just plug the device in with a cable and run the program on the computer.
The program interface allows you to create a full backup of the system, including applications, settings and multimedia. This is the most complete way of transfer, since it copies even the folder structure and hidden files that are not always accessible through a standard Explorer. Once you create a backup on your computer, you can easily restore it on the new Xiaomi through the same utility or built-in recovery function.
If the computer is not defined or the program requires confirmation on the phone screen, the situation becomes complicated, in which case you use the mouse emulator via the OTG described above to confirm the connection. Sometimes rebooting to Fastboot mode helps, but it is usually the system mode that the user needs to create a backup data, not the bootloader.
What if the Mi PC Suite can’t see the phone?
Without prior confirmation on the phone screen, access to the file system via a PC can be limited to charging, which is why a combination of methods (for example, first the mouse for confirmation, then the cable for transmission) is often the only true one.
Use debugging over USB and ADB commands
For advanced users who have been pre-enabled USB-Debugging in the Developer Menu, opens up a lot of possibilities. Android Debug Bridge Toolkit (ADB) It allows you to control the phone's file system directly from your computer through the command line, and it's a powerful method that works even with a partially broken interface.
To get started, you need to install the Platform Tools on your computer. Once you connect your phone with a cable and input the adb device command, you should see a list of connected devices. If the device appears as unauthorized, unfortunately, without a screen confirmation (which you can try to make with a mouse), access will be closed. If access is authorized, you can copy the entire data folder.
adb pull /sdcard/ C:/Xiaomi_Backup/This command will copy all the contents of the smartphone’s internal memory into a folder on disk C. The process can take a long time depending on the amount of data. The advantage of the method is that it does not require a graphical interface and works at a low level. You can selectively copy important directories, such as /sdcard/DCIM for photos or /sdcard/WhatsApp for correspondence.
⚠️ Attention: Use ADB Incorrectly entering commands, especially those associated with deleting or overwriting system partitions, can lead to data loss or "bricking" of the device.
If the screen is completely black and you can’t enable debugging, this method won’t work, as the default is in the screen. MIUI But if you've previously turned on this option for other purposes (like taking screenshots from your PC), it's now going to play into your hands. ADB You can try to send a command to turn on Wi-Fi or Bluetooth if they have been turned off, which will facilitate wireless data transfer.
Restore from a local copy on a new device
Xiaomi smartphones have a built-in function to create local backups. If you previously created such a backup and it is saved in the memory of the phone (or on the phone). SD-The transfer of data to the new device will take a minimum of time. When you first configure the new Xiaomi system will offer to restore data from the cloud or local file.
Local copy is created by the Settings path → The phone. → Backup and recovery: Backup files are usually stored in a folder MIUI/backup/AllBackup. If you have access to the file system through OTG-If you have a mouse and a file manager, you can copy that folder to your computer or you can copy it to a new phone, and then you have to start the recovery from the local copy on the new device.
☑️ Checking readiness for transfer
The good thing about this method is that it saves not only files, but also icon settings, alarm settings, Wi-Fi passwords and system settings. But as with previous cases, the key is to be able to access backup files, and if the phone is locked and you can't unlock it, that path is closed until the connection is confirmed.
Frequent problems and ways to solve them
Users often face technical difficulties in transferring data, and one of the most common problems is that the phone charges but does not transmit data, which can be caused by damage to the charging port itself when it falls, in which case only the replacement of the port or the use of wireless methods, if they were configured in advance, will help.
Another problem is cyclical reboot, where if the phone is constantly rebooted after a drop, you may not be able to try to connect to your PC, and you might want to try Recovery mode, but standard data recovery tools from that do not usually work without an unlocked bootloader and special knowledge.
If nothing works, you can connect your phone to your TV via a USB-C to HDMI adapter. If your phone supports image output, you can see your screen on a large display, and combining this with a Bluetooth mouse or keyboard that is connected allows you to fully control your smartphone and easily transfer all the data.
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The main difficulty with a broken screen is to authorize the connection to the PC. Without prior permission or the ability to press "Allow" on the screen, the computer sees the phone only as a charger.
And don't forget service centers. Sometimes it's easier and cheaper to temporarily replace the screen with a cheap analog or a working used module just to unlock the phone and drop the data. The service center masters often meet and can do this quickly, charging only for work, without the cost of a new display.