You connected your Xiaomi (or Redmi/POCO) to your Wi-Fi network, but you forgot your password — and now you need to connect another device? The situation is familiar to many. Fortunately, on smartphones with MIUI firmware, there are several ways to extract the saved password without complex manipulation. In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods for different versions of Android and MIUI, including solutions without superuser rights (root).
Important: the system's capabilities depend on the firmware version. For example, in MIUI 14 (Android 13/14), some of the functions are hidden deeper than in MIUI 12 (Android 10), we took these nuances into account and wrote down the instructions for each situation. Also note that some methods require an ADB or a file manager - but about everything in order.
1. Viewing the password through MIUI settings (the easiest way)
Starting with MIUI 12.5 and later, Xiaomi has added a built-in Wi-Fi password display feature — but with reservations. This method only works for the networks the phone is currently connected to, and if the network is saved but not active, you will have to use other methods.
Instructions:
- 📱 Open the Settings. → Wi-Fi.
- 🔍 Find an active network (marked Connected) and tap it by its name.
- 👁️ In the window that opens, click on the icon. QR-Code (or share passwords in older versions).
- 🔐 Confirmed by PIN-a code, print or pattern lock, the system will show the password in the form of text or QR.
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If the button QR-No code, update it. MIUI until the last version. MIUI 14 This feature works steadily even on budget models like Redmi 10A or POCO M5.
⚠️ Limitation: on some models (for example, Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite with a different model) MIUI 12.0.3) The password can be displayed as stars.
2.Use of file manager (without root)
Android Stores Wi-Fi Passwords in an Encrypted File wpa_supplicant.conf, but MIUI There is a workaround, however, through the built-in Explorer (or a third-party, such as the, FX File Explorer. This method works on Android 10 below (MIUI 11-12), Google has tightened its protections in new versions.
Step-by-step:
- Install FX File Explorer (or any other manager with access to root folders).
- Open the file manager menu and enable the display of hidden files (Settings → Show hidden files).
- Cross the path: /data/misc/wifi/WifiConfigStore.xml or (for older versions of Android): /data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf
- Find the block with your network name (SSID) – next to the PSK string (this is the password).
What to do if the file is not opened?
⚠️ Attention: On Android 11+ (MIUI 12.5+) This method does not work without root, as Google has blocked access to the folder. /data/misc/wifi/ for third-party applications. for new devices (Xiaomi) 13/14, Redmi Note 12) use methods 3–5.
3. Removing password through ADB (Universal method)
ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is a debugging tool that allows you to execute commands on your phone from a computer.The method works on all versions of MIUI, but requires a PC connection and USB debugging enabled.
What you need:
- 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux.
- 📱 Cable USB (preferably original).
- 🛠️ Utility. ADB Tools (download and unpack in any folder).
Instructions:
- On your phone, turn on: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (tap 7 times to activate Developer Mode), then go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers and turn on Debugging over USB.
- Connect the phone to the PC and confirm trust in the computer (pop up a window on the smartphone screen).
- Open the command line (Windows) or the terminal (macOS/Linux) file ADB and perform: adb shell su -c "cat /data/misc/wifi/WifiConfigStore.xml | grep PSK" If the team doesn't work, try: adb shell su -c "cat /data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf"
- In the conclusion, find the line with PSK="your password".
Enable Developer Mode |Install ADB Tools on PC |Connect your phone with the original cable |Allow debugging over USB on your phone
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⚠️ Attention: MIUI 14 (Android 13/14) The command can return the error Permission denied. 4 or 5.
4.Export passwords through backup (MIUI Backup)
Xiaomi allows you to back up your system, which includes Wi-Fi data. This method does not require root, but you need access to a computer to extract the password from the backup.
How it works:
- 📱 On the phone go to Settings → The phone. → Backup.
- 🔄 Create a new copy by selecting System Settings (be sure to turn on Wi-Fi).
- 💾 Save the backup to the Mi Cloud cloud or to your computer (the file will be with the.mbk extension).
- 🖥️ On PC, download the MiBackupExtractor utility and extract the file from the backup wifiPassword.xml.
This file will list all the saved networks with passwords in plain view, and it works on MIUI 12-14, but it takes time to build and parse the backup.
Through MIUI | File Manager |ADB| Backup | Another option
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Applications for viewing passwords (with reservations)
Google Play has applications like WiFi Password Viewer or WiFi Key Recovery, but their performance on MIUI is extremely low, because since Android 10, Google has blocked access to Wi-Fi passwords for third-party applications without root.
What to try:
- 📲 WiFi Password Viewer – only shows passwords on Android 9 and below.
- 📲 Root Browser – requires root rights but gives access to the root wpa_supplicant.conf.
- 📲 MiXplorer - file manager with extended rights (root or need to be installed) ADB).
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Without root or ADB, apps from Google Play won’t be able to show passwords to MIUI 12+. Use them only as a last resort or on legacy devices (like Redmi 4X on Android 7).
⚠️ Warning: Some apps in the Play Market promise "hacking Wi-Fi passwords" is a scam. They either show ads or ask for payment for a non-existent feature. Trust only proven open source utilities (like MiXplorer).
Comparison of methods: which one to choose?
To make it easier for you to navigate, we have compiled a table with the pros and cons of each method:
| Method | Need root? | Works on MIUI 14? | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Settings MIUI (QR-code) | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. | ⭐ | Only for active networking |
| File manager | ❌ No, but you need rights) | ❌ No, Android 11.+) | ⭐⭐ | It works on Android 10 and below. |
| ADB | ❌ No. | ⚠️ Partially. | ⭐⭐⭐ | MIUI 14 may require root |
| Backup | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Long but reliable. |
| Apps from Play Market | ✅ Yeah (usually) | ❌ No. | ⭐ | Effective only with root |
For most users, the easiest way is to QR-code MIUI (Method 1. If it doesn't work, try it. ADB (Method 3) or backup (method 4) The file manager (method 2) is only relevant for older devices.