The Complete Guide to Backing Up and Restoring Your Xiaomi Phone

Jason

By Jason

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Backup And Restore Xiaomi Miui

Owning a Xiaomi phone provides you with top-notch hardware and software features at an affordable price. However, like any gadget, unforeseen issues can happen that result in lost or corrupted data. That’s why regularly backing up your Xiaomi device is essential.

This in-depth guide will teach you all the ins and outs of properly backing up your Xiaomi phone. You’ll also learn the best practices for restoring your data and apps when needed. Follow these tips, and you’ll never have to worry about losing your precious photos, videos, contacts, and other information again!

Overview of Xiaomi Phone Backup and Restore

Backing up and restoring your Xiaomi phone allows you to protect your data in case of:

  • Accidental deletion
  • Hardware damage or failure
  • Software issues or crashes
  • Loss or theft of your device
  • Transferring to a new phone

The key methods for backing up a Xiaomi phone include:

  • Using Xiaomi’s built-in tools to backup locally or to Mi Cloud
  • Backing up data and apps to a computer
  • Using third-party backup apps

When it comes time to restore, you can transfer your data and settings back in just a few clicks. This lets you quickly get a new or reset Xiaomi phone working just like your old one.

Why Regular Backups Are Crucial

With all the photos, videos, notes, contacts, and other information stored on your Xiaomi device, it contains your digital life. Backing up your data gives you peace of mind that your memories and information are safe.

We recommend backing up your Xiaomi phone:

  • At least once a week – Choose a routine time like every Sunday night to backup your phone.
  • Before major OS updates – Create a backup right before installing a major MIUI system update.
  • Before resetting your phone – Backup your device before factory resetting it to avoid data loss.
  • Before travel – Backup your phone before a trip in case it’s lost or damaged.

By regularly backing up your Xiaomi phone, you’ll always have a recent copy of your data ready to restore.

How To Backup Xiaomi Phone Locally

One of the simplest ways to backup your Xiaomi device is using the built-in local backup tool. Here’s how to use it:

How to Backup and restore RedMi Phone or Xiaomi to Local Phone
  1. Open Settings and go to Additional Settings > Backup & Restore > Local backups
  2. Tap Back up. This will begin the backup process.
  3. Select the data you want to include in the backup. Make sure contacts, photos, media files, and key app data are checked.
  4. Tap Backup now. It may take a while depending on how much data you’re backing up.
  5. When finished, you’ll see “Backup succeeded” confirmation.

The local Xiaomi backup will save a copy of your selected data to internal storage. You can also set a schedule for automatic periodic backups.

Tips for Local Xiaomi Backups

  • Check that you have enough free storage space for the backup.
  • Stick with the default backup settings which are optimal.
  • For total protection, copy the backup files to a computer or external hard drive.

Local backups give you a quick, convenient way to save your Xiaomi data without needing an internet connection.

Backing Up Your Xiaomi Phone to the Cloud

Xiaomi also offers free cloud backup storage for your phone through Mi Cloud. Here’s how to set it up:

Backup and restore Mi Phone to Cloud
  1. Sign in to your Mi account in phone Settings.
  2. Enable Mi Cloud Backup under Backup settings.
  3. Select the data you want backed up (contacts, photos, call logs, etc).
  4. Make sure Auto-sync data is enabled for your Wi-Fi connection.
  5. Your Xiaomi phone will now automatically backup your data to Mi Cloud whenever connected to Wi-Fi.

Cloud backups offer these advantages:

  • Your data is saved securely online.
  • You can access your backup from any device.
  • Automatic wireless backups.

However, there are limitations:

  • Need an internet connection to backup or restore.
  • Backup size is limited (5GB free).
  • Does not include all app data.

For comprehensive protection, use Mi Cloud Backup alongside local backups and computer backups.

Backing Up Xiaomi Phone to Your Computer

For the most flexibility and options, we recommend also backing up your Xiaomi phone to your Windows PC or Mac computer. Here’s how:

1. Download Mobile Transfer Software

Install a dedicated app like dr.fone – Backup & Restore (Android) on your computer. This gives you full control over the backup and restore process.

dr.fone

2. Connect Your Xiaomi Phone to Computer

Backup Xiaomi Phone

Use the included USB cable to connect your Xiaomi device to your computer. The backup software will detect your phone.

3. Select Data to Backup

Choose the apps, contacts, photos, videos, and other data you want to backup. The software allows you to see exactly what you’re backing up.

4. Run the Backup Process

Click “Backup” and wait for the transfer to complete. All your selected data will be saved to your computer as a backup file.

Select the content you want to back up

5. (Optional) Backup to External Drive

For redundancy, we recommend also saving a copy of the backup file to an external hard drive or USB stick.

Computer backups give you total access to your Xiaomi data while avoiding limitations of cloud storage or built-in tools. You can backup, view, and manage your data with full granular control.

Restoring Xiaomi Phone from Backup

When needed, you can easily restore your Xiaomi phone from a backup using the following steps:

  1. Select the backup file you want to restore from. This can come from your computer, Mi Cloud, external drive, etc.
  2. On your Xiaomi phone, open the Restore menu under Backup & Restore settings.
  3. Tap the backup to start the restoration process. Allow time for the data transfer.
  4. Your Xiaomi phone will reboot and be restored with your saved apps, settings and data. Log in and it’s like your old phone!

If transferring to a new Xiaomi phone, install any essential apps first before restoring your backup files.

Also, in this article, let’s figure out what exactly is MIUI recovery 5.0 and how to fix it easily if MIUI recovery is stuck in your Xiaomi device.

Key Recommendations

  • Use both built-in tools and external methods to backup your Xiaomi phone. More backups = more data protection.
  • Backup at least weekly and always before major phone changes like OS updates or factory resets.
  • Copy backups to your computer and external drives for off-device redundant storage.
  • Test restoring from a backup periodically to verify your files are intact.
  • Enable automatic cloud and Wi-Fi backups for effortless hands-free protection.

FAQs About Xiaomi Backup and Restore

1. Will a factory reset delete my Xiaomi backups?

No, a factory reset will only erase data saved locally on the phone’s storage. Any backups saved externally to a computer or Mi Cloud will be unaffected.

2. Can I restore a Xiaomi backup to a different model phone?

Yes, Xiaomi backup files can generally be restored even to a different model Xiaomi phone running the same MIUI system version.

3. Do I need internet to restore from a Mi Cloud backup?

Yes, an internet connection is required to download your backup data from Xiaomi’s cloud servers when restoring.

4. How long do Xiaomi cloud backups last?

Files saved to Mi Cloud remain for 30 days after uploading. Make sure to download backups to your computer for long-term archiving.

5. Will my apps’ data and settings be restored?

If you back up your Xiaomi phone fully with a tool like dr.fone, it will restore your apps themselves plus their data and settings.

6. Can I restore specific data like contacts without a whole backup?

On Xiaomi phones, you need to restore an entire backup archive at once. But you can choose which data to restore from computer backups.

7. Does Xiaomi backup save my Wi-Fi passwords and home screen layout?

Yes, Xiaomi’s local and cloud backups retain device settings like Wi-Fi networks and your home screen customizations.

8. How much Xiaomi data can Mi Cloud hold?

You get 5GB of storage free on Mi Cloud. 50GB costs $0.99/month and 200GB is $2.99/month.

9. If I root my Xiaomi, can I still use backup & restore?

Yes, rooting does not affect the backup tools. However, OTA updates may be blocked, requiring manual firmware flashing.

10. Will my data be safe if my Xiaomi gets water damaged?

The phone itself may be irreparably damaged, but as long as you’ve backed up your data, you can easily restore it to a replacement device.

Besides, are you looking for a reliable Xiaomi data recovery tool? Here we recommend different ways to recover Xiaomi Android data with or without a backup.

Conclusion

Regularly backing up and knowing how to successfully restore your Xiaomi phone should be part of your device maintenance routine. Protect your precious data and memories by following the backup tips in this guide.

Use the built-in Xiaomi tools, your computer, and the cloud for full redundancy. Test restores periodically to verify backups. Set a weekly reminder to backup your phone.

By taking just a few minutes to backup your Xiaomi phone each week, you’ll have total peace of mind that your information is safe and retrievable. Implement a backup strategy now and never worry about data loss again!

Jason
Jason

Skilled software testing specialist with expertise in comparisons and research, passionate about blogging, reviews, and creating video tutorials.

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