How to Set Up a New Xiaomi with Data Transfer from an Old Phone: 5 Proven Ways

Why Data Transfer Is Important for Xiaomi

Buying a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but migrating from an old device can become a headache if approached unprepared. Statistically, 68% of users lose some contacts, photos or app settings when switching to a new gadget, especially for owners of Redmi, POCO or flagship Mi/Xiaomi 14, where the MIUI ecosystem has its own nuances of synchronization.

In this article, we’ll explore not only the standard ways to transfer over Mi Mover or Google account, but also little-known tricks for saving Mi Home settings, game progress, and even data from Chinese firmware versions. You’ll learn how to avoid typical errors (such as a failure when transferring via Wi-Fi Direct) and what to do if the new Xiaomi “can’t see” the old device.

1. Preparing the old phone before transfer

Before we start migrating, we need to optimize the old device, which will speed up the process and prevent data loss.

• 🧹 Remove the app cache: go to Settings → Warehouse → Cache data and click "Clean" and this will free up up to 1-3 GB of space.
• 📁 Move your media files to the cloud: upload photos to Google Photos or Mi Cloud (if you use Xiaomi). MIUI It has a built-in backup function.
• 🔄 Update apps: legacy versions may conflict when migrating, especially messaging apps (WhatsApp, Telegram) and banking apps.
• 🔋 Charge both devices to at least 50%.Transfer data via Mi Mover consumes up to 15-20% of the charge per hour.

If your old phone runs Android 8.0 or lower and your new Xiaomi runs MIUI 14/15 (Android 13/14), you may have trouble transferring over Wi-Fi Direct, and you may want to use cloud services or OTG cable.

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If your old phone has encryption enabled (like Samsung with Knox), turn it off 24 hours before transferring. Otherwise, Mi Mover may not recognize the files.

2. Method 1: Mi Mover is the official tool of Xiaomi

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary solution for wirelessly transferring data between devices, and it supports contact, message, photo, video, music, apps (including their data), and even some system settings.

• ⚡ It only works between devices on MIUI Android 5.0+ (Limited functionality available for iPhone).
• 📶 Requires a stable connection to a single Wi-Fi network or a direct Wi-Fi Direct connection.
• ⏳ Transmission speed: ~5-10 GB/h (depending on model) on Xiaomi 13 Pro with Wi-Fi 6E The process is 2 times faster.

Step-by-step:

1. On the new Xiaomi, when you first turn on, select Data Transfer (if you missed it, find Mi Mover in Settings → About Phone → Data Transfer).
2. On an old phone, install Mi Mover from Google Play (for Android) or the App Store (for iPhone).
3. Scan it. QR-code from a new device or select Connect to another phone» → «I'm the sender».
4. Select data types to transfer (we recommend unchecking the App if you don’t have enough space on your new phone).
5. Confirm the transfer and wait until it is completed. Do not interrupt the process - it can damage the files!

Both phones charged >30% |Wi-Fi enabled on both devices | New Xiaomi has enough space (at least 20% more data portable) | VPNs and firewalls disabled

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If the Mi Mover is stuck in the connection phase, try:

1. Reboot both devices.
2. Turn on Flight Mode for 10 seconds, then turn off.
3. Use the hotspot on the new Xiaomi and connect your old phone to it.

3. Method 2: Transfer through a Google Account

If you have both Android devices, syncing through a Google account is the most versatile method, which works even when you change your brand (for example, from Samsung to Xiaomi Redmi Note 12) and saves:

• 📇 Contacts, calendars, notes (via Google Keep).
• 📷 Photos and videos (if backup is enabled in Google Photos).
• 🎮 App data (only those that support Google Play Games).
• 📱 System settings (Wi-Fi networks, wallpaper, language preferences).

How to set up:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Accounts → Google and make sure that sync is enabled for all the right categories.
2. On the new Xiaomi, when you first start, select “Copy Data” → “From the Cloud” → sign in to the same Google account.
3. Select a backup (if there are several) and wait for the recovery to be completed.

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Google account is the only way to transfer data from iPhone to Xiaomi without loss (except SMS). For a full migration, use the combination of Google + Mi Mover.

Method 3: Transfer via OTG cable or adapter

If wireless methods don't work (for example, because of unstable Wi-Fi), you can use a direct connection via cable.

• 🔌 OTG-cable (for new Xiaomi with new ones) USB-C) adapter USB-C → MicroUSB (if an old phone with a MicroUSB connector).
• 📱 Application for transferring files: Xender, Send Anywhere or built-in Explorer to MIUI.

Instructions:

1. Connect both phones with a cable. On the new Xiaomi, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Open Explorer on a new device, go to the section USB-The storage device (this is the memory of an old phone).
3. Copy the right folders (DCIM for photo, downloads for downloads) to internal memory or SD-Map of the new Xiaomi.

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ Transfer speeds are 3-5 times faster than Wi-Fi (up to 40 MB / s on Xiaomi 13 Ultra).
• 🔒 No risk of data loss due to connection breakdown.

Attention! When connecting via cable, don't remove it until you've finished copying it, otherwise files can get corrupted, especially if you're talking about application databases (like WhatsApp).

5. Method 4: Cloud Services (Mi Cloud, Google Drive, Yandex Drive)

If the data volume does not exceed 10-15 GB, the most convenient to use cloud storage. Xiaomi offers its own solution - Mi Cloud (5 GB for free), but for large volumes, Google Drive (15 GB) or Yandex Drive (10 GB) is better suited.

Step-by-step instructions for Mi Cloud:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Mi Cloud and log in to your account (or create a new one).
2. Enable backup for the desired categories: Contacts, Messages, Gallery, Records.
3. Click on Backup and wait until it is completed (can take anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours).
4. On the new Xiaomi, log in to the same Mi Cloud account and recover data from the backup.

For Google Drive:

1. Install the Google Drive app on your old phone.
2. Click “+” → “Download” and select files/folders to transfer.
3. On the new Xiaomi, download files via the browser or Drive app.

6. Method 5: Transfer from iPhone to Xiaomi (bypassing Apple restrictions)

The transition from iPhone to Xiaomi is complicated by Apple’s policy of blocking the direct export of much data, but there are workarounds:

• 📱 Contacts and calendars: sync with iCloud, then export to.vcf/.ics Import and import to Google Contacts.
• 💬 Communications (SMS/iMessage): Use iMazing or AnyTrans to export to.csv, then import through SMS Backup & Restore at Xiaomi.
• 📷 Photos: Enable iCloud Photos, then download them via iCloud.com on PC and transfer to Xiaomi.
• 🎵 Music: If you bought tracks on iTunes, download them on PC in format MP3 (In iTunes settings, disable DRM).

For automatic migration:

1. On your iPhone, install Google’s Move to Android app.
2. On the new Xiaomi, when setting up, select “Move from iPhone”.
3. Scan it. QR-code and select data to transfer (works only for contacts, photos, videos and some applications).

⚠️ Note: When migrating from iPhone to Xiaomi, don't use Mi Mover to transfer apps.Most iOS apps are unparalleled in the app. APK, And you can make mistakes by migrating them. Install the programs from Google Play.

7.Optimize the new Xiaomi after data transfer

After the data migration, the new smartphone requires customization for maximum performance.

• 🔄 Update. MIUI: Go to Settings. → The phone. → System update: New firmware versions often fix synchronization bugs.
• 🛡️ Set up security: Enable Application Protection (Settings) → Passwords and security for critical programs (banks, instant messengers). Activate the Virus Scanner in the Security App (pre-installed on all Xiaomi apps).
• 🎯 Personalize. MIUI: Change the theme in Settings → Screen. → Themes (free and paid options available). Set up Read Mode (Settings) → Screen. → Reading mode for comfortable use at night.
• 🔋 Optimize the battery: Enable Adaptive Charging (Settings) → Battery → Battery settings) to extend battery life. Limit background activity of unnecessary applications in Settings → Annexes → Permits → Auto-start.

For owners of POCO or Redmi with advertising in MIUI:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone and click on the MIUI version 7 times to unlock the advanced settings.
2. In Settings → Additional → Special features disable MIUI Recommendations.

8. Frequent errors and their solutions

Even when following instructions, users face problems, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

⚠️ Note: If contacts are missing after transferring to the new Xiaomi, check if they are duplicated in Google and Mi accounts. To combine duplicates, use the Contacts Optimizer app from Google Play.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions