How to quickly and securely transfer data from Xiaomi phone to Xiaomi

Buying a new smartphone from a Chinese manufacturer is always a pleasant event, but it can cloud the need to transfer a huge amount of accumulated information. The owner of the device is faced with the question of how to transfer data from the Xiaomi phone to Xiaomi as quickly as possible, preserving the structure of folders, passwords from Wi-Fi and the placement of icons on the desktop. Fortunately, the MIUI and HyperOS ecosystem offer several effective tools to avoid manually transferring each file separately.

There are many migration scenarios, from completely replacing the old device with a new one, to backing up before flashing or resetting settings. Local backup and cloud services allow the company to clone the system almost one-to-one. In this article, we will discuss in detail the regular utilities, the features of working with a Google account and the nuances of transferring large multimedia files.

Before you start active, you need to make sure that both devices have sufficient battery power. The cloning process can take from 15 minutes to several hours depending on the amount of information. The fastest result is achieved using a USB-C to USB-C cable or a direct Wi-Fi connection without access to the Internet.

Using the Mi Mover app to migrate fully

The most effective and recommended way is to use the built-in Mi Mover app, which is pre-installed on all modern smartphones of the brand and allows you to transfer contacts, messages, call log, applications, music, video and even system settings. The main advantage of the method is to create a direct connection between devices, which ensures high speed of transferring mobile traffic without any connection.

To get started, you need to run the app on both gadgets. On the new phone, select Receiver and on the old phone, Sender. QR-code or connect to the created Wi-Fi access point. Once the connection is established, the interface will prompt you to select data categories for transfer.

Importantly, when they transfer applications, they may not save the login data, because it depends on the security policies of the programs themselves, but the system settings, such as alarm clocks, voice recorders and even wallpaper, will be copied completely, and the process will be displayed as a progress bar, and it is highly undesirable to interrupt it.

⚠️ Warning: If the app closes or the screen goes out during the transmission, the connection may break. Make sure that both devices have a "Never" setting in the screen settings for the time before going to sleep.

Sync through Google Account and Cloud Services

An alternative and often more stable method is cloud synchronization, which is designed to work with a user profile, allowing you to restore a basic dataset simply by entering a username and password on a new device, ideal for those who regularly change smartphones or fear data loss if an old device physically breaks down.

On your old device, go to Settings → Accounts and Sync and make sure the switches opposite contacts, calendar and notes are active. Also check the status of sync photos in the Google Photos app. Once you turn on your new phone and enter your account, the system will automatically prompt you to restore a backup of the applications and their data.

Xiaomi Cloud is a special focus, and if you’ve used it, you’ll be able to log in to Mi Account on your new gadget with a gallery, contacts, and voice recorder, but you’ll need to remember that free storage is limited and large archives may require a subscription.

• 📲 Calendar contacts and events are synchronized instantly after the Internet is turned on.
• 📸 Photos are loaded in the background, which can take time with a weak signal.
• 📝 Notes and recorder require separate checks in the respective applications after login.

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To speed up syncing Google Photos, open the app, go to settings, and select the “Saving Place” quality before transferring to quickly upload the archive to the cloud.

Local backup of the system

Function of local backup in the shell MIUI It's a powerful tool for advanced users, and it allows you to create a complete cast of a system that is stored in internal memory or on a computer. SD-Unlike Mi Mover, this method creates an archive that can be stored for years and deployed at any time.

To create a backup, go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Restore. Here you can choose whether to save system data, apps, or only multimedia. Once the process is complete, the backup file will be in the hidden MIUI/backup/AllBackup directory.

To transfer data to a new phone, you need to copy this file, and the easiest way to connect both phones to your computer and transfer the AllBackup folder from one device to another to the same directory, and then the new smartphone will have a "Restore" button in the recovery menu.

⚠️ Attention: Local backup does not include the contents of Downloads folder and some default system logs. Check the backup before deleting data from your old device.

Direct file transfer via Wi-Fi Direct and Bluetooth

If you only need to transfer a few heavy video files or archives, using full-fledged cloning of the system will be redundant, in such cases it is more convenient to use the direct file transfer function. In the MIUI shell, it is implemented through the Share menu, which uses a combination of Bluetooth for handshake and Wi-Fi Direct for data transfer.

This method does not require you to install additional applications or connect to the same router network. Just turn on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on both devices. Select files in the gallery or file manager, click the share button and select the device from the list of nearby devices.

Wi-Fi Direct transfer speeds reach 20-40 MB/s, which is much faster than classic Bluetooth. However, when transferring thousands of small files (such as photos), the process can take longer due to the overhead of establishing a connection for each file.

Cloning through USB-cable

The most reliable, albeit more time-consuming, way is to use a personal computer as an intermediary, a method that ensures that no bytes of information are lost due to wireless instability, and is especially relevant when carrying hundreds of gigabytes of data, when wireless methods can run for hours.

Connect your old phone to your PC in file transfer mode (MTP). Copy the required folders (DCIM, Pictures, Documents, Download) to your computer's hard drive. Then plug in the new phone and copy the data to the appropriate directories.

For contacts and messages, this method is less convenient, since it requires exporting to.vcf and.xml files, respectively. However, for media files and documents, this is the “gold standard” of reliability.

• 💻 Allows visual control of the copying process through Windows Explorer.
• 🔌 Eliminates connection breaks due to interference in the air.
• 💾 It allows you to create an archive copy on an external disk for long-term storage.

Solving and optimizing the process

Even with regular tools, there can be errors, and users often experience a situation where apps have been copied but not logged in, or photos are displayed on the wrong albums, due to Android features and access rights.

If Mi Mover is stuck on a certain percentage, try disabling the VPN on both devices and make sure the antivirus doesn't block the connection, and rebooting both smartphones before trying again helps. In some cases, it makes sense to update the Mi Mover app through the GetApps store.

After the migration is complete, take your time to delete data from your old device. Work with your new smartphone for a couple of days to make sure all notifications are coming correctly and banking applications are stable. Only after a full check can you format the old gadget.

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The combined approach (Mi Mover for settings + manually copying heavy files via PC) often gives the best balance between speed and reliability.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)