Buying a new smartphone from a Chinese manufacturer is always a joyous event, but it can cloud the prospect of a long and tedious setup. Users are often afraid of losing important contacts, photos or correspondence history when switching from one device to another. Fortunately, Xiaomi’s ecosystem offers powerful tools to automate this process, most notably synchronization through the cloud service Mi Cloud.
Using a Mi Account is the most reliable way to migrate, as it does not depend on the availability of a cable, special adapters or a stable Wi-Fi Direct connection between the two devices at the time of transfer. All your data is already in secure storage, and it is easy to log in to get it. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the steps of preparing an old phone, setting up cloud storage and final activation of data on a new device so that you can start buying immediately after unpacking.
Preparing a Mi Account and checking cloud storage
The first and most critical step is to have a valid Mi Account. If you've been using a Mi Account for a long time, you probably already have one, and it's linked to your device. But before you start migrating, you need to make sure that that account is active and has access to cloud services. Go to your settings and check login status. If you use multiple accounts, select the one you used most actively on the previous device.
Then you have to check the amount of space available. 5GB is free, which may not be enough for a full backup system, but it is enough for contacts, messages, notes and settings. Photos and videos take up the most space, so you should estimate their volume in advance. If space is not enough, you can temporarily subscribe or choose selective synchronization, leaving heavy media files for transfer by other methods.
⚠️ Warning: Make sure the old device has an up-to-date version of the shell installed MIUI Outdated software may contain errors in the synchronization module, which is why some data will not be loaded into the cloud correctly.
It is also important to check the Internet connection. To upload a large amount of data to the cloud, it is recommended to use stable Wi-Fi, since mobile traffic can be consumed very quickly and download speeds will be low. The initial uploading process can take from a few minutes to several hours depending on the amount of information.
Set up data synchronization on the old device
Once you have your account and space, you need to manually start the sync process on your old smartphone. By default, many items can be disabled or configured to sync only over Wi-Fi, which sometimes causes delays. You need to go to the Settings menu → Mi Account → Mi Cloud. This shows a list of all the types of data that the system is able to store.
In the list that opens, you'll see switches for different categories. For full portability, it's recommended to activate all available options. Pay special attention to Contacts, Messages, Call logs and Notes. These are the data that are critical for everyday phone use. It's also worth turning on synchronization of system settings, which will allow you to save the location of icons, passwords from Wi-Fi and interface preferences.
☑️ Checking before synchronization
Once all the switches are turned on, the system will suggest that you sync immediately. Press Sync. You'll see a progress indicator. Don't close this window or turn off the device screen until the process is complete. At the end, you'll see a sign saying that all the data is up to date and the last sync time will be the current moment.
Selective synchronization: contacts, messages and gallery
Sometimes you just have to save your phone book and your SMS history, and the photos are already uploaded to Google Photos or some other service, so you can use selective synchronization, and you can set up in detail in the Mi Cloud menu which apps and system functions will send data to the server.
This is especially true for contacts and messages, as they take up minimal space, but their loss is most painful. Make sure that the Active Sync icon is on opposite the Contacts and Messages items. If you have important notes in the standard Notes app, be sure to check their status. Often users forget that notes are not automatically synced if this feature has been disabled before.
| Type of data | Volume in the cloud | Importance | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Minimum | Critical | Always turn on |
| Communications (SMS/MMS) | Low. | Tall. | Include for history |
| Photos and videos | High-pitched | Medium/High | Control the place |
| Wi-Fi settings | Minimum | Convenience | Turn it on for comfort. |
| Dictaphone | Medium. | Depends on the user. | Check for records |
The Gallery deserves special attention. If you decide to sync a photo, the system will create a separate folder in the cloud. When you restore it to a new phone, photos will appear automatically in the gallery. However, if you have thousands of pictures, this process can take a long time when you first turn on a new device.
What to do if the synchronization is suspended?
Activation of a new smartphone and login to the system
When the old phone has successfully sent all the data to the cloud, you can start setting up the new device. When you first turn on Xiaomi will offer to choose a language and connect to the Wi-Fi network. This step is mandatory, since without the Internet, login to the account is impossible. Once connected to the network, the system will prompt you to log into an existing Mi Account or create a new one.
Choose the option of logging in to your existing account, enter the login (phone number or email) and password that were used on the old device, and after successful authorization, the system will ask if you want to restore data from the backup. This is the key point, and you will be shown a list of available backups with the date and time of their creation.
Choose the most recent copy. The system will offer to restore:
- 📱 Contacts and call history
- 💬 SMS and MMS message
- 📷 Photos and videos (if synchronization is enabled)
- ⚙️ System settings and Wi-Fi passwords
- 📝 Notes and dictaphone recordings
Confirm the recovery. The boot process will begin. The phone may reboot several times or the interface may become temporarily unavailable — this is normal behavior, as the system integrates the old settings into the new environment. Do not interrupt the process and keep the device charged.
💡
If you use two-factor authorization, make sure you have access to a phone number or authenticator app where the confirmation code will come in.
Solving Common Problems in Transfer
Even if you follow all the instructions, you can have technical difficulties. One of the common problems is time desynchronization. If the time on the device and on the server is different, the secure connection will not be established. Check if you have automatic time and time zone determination in the Date and Time settings.
Another problem is the lack of space in the cloud, and if you try to sync more data than your data plan allows, the process will stop, in which case the system usually gives a notification, and the solution may be to clear the cloud of unnecessary files or temporarily disable the synchronization of heavy categories, such as videos.
⚠️ Note: When recovering data on a device with an older version of Android or MIUI, than on the one where the copy was created, some settings may not apply due to incompatibility of software versions.
Users also often find that contacts don't appear immediately, which may be because the display is set up only for the purpose of the app. SIM-Go to the Contacts app, open the display settings and make sure that the checkmark is in front of Mi Cloud or your Google account if you have used cross-synchronization.
Alternative methods and additional tools
While Mi Cloud is the most integrated solution, there are other ways, like the Mi Mover app, which allows you to transfer data directly from your old phone to your new phone by creating a Wi-Fi hotspot, bypassing the cloud, which is a great option if you don't have fast internet or run out of cloud storage.
However, the method through the account has one undeniable advantage – it preserves the state of the system. Mi Mover is more often used for initial transfer “one to one”, whereas the cloud allows you to flexibly manage data, restoring it in parts or on different devices (for example, on a tablet), and the cloud copy serves as insurance against the loss or theft of a physical device.
For users who actively use the ecosystem, sync is also available through Google Account. Contacts and calendar are often duplicated there automatically, which creates an additional layer of security: if there are problems with Xiaomi servers, your contacts will remain safe in the Google service.
💡
Combining cloud synchronization of Mi Cloud for settings and contacts with direct photo copying via Mi Mover gives the best result and speed.