Buying a new smartphone is always a joy, especially when it comes to a powerful Xiaomi device. However, the joy is often clouded by the prospect of long hours spent transferring contacts, photos and settings from the old device. Fortunately, modern technology allows you to avoid manually copying each file individually.
In this article, we will look at all the ways that data can migrate, from embedded utilities to cloud services, and learn how to keep the folder structure intact without losing any important notes in the process.
Preparation of devices for data transfer
Before you run any migration tools, make sure both devices are ready to go. Charge your old phone and new Xiaomi to at least 60-70%, as the process of transferring a lot of information can significantly consume battery power.
Also check for free space on your receiving device. If you plan to throw a few gigabytes of photos and videos, make sure that the internal memory of the new smartphone is not full of system files.
⚠️ Note: Do not interrupt the data transfer process or break the Wi-Fi Direct connection while the utility is running.
Both smartphones should be in close proximity to each other, and for stability of the connection, it is better to disable VPNs and third-party firewalls, which can block local data packet exchange between devices.
☑️ Readiness for migration
Using the Mi Mover app for quick migration
The most effective and native way for owners of Xiaomi equipment is to use the Mi Mover application, which is designed specifically for the MIUI and HyperOS ecosystem, allowing you to transfer not only multimedia, but also system settings, alarm clocks and even the placement of icons on the desktop.
Run the app on both devices. On the new smartphone, select "I'm a recipient" and on the old one, "I'm a sender." QR-code or connect through an access point that the new device will create.
Once you've established the connection, the interface will suggest you select the categories of data to copy.
- 📱 Contacts and communications (SMS/MMS)
- 🖼️ Gallery (photos and videos in original quality)
- 📞 Call log and notes
- ⚙️ System settings and alarm clocks
The speed of transmission via Mi Mover is much higher than through Bluetooth, as it uses a direct Wi-Fi channel. Large video files are transferred in minutes without loss of compression quality.
What if Mi Mover can't see an old phone?
Synchronization through Google account
If you’re switching from any Android smartphone, the most reliable “foundation” for your data is your Google account, which is ideal for keeping your contacts, calendar, and email history, as it’s tied to your account, not your physical device.
To start, make sure that the old phone in the Settings → Google → Sync menu ticks against all important items. Click on Sync to make sure the latest changes have gone to the cloud.
When you first turn on the new Xiaomi system will prompt you to log in to your Google account. After entering your username and password, the smartphone will automatically prompt you to restore data from the last backup, you will see a list of applications that will be downloaded automatically.
| Type of data | Synchronization method | Speed. | Reliability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Google Contacts | Instantly. | Tall. |
| Photo/Video | Google Photo | Depends on the Internet. | Tall. |
| Annexes | Google Play Store | Medium | Medium |
| Wi-Fi passwords | Google Account | Instantly. | Tall. |
It is important to understand that Google does not always transfer logins and passwords inside third-party apps for security reasons.
💡
Use Google Photos in Original mode for free storage if you don’t have much space, or High Quality to save traffic when syncing.
Transfer through Xiaomi Cloud
Xiaomi device owners have access to their own cloud storage, Xiaomi Cloud, which is a great alternative for those who want to have a backup copy in the manufacturer’s ecosystem, and allows you to save contacts, messages, voice recordings and even screenshots.
To back up your old device (if it’s also Xiaomi), go to Settings → Mi Account → Xiaomi Cloud. Select the necessary partitions and click Sync. After that, on the new phone, just log into the same Mi Account, and the data will appear automatically.
A feature of this method is the ability to synchronize system settings that are not saved in Google, such as screen locking options, theme settings and specific preferences of the MIUI interface.
⚠️ Note: Free cloud capacity is limited (usually 5GB).If you have a lot of photos in full resolution, there may not be enough space.
For users who often change smartphones within the brand, creating a full backup to the cloud is the most convenient way to save the state of the system, allowing you to deploy the familiar environment in a couple of minutes.
Manual copying of files through a computer
Sometimes automatic systems fail, or you have to migrate specific folders of data that are ignored by standard utilities, and in such cases, the good old method of connecting to a PC remains the most reliable.
Connect your old phone to your computer through USB-In the notification, select the file transfer mode (MTP). On your computer, open the conductor, find the device and copy the folders. DCIM (Camera, Pictures, Download and Music in a separate folder on your hard drive.
Then disable the old phone and plug in the new Xiaomi. Copy the saved folders into the appropriate directories in the internal memory of the new device. Android folder structure is universal, so photos will immediately appear in the gallery.
This method also allows you to clean up “digital garbage”: While files are on your computer, you can delete unnecessary screenshots, duplicate photos and old uploaded documents without clogging the memory of the new smartphone.
Recommended folder structure for copying:
/DCIM/Camera (Camera Photos and Videos)
/Pictures (Images from messengers)
/Download (Downloaded files)
/Music (Audio files)
/Documents (Documents)Transferring WhatsApp and Viber messages
Messengers are worth special attention, as their correspondence history is often stored locally or in specific clouds. For WhatsApp, the standard procedure requires you to back up on Google Drive on an old phone.
Go to Settings → Chats → Backup Chats and click “Create.” Make sure the copy is successful and you see the current date. On the new phone, WhatsApp will prompt you to restore a history from Google Drive when you first launch.
The situation is similar with Viber, but there is a nuance with media files: backup chats are restored, but photos and videos may not be automatically uploaded unless they were saved in the gallery.
- 📲 WhatsApp: Backup on Google Drive
- 💬 Viber: Backup copy + manually
- ✈️ Telegram: All data is stored in the cloud, you only need to log in to your account
- 📞 Signal: Requires separate export through QR-code
Remember that to work messenger backups on the new device must be set the same phone number and Google account as on the old.