Data portability from Sony to Xiaomi: the full guide

Changing your smartphone is always stressful, not so much with getting used to a new interface as with losing important files. When you move from Sony Xperia devices to Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphones, you face the challenge of migrating a huge amount of information. Fortunately, modern Android operating systems provide powerful tools to make this process as painless and fast as possible.

Unlike the old days, when you had to manually rewrite phone numbers, today it takes minutes to transfer contacts, photos, music and even place icons on the desktop. The main methods are using the proprietary Mi Mover app, synchronizing through Google cloud services or classic copying via PC. The choice of the specific method depends on the amount of data you have and the version of Android on both devices.

In this article, we will discuss in detail all available migration methods, paying special attention to the nuances of the transition from “pure” Android, which is installed on Sony, to the shell of MIUI or HyperOS. You will learn how to save the history of calls, SMS messages and passwords from Wi-Fi networks, so that the new smartphone becomes your faithful assistant from the first seconds of use.

Preparation of devices before the migration

Before you start directly copying files, you need to perform a number of preparatory steps. Ignoring this step can lead to data transmission failures or a significant increase in the procedure time. First of all, check the battery level on both smartphones - it should be at least 50-60%. If the devices run out in the process, you risk losing some information or damaging system files.

Make sure both phones have Wi-Fi enabled. To transfer large amounts of data (especially photos and videos), it is recommended to use a 5GHz Wi-Fi network if the router supports this standard, as the transfer speed will be much higher. It is also worth freeing up space on the receiving Xiaomi device by removing unnecessary files or applications if the memory is full.

⚠️ Note: Do not attempt to transfer data over an unstable mobile connection 3G/4G. This can result in interruption of the process and damage to archives with contacts or messages.

On a Sony device, it is recommended to close all background applications so that the system does not try to save energy by cutting off the connection. On Xiaomi, in turn, it is better to turn off power saving mode for the duration of the procedure. If you plan to use cloud methods, check whether there is enough free space in your Google Drive account.

Using the Mi Mover app for fast transfer

The most effective and preferred way for users of the Xiaomi ecosystem is to use the built-in Mi Mover tool, which is specifically designed to migrate data from any Android and iOS devices to Xiaomi phones. The main advantage of the method is the ability to transfer not only media files, but also system settings, call history and SMS-communications, which is often not possible to make standard means.

The process starts with installing the app. On new Xiaomi smartphones, it's already built into the system and it's in the Tools folder. On a Sony device, you need to download the Mi Mover from the Google Play store or scan it. QR-The code that will appear on the screen of the new phone, and when you run the app on both devices, you have to choose the role of each device: Sony chooses "I'm the sender" and Xiaomi chooses "I'm the recipient".

Then the devices have to find each other. QR-And then you have a secure local area network called Wi-Fi Direct, which allows you to transfer data at high speeds without using Internet traffic. You can choose the specific types of data to copy:

• 📞 Contacts and calls: full phone book and call history are portable without coding errors.
• 💬 Messages: archive SMS and MMS The messages are preserved in their original form.
• 📸 Multimedia: Photos, videos and music files are copied to the corresponding folders.
• 📱 Applications: application installation files (APK) They may be transferred but may require re-authorization.

It is important to note that when you migrate applications, their data (logins inside games, progress) may not be saved for security reasons of Android. However, the mere ability to install all programs with one click saves you time. Once the process is completed, Xiaomi will display a report on the number of transferred files.

Synchronization through Google account

The most versatile and reliable method that works regardless of the smartphone brand is sync through a Google account. Since both Sony and Xiaomi are based on Android, this method guarantees the safety of your personal data even in the event of a loss of your phone. When you first turn on a new Xiaomi smartphone, the system will prompt you to log in to a Google account. Using the same login and password as on Sony, you will automatically access your library.

To make sure that this works correctly, you need to make sure that your Sony device is syncing the right items. Go to Settings → Accounts → Google. Here you will see a list of services whose data will be stored in the cloud. Make sure the switches opposite Contacts, Calendar, Notes and Chrome are active. Photos and videos are usually synced through a separate Google Photos app.

Once you log in to your Xiaomi account, contacts will appear automatically in your phone book within minutes. The apps you installed on Sony through the Play Market can be re-downloaded from the App Store's "Library" section, ideal for those who value the cleanliness of the system and don't want to drag junk files from their old device.

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Google sync is a basic level of security. Even if you use Mi Mover, make sure your contacts are saved to the Google cloud just in case.

Transferring Multimedia through Computer

If you have a few gigabytes of high-resolution photos or 4K video, wireless methods may be too slow, and the best solution is to use your personal computer as an intermediary, which also allows you to audit files and clear the gallery of duplicates before downloading to a new smartphone.

Connect your Sony smartphone to your computer via USB-In the notification on the phone screen, select the mode of operation. USB"File transfer” or"MTP". The computer will open a conductor window with the phone's file system. DCIM (Where you store your camera photos, and Pictures (screenshots and images from messengers) copy the folders you want to use on your PC hard drive.

Then plug in a Xiaomi smartphone. Android folder structure is universal, so you can just drag and drop folders that were copied earlier into the corresponding directories of the new device. It's important to follow the structure so that the Xiaomi gallery indexes files correctly. For example, it is better to place photos in the DCIM/Camera, a downloads to the Download folder.

• 💾 Speed: USB 3.0 ensures speed up to 40-50 MB / s, which is several times faster than Wi-Fi.
• 🗂️ Structure: You can immediately sort files by folder on a new device.
• 🛡️ Security: data is not transmitted over the network, the risk of interception is eliminated.

Once copied, turn off the devices safely. On Xiaomi, it may take some time (between 5 and 30 minutes) to index media files in the background to show up in the gallery. Don't be alarmed if you don't see all the photos immediately after you connect.

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Use original cables or certified high-speed analogues. Cheap charging-only cables won't allow you to transfer files.

The nuances of switching from pure Android to MIUI

Sony smartphones are known for their interface close to Android’s stock, while Xiaomi uses a deeply modified MIUI shell (or the new HyperOS) that creates certain behavioral features that you need to be prepared for, primarily in terms of managing application permissions and operating background processes.

MIUI has a more aggressive energy saving system. Applications ported to Sony may not receive notifications or close in the background if not set up. After transferring data, go to Settings → Applications → All applications, find important messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber) and in Autostart, enable permission. Also select No Limits mode in the battery settings.

⚠️ Warning: Sound and vibration settings may reset or change due to differences in Sony and Xiaomi audio engines.You will have to reset the alarm clock volume and keyboard vibration.

Another important point is access rights. In stock Android, apps often request permissions on the first run. In MIUI, some permissions (especially access to contacts and geolocation) may be denied by default for privacy purposes. When you first run a portable application, keep a close eye on the rights request pop-ups.

Solving the problems of migration

Despite the fact that processes are fine, there can be some errors, and one of the common problems is that you can't connect Sony to Xiaomi in the Mi Mover app, often by resetting the network settings on both devices or simply restarting the Wi-Fi module, and also make sure that both phones have the latest version of the carrier app installed.

Another problem is broken contacts, where numbers or characters are displayed instead of names, which is due to differences in encoding. If this happens, the best solution would be to export contacts to Sony in.VCF format (via Contacts → Export app) and import this file to Xiaomi manually. VCF format is a universal standard and minimizes the risk of encoding errors.

If apps don’t open after the transfer, they may not be compatible with the Android version on the new device or require an update to Google Play Services components. Go to the Play Market, go to App Management and update all available system and application components.

The final step should always be to check critical data: call someone, send a test SMS, open a few photos, and once you make sure everything works correctly, you can start fine-tuning the new Xiaomi to suit your habits.