Buying a new Xiaomi, Redmi or Poco smartphone is always an exciting event, but often overshadowed by the prospect of a tedious setup: not only unpacking the device, but also re-creating the familiar digital environment, transferring all the contacts, photos and correspondence accumulated over the years from the old device. Fortunately, the Android ecosystem offers several proven and reliable ways to migrate, which make this process as fast and painless as possible.
Before you start taking action, you need to clearly understand what data needs to be transferred, because it depends on the choice of method. Multimedia content such as photos and videos usually takes up the most space, while contacts and calendars are easiest to sync through cloud services. In this article, we will discuss all the available options in detail, including the Mi Mover utility, Google standard tools and manual copying, so you can choose the most suitable for your situation.
It's important to note that the success of the operation depends on the preparation of both devices, and this is not to be ignored, because interruption in the middle of the process can lead to loss of information or errors in the system. We have prepared a detailed algorithm of actions that will help you avoid common errors and save time.
Preparing devices for data migration
The first and most critical step is to properly prepare both smartphones for the transfer procedure. 50-60%, As active transfer of large amounts of data can significantly consume battery life, it is also recommended to free up space on the new Xiaomi by checking the available storage in the Settings section. → Memory.
The second important step is to ensure a stable connection. If you plan to use wireless methods, make sure that both phones are in close proximity to each other. For the wired method, you'll need a quality cable that supports data transfer, not just charging, and perhaps a USB-C to USB-C or OTG adapter if the device connectors are different.
⚠️ Warning: Before any manipulations are initiated, it is strongly recommended to make a complete backup of important data to an external medium or to the cloud.
Also remember to update the operating system on both devices to the latest available version. Manufacturers often release patches that fix bugs in data protocols, which can significantly affect the speed and stability of the process. Check for updates in the Settings menu → About Phone → MIUI (or HyperOS) version.
☑️ Ready for transfer
Use of the Mi Mover app
The most effective and specialized tool for owners of Xiaomi equipment is the built-in Mi Mover application. This software is designed specifically for migration between devices running MIUI and HyperOS shells, providing transfer not only multimedia, but also system settings, setting up icons on the desktop and even passwords from Wi-Fi networks.
The process starts with running an app on both smartphones, and on the new device, select Recipient, and on the old device, Sender, and the app will create a temporary Wi-Fi hotspot that the old phone will need to connect to, and once you have established the connection, you can select the categories of data to copy.
What if the Mi Mover can’t see the device?
One of the key features of Mi Mover is the ability to transfer installed applications along with their data, which allows you to immediately continue work from where you left off. However, it is worth considering that some banking applications or programs with a high degree of protection may not migrate their data for security reasons, and they will have to be reconfigured.
The data transfer speeds over Mi Mover are usually much faster than cloud services, as it uses a direct wireless connection between devices, especially when transferring gigabytes of high-resolution photos and videos.
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Mi Mover is a native Xiaomi tool that provides the most complete portability of system settings and desktop structure, inaccessible to third-party applications.
Synchronization through Google account
The classic and versatile migration method that works on any Android device is that all your data (contacts, calendar events, notes, passwords and app lists) are stored in Google’s cloud profile and automatically uploaded when you log in to your account on your new smartphone.
To activate this method on your old phone, go to Settings → Google → Sync and make sure all the necessary switches are active. It is especially important to check the sync between Google Contacts and Google Photos. After that, on the new Xiaomi, you just need to enter the same email address when you first set up or in the account menu.
The main advantage of this method is that it is independent of the physical proximity of devices. You can set up a new phone even if the old one is already sold or lost, as long as the backup is up to date. However, free space of 15 GB may not be enough for a full backup system, so you often have to choose what to save.
It is worth noting that the recovery of applications through Google Play occurs in the background and can take a considerable time if you have a lot of programs installed.The phone can heat up and consume a lot of energy in the first hours of use, while you download and install all the necessary software.
- 📱 Contacts and calendar: synced instantly with the internet.
- 📷 Photos and videos: Downloaded via Google Photos app, quality can be compressed at the rate "Saving space».
- 🔑 Passwords: Autocomplete Chrome passwords and apps works immediately after logging in to your account.
Manual transfer via computer and cable
For users who prefer full control or do not have fast internet, the ideal solution is the manual method, which involves using a personal computer as an intermediate buffer or connecting two phones directly with a cable, which is especially effective for carrying heavy files that are not practical to drive through the air.
When connecting your smartphone to your PC, select the USB File Transfer (MTP) mode in the notification curtain. You will access the device's file system. Copy the DCIM (camera photos and videos), Download, Documents and Music folders to your computer's hard drive, and then transfer them to similar directories on the new Xiaomi.
⚠️ Note: When manually copying folders, pay attention to hidden files and folders with a dot at the beginning of the name (for example,.whatsapp). These may contain important configurations or messenger media files that are not visible in standard browsing mode.
If both phones support the standard USB 3.0 or higher, and you have the appropriate cable, you can connect them directly, and the system recognizes the connection and offers options for data transfer. SSD-The storage device, and does not depend on the quality of the wireless network.
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Use a dual-window file manager or a “Transfer” feature in some conductors to copy data directly between connected devices without intermediate storage on a PC.
Transfer of data messengers WhatsApp and Telegram
The migration of messaging messages deserves special attention, as they are often stored in their isolated storages and are not always fully covered by standard backup tools. For Telegram, the situation is simple: all data is stored on servers, and it is enough to simply log in to a new device to access all chats and media (except secret chats).
WhatsApp is more complicated. To successfully transfer your email history, you need to back up your old phone through the Settings menu → Chats → Chat backup. It’s important to choose the same Google Drive account that you’ll be able to access on your new phone.
When you first launch WhatsApp on the new Xiaomi, the app will detect the presence of a backup in the cloud and prompt you to restore it. If you use the Mi Mover method, it also knows how to transfer WhatsApp data, including message history, which is often faster and more reliable than downloading from the cloud.
Don't forget two-factor authentication. Make sure you remember. PIN-the code or access to the phone number to which it comes SMS-Confirmation code, otherwise you will not be able to log in to your account on the new device.
- 💬 Telegram: Data in the cloud, only need a phone number and code from the cloud SMS/applications.
- 📞 WhatsApp: Requires manual backup creation or use of Mi Mover to move local base.
- 🔐 Viber: Has its own backup function in settings, which must be activated in advance.
Table of comparison of transfer methods
To make it easier for you to choose the best method, we have put the main characteristics of the methods in a comparative table, which will help you to weigh the pros and cons according to your current conditions and the amount of data.
| Method | Speed. | We need the Internet. | What's transferable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Mover | Tall. | No (locally) | Everything, including system settings |
| Google Account | Medium | Yeah (Wi-Fi) | Contacts, applications, photos |
| Cable/PC | Very high. | No. | Files and multimedia |
| Bluetooth | Low. | No. | Only small files. |
As you can see from the table, for a complex move, the best way to combine methods is to use Mi Mover for the main dataset and settings, for example, and to throw heavy video archives over the cable if wireless transmission seems too slow.