Changing your smartphone is always accompanied by a desire to transfer all the accumulated information to a new device as quickly and painlessly as possible. Owners of the Xiaomi ecosystem are in a favorable position, as the company has developed powerful built-in tools for cloning the system. The process of data migration has become much easier with the release of new versions of the MIUI shell and HyperOS.
You don't have to manually rewrite phone numbers or search for lost photos in cloud storages of third-party services. Local transfer protocol provides high copy speeds that often exceed the capabilities of Bluetooth or computer transfer, the main thing is to properly prepare both devices for synchronization.
There are several proven methods, each with its own characteristics: you can use the standard Mi Mover application, the Mi Cloud cloud service or the classic Google account, and the choice of the particular method depends on the amount of data you transfer and the speed of your Internet connection.
Preparing devices for data migration
Before starting the process, make sure both smartphones are ready to go. Charge the old and new Xiaomi to at least 60-70%.A sharp drop in voltage during the transfer of large amounts of data can lead to file damage or interruption of the session.
Check if there is space on the receiving device. The amount of free memory should be larger than the data on the old phone. If you plan to transfer everything, including heavy games and video to 4K, make sure that the difference in gigabytes is significant.
⚠️ Note: Do not install antivirus or memory cleaners before transfer, they can block network connections necessary for the local Mi Mover protocol to work.
Both phones must be unlocked.The lock screen may interrupt the connection or require confirmation, which you may not notice if the phone is in your pocket.Install the same interface language on both devices to avoid confusion on the menu.
☑️ Ready for transfer
Using the Mi Mover app for local transmission
The most efficient way to do this is to use the native Mi Mover app, which is pre-installed on most of the current Redmi and Poco models, and if you have an old model or global firmware without it, you can download it from GetApps or install it through GetApps. APK-file.
Run the app on both devices. On the new smartphone, select the "I'm a recipient" role, and on the old one, "I'm a sender" role. The system automatically creates a Wi-Fi hotspot. You will need to select the network created by the new phone from the list of available connections on the old device.
Once you connect, the interfaces sync up. You'll see a list of categories: contacts, messages, images, audio, video, documents, and installed applications. Select the items you need. Note that Wi-Fi system settings and passwords can also be moved.
- 📱 Contacts and messages – transfer instantly, keeping the group structure and correspondence history in a standard application.
- 🖼️ Media files – photos and videos are copied in original quality without compression, which is important for archives.
- 📲 Applications - installed themselves APK-files, but data inside applications (cache, logins) may not be saved due to Android security restrictions.
- ⚙️ System settings – including the location of icons on the desktop and alarm clock settings.
What to do if the Mi Mover is frozen?
Sync with the cloud Mi Cloud and Google
The alternative method does not require physical proximity devices, but depends on the speed of the Internet.Mi Cloud allows you to create a full backup of the system. Go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud on your old phone.
Activate sync for the right categories: contacts, notes, voice recorder, gallery. Press the "Sync" button and wait until it's finished. On the new device, just log into the same account, and the data will "fly" automatically in the background.
For users deeply integrated into the Google ecosystem, the standard procedure is relevant when you first set up Android. When you turn on the new Xiaomi system will offer to restore data from the backup of Google Drive. This is a convenient way to transfer contacts, calendar and list of installed applications.
| Parameter | Mi Mover (Locally) | Mi Cloud / Google |
|---|---|---|
| Speed. | High (up to 40 MB/s) | Depends on the provider's rate |
| Internet | No requirement (local Wi-Fi) | Stable access is required |
| Data volume | No restrictions (depending on memory) | Limited by cloud fare (usually 5GB) |
| Battery | Both devices are consuming. | It only takes up with synchronization. |
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If you run out of space in the cloud, clear the Recycle Bin in the Gallery before creating a full backup and remove old backups in the Mi Cloud so you don’t interrupt the process halfway through.
Transfer of WhatsApp and messengers
The messengers require special attention, as they store the history of correspondence in secure databases. Standard transfer of applications through Mi Mover often copies only the “apk file” itself, leaving chats on the old device.
For WhatsApp, use the built-in backup feature. On your old phone, go to Settings → Chats → Chat Backup. Select save to Google Drive or locally. Once you install the app on your new phone and confirm the number, the system will prompt you to restore the history.
It is important to use the same Google or Mi Account. In some cases, especially when switching between different versions of Android, you may need a local backup. Create a copy through the WhatsApp menu, copy the Android/media/com.whatsapp or WhatsApp/Databases folder through the file manager to your computer or directly to your new phone.
⚠️ Note: Two-factor authentication on WhatsApp can request a confirmation code. SIM-The card is installed on the new phone or you remember PIN-annexed.
For Telegram and Viber, the process is simpler: the story is stored on a server (Telegram) or restored from a cloud backup (Viber), just enter a phone number, and all chats will be automatically pulled up.
Manually transfer files via PC or OTG
If automatic methods fail or you need to transfer specific system files, use a computer. Connect the old Xiaomi to your PC in File Transfer (MTP) mode. Copy the DCIM, Download, Pictures and Documents folders to your hard drive.
Then plug in the new device and transfer the data to the appropriate directories, which ensures that no bytes are lost or compressed by the algorithms, and is ideal for carrying heavy video archives.
Another option is to use a USB-OTG adapter, so if you have a flash drive with a Type-C connector, you can copy the data to it from your old phone, and then, by connecting to a new one, rewrite the information, which is faster than the cloud, and doesn't require a computer.
When you're manually copying, it's important to keep the folder structure, especially for media files. MIUI You may not see them or you may not see them correctly, and you may want to create new folders with clear names, such as, Old_Phone_Photos_2023.
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Manually copying via PC is the only way to guarantee to transfer files larger than 4GB if the phone’s file system doesn’t support large files in individual applications.
Solutions to Synchronization Problems
Sometimes the process can be interrupted. If you see a "connect is broken" error, check if one of the devices is in "Energy Saving" mode, which can aggressively turn off the Wi-Fi module to save charge, considering the data transfer to be a background process.
Problems with version compatibility MIUI They're rare, but they're possible. MIUI 11, and the new one on MIUI 14 or HyperOS, some interface settings may not apply, in which case it is better to transfer only personal data, and the theme settings redesign.
If the Mi Mover app doesn't see the device, try resetting the network settings on both devices. Go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Reset Wi-Fi, mobile networks and Bluetooth. This will clear the cache of network modules without deleting personal data.
- 📶 Wi-Fi problem: Make sure your old phone isn't on VPN, which can reroute traffic and interfere with local connection.
- 🔋 Screen goes out: In screen settings, set the "No Limits" or "10 minutes" time to sleep so that the phone doesn't go into sleep mode during transfer.
- 📂 Space shortage: If space is critically small, move contacts and photos first, and install apps again from the store so as not to take up space with temporary files.
⚠️ Note: After successfully transferring data and verifying its integrity, it is strongly recommended that you perform a full reset (Wipe) on your old device before selling it or disposing of it so that your personal data does not fall into the wrong hands.