How to transfer data from Xiaomi to Xiaomi: full instructions

Buying a new smartphone is always a pleasant thrill, but before the first inclusion, the question arises about the migration of digital baggage. Transferring data from Xiaomi to Xiaomi is a process that can take from a few minutes to a couple of hours, depending on the amount of information and the method chosen.

Owners of the ecosystem MIUI or the new HyperOS is in a position of advantage because the software is seamlessly integrated. IT-And you can use a professional to flip contacts, photos, apps, even icons on your desktop, and the key is to choose the right way to fit your situation.

In this article, we will look at all the migration options available, from the standard Mi Mover app to cloud sync through your account, and we will look at the nuances that are often missed and help you avoid common mistakes that can lead to loss of information.

Preparing devices for information migration

Before you start any copying tools, you need to make sure that both devices are ready for active operation. Battery charge on both smartphones should be at least 50-60%, as the process of transferring large amounts of data via Wi-Fi Direct or Bluetooth can be energy intensive. If one of the phones runs out at the most inopportune time, the process will have to start again.

It's also worth checking if there's space on your new device, and even if you bought a phone with a lot of storage, the system and the apps that are preinstalled have already taken up some space, and the amount of free memory on the receiving device should be larger than the amount of data on the old phone.

• 🔋 Charge both smartphones to levels above 60% or connect them to a power source.
• 📶 Make sure that both devices have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled.
• 📂 Check the space on the new phone, it should be more data than the old one.
• 🔒 Unlock the screens of both devices and confirm trust in your computer or other device if you request it.

⚠️ Warning: Do not try to transfer data if the old phone is power-saving mode.The system may force the Wi-Fi module to be turned off during transmission, which will lead to synchronization error.

An important step is to update the system software. Often, manufacturers release patches that improve the stability of Mi Mover and other system services. Go to Settings → About Phone → The MIUI version (or OS version) and check for updates. This action minimizes the risk of version conflicts between the old and new device.

Using the Mi Mover app for cloning

The most efficient and quickest way is to use the Mi Mover app (in some regions it’s called “Mi Drop” or simply “Transfer”), which creates a direct connection between devices, bypassing Internet traffic, allowing you to transfer files at high speed.

To get started, open the app on both devices. On the old phone, select the role "Sender" and on the new phone, "New phone." QR-code that will appear on the screen of the receiving device. Once you pair successfully, you'll see a list of data categories available for portability.

You can choose to migrate selectively or copy everything at once. The app's algorithm allows you to transfer not only media files, but also system settings, including Wi-Fi passwords, alarm clocks and even the location of widgets on your desktop, which creates a seamless transition, where the new phone feels like an old one, but with higher performance.

The transfer process can take time if you have a lot of high-resolution photos or heavy video files. interruption of the process at this stage is undesirable, although modern versions of MIUI are able to resume downloading after reconnecting.However, try not to switch between applications while Mi Mover is running.

• 📲 Launch the Mi Mover app on both smartphones.
• 📷 Scan it. QR-code for a new phone to establish a connection.
• ✅ Select all the necessary categories of data to copy.
• 🚀 Press the "Send" button and wait for the process to be completed.

⚠️ Warning: While Mi Mover is running, phone screens may go out, but don’t block devices entirely with the power button, otherwise the Wi-Fi Direct connection may break.

Sync with Mi Cloud and Google Account

The alternative to direct connectivity is cloud synchronization, which is ideal if you don’t have both phones on hand at the same time or if your old device has already been sold/broken but backups have been made from it. Xiaomi’s ecosystem is deeply integrated with Google services and its own Mi Cloud.

To work with Mi Cloud, you need to log in to your account on your old device and enable synchronization of the desired partitions: contacts, notes, voice recorder, gallery. After that, it is enough to log in to the new phone under the same login, and the data will be pulled up automatically. However, it is worth considering that free space in the cloud is limited (usually 5 GB), so for large volumes of photos and videos, this method will not work without buying additional space.

Sync through Google Account is the standard for Android. It stores contacts, calendar, passwords in the Chrome browser and a list of installed applications. When you first set up a new Xiaomi, just enter an email and password from Google to restore the basic structure of smartphone use. It is important to understand that Google Photos compresses images in "Saving Place" mode if you do not have a Google One subscription, which can reduce the quality of the originals.

Using cloud services requires a stable connection to the network, and if your Internet channel is unstable, the synchronization process can take days, in which case you should use a hybrid method: sync contacts and calendar through the cloud, and transfer heavy files manually or through Mi Mover.

💡

To speed up syncing of Google Photos, temporarily turn off data transfer over the mobile network and use only Wi-Fi to avoid wasting operator traffic.

Manual copying of files through a computer

A classic method that is still relevant, especially when working with huge amounts of data. USB-This is an indispensable method if automatic systems fail or need to transfer files of specific formats.

Connect your old phone to your computer and select USB mode "File Transfer (MTP)". In Windows Explorer or macOS, copy the required folders (DCIM, Download, Documents, Music) to your hard drive. Then plug the new phone in and move the data to the appropriate directories. The folder structure on Android is pretty logical, and path problems usually don't arise.

The Android/data folder is a special focus, and newer versions of Android have limited access to it, and direct copying of some apps may not work without root rights. However, for user documents, music and photos, this method works seamlessly. It's also a great way to back up important documents before any experimentation with the phone.

• 💻 Connect your old phone to your PC with a cable and select mode MTP.
• 📂 Copy the folders. DCIM, Pictures, Music and Documents on the computer.
• 📲 Connect a new phone and paste the copied data into similar folders.
• 🔄 Check the integrity of files after copying is completed.

⚠️ Note: When copying through USB Cheap "charging only" cables do not transmit data, which will lead to a connection error or extremely low transmission speeds.

Once you have completed the copy, it is recommended to check the opening of files on the new device, and sometimes file metadata, such as the date of creation or geolocation, can be lost when manually transferred, although in most cases the Android file system stores them correctly.

Transfer SMS messages and call history

One of the most delicate tasks is to preserve the history of correspondence and call logs. Standard file copying tools will not help here, since message databases are protected by the system. To solve this problem, the best way to go again to the Mi Mover application, which has special permissions to access these sections.

If the use of a standard tool is not possible, you can use third-party applications from Google Play, specializing in backup SMS, for example,"SMS Backup and Restore. XML-It's a file with all the history, and then you have to transfer it to a new phone and restore it through the same application.

WhatsApp needs to back up Google Drive on the old phone, and restore it on the new one when the app is first launched. Telegram and Viber store their correspondence history on their servers, so just log in to see all the chats.

Solving and completing the setup

Once all the data has been moved, don't rush to delete the information from the old device. Let the new phone run normally for at least a couple of days, so that the background indexing processes are done and all applications are updated to current versions.

A common problem is that some passwords are missing or authorization malfunctions in banking applications. This is normal: security applications require re-association of the device. Bank keys and digital signatures are tied to the hardware of the smartphone, so they cannot be transferred for security reasons - you will have to re-confirm your identity through SMS or a bank call.

If you find that some applications are not installed automatically, go to Settings → Annexes → Manage applications and check the list of hidden or disabled programs. Sometimes the system tags the transferred programs. APK-files as potentially dangerous and blocks their launch until confirmed.

💡

The full setup cycle is considered complete only after checking the operation of all critical applications: bank, instant messengers and two-factor authorization.

Finally, you should clean the cache of the system on the new device to delete temporary files left over from the old smartphone. Go to the cleaning menu in the Security app and start a scan. This will free up space and can positively affect the speed of the interface.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)