How to transfer data from Xiaomi to Xiaomi via Google account

Buying a new smartphone from Xiaomi is always a joyous event, but often overshadowed by the prospect of a long and tedious setup of the device. The owner gets his hands on a powerful gadget with a clean screen, but without the usual contacts, apps and photos. Fortunately, the Android ecosystem, and in particular the shell of MIUI or HyperOS, provides powerful tools for migration, the main of which is the Google account. Using cloud services “Corporation of Good” allows you to save not only the phone book, but also the history of calls, calendar and even the location of icons on the desktop.

The process of transferring information through Google Account is the most versatile and reliable way, since it does not depend on the firmware version or device model. Whether you have a budget Redmi or flagship Xiaomi, the synchronization mechanism works identically on all devices with GMS certification. The main advantage of this method is that your data is safe on Google servers, and even if you lose or break your smartphone, you can restore everything you need in a matter of minutes on any other Android device.

In this article, we will take a look at each step of preparing your old phone and setting up your new one to make the transition as smooth as possible. You will learn about the nuances of media syncing, what data is not automatically transferred, and how to avoid common errors when you first log in. Proper use of Google One cloud storage or the standard free limit of 15 GB will allow you to forget about manually copying files through your computer.

Preparing an Old Smartphone for Data Migration

The first and most critical step is to properly prepare the original device. Many users make the mistake of relying only on automatic backups that could have been disabled months ago. To make sure your data is up to date, you need to manually check the sync status in the system settings. Go to Settings → Google → Sync and make sure the switches opposite the right points (Contacts, Calendar, Drive) are active.

Special attention should be paid to the storage of photos and videos, as they occupy the largest amount of memory. Google Photos by default can compress images to save space, which is not always desirable. If it is important to keep the original quality of pictures, check the download settings in the application. It is also worth making sure that the device has stable Wi-Fi, as downloading large amounts of data through the mobile network can take too long or lead to errors.

• 📱 Make sure your old phone has the latest version of Google Play services installed.
• ☁️ Check the free space in your Google account (available via Google Drive).
• 🔋 Connect the device to the charger while creating a backup.
• 📶 Use a stable Wi-Fi connection at a speed of at least 10 Mbps.

⚠️ Note: Two-factor authentication on your Google account must be set up in advance.When logging in on a new device, the system may request confirmation via SMS or an authenticator app, and accessing the old phone to receive the code may be difficult if SIM-map already moved.

After checking the settings, it is recommended to force sync to start. To do this, click on the account menu on the “Sync” button or similar option depending on the Android version. The process can take from a few minutes to an hour, depending on the amount of information accumulated. Do not interrupt the connection to the Internet until the system reports that the update has been successfully completed.

The initial setup process of the new Xiaomi

Once the old phone is ready, you can start setting up a new Xiaomi gadget. After switching on the device and selecting the interface language, the system will suggest connecting to the Wi-Fi network. This step should not be skipped, since it is through the Internet that you will contact Google servers to download your backup. After a successful connection to the network, the process of searching for system updates will begin, which is also better to complete before starting the migration.

The key is to log in to a Google account, and it will prompt you to log in to your existing profile using the email address that was the primary one on your old device, enter the same credentials as before. Importantly, if you use one account for work and personal purposes, make sure that the exact data you need on your personal smartphone is synchronized.

Once you have successfully logged in, MIUI will suggest you recover data from the cloud, and you will be presented with a list of available backups with a date of creation, select the latest version, at which point the system will ask what you want to restore, usually the defaults are the contacts, applications and system settings, you can deselect from unnecessary checkmarks so that you don't litter the new phone with unnecessary debris.

Expect the application installation process to be completed. The new phone will automatically download and install all the programs that were on the old device and are available in the Google Play Store. This process can take considerable time, especially if you have a lot of heavy games or specific software installed. In the background, contacts and calendar will also continue to download in the corresponding applications almost instantly.

Synchronization of multimedia and Google Photos

Media content transfers, such as photos, videos and voice notes, deserve special attention. Unlike contacts that weigh kilobytes, media files can take up gigabytes. The standard Android backup mechanism through Google One often doesn’t include a full gallery unless synced through the Google Photos app is set up.

To ensure that your photo album is safe, open the Google Photos app on a new device. If you're logged in, your photos will start showing up automatically. However, remember the 15GB limit, which is free. If your archive exceeds this volume, some of the old photos may not load until you vacate space or purchase a subscription.

For users who are shooting a lot of videos 4K, Use smart storage or transfer heavy files manually through USB-cable or external hard drive, as waiting for them to load through the cloud can take a day or more. It is also worth checking the Recycle Bin folder in Google Photos, since previously deleted photos can be there and take up space.

Transferring Chrome Passwords and Data

One of the most convenient features of the Google ecosystem is the synchronization of Chrome browser data. If you are used to saving passwords, browsing history and open tabs in the browser on your computer or old phone, then on the new Xiaomi this process will pass unnoticed. Just log into the Chrome browser under your profile.

When Chrome first starts on the new device, the system will suggest enabling sync, agreeing that you will have access to all saved passwords from sites, this eliminates the need to recall complex combinations of characters or search them in a notebook, and also sync autocomplete data, such as addresses and payment cards (if they were saved).

• 🔐 Open Chrome and click on the user avatar in the upper right corner.
• 🔄 Click on “Enable Synchronization” and confirm the action.
• 🌐 Check the "History" tab» → «Tabs from other devices" to access open pages.
• 📝 Make sure that the synchronization settings have a tick opposite the item "Passwords».

Importantly, password synchronization works only within Google's ecosystem.If you've used third-party managers like 1Password, Bitwarden or the built-in MIUI (Mi Account) password manager to store passwords, you'll need to set them up separately.Google doesn't have access to passwords stored in other repositories without your direct export.

⚠️ Note: After transferring passwords through Google, security may require re-entry into some apps (banks, social networks) to verify identity.This is a normal account security response when logging in from a new device (new Device). ID).

What is not carried through a Google account

Despite the power of Google’s tools, there are limitations to be aware of so as not to be disappointed: First of all, a standard Google account does not transfer data from apps that use their own cloud storage or encryption. For example, game progress is often saved through Google Play Games, but not always. Some games require a developer account login (such as Supercell ID or Facebook) to save progress.

WhatsApp, Viber and Telegram have their own backup mechanisms. WhatsApp, for example, stores backups of dialogs and media files on Google Drive, but they are tied to a specific account and phone number. When you install WhatsApp on a new phone, it will find the backup in the cloud and suggest that it be restored, but this happens inside the application itself, not at the stage of initial Android configuration.

Data from banking applications and government services (such as government services or bank keys) are never automatically transferred for security purposes. Banking applications on the new device will require full re-authorization, and often re-assignment of the device via SMS code or bank call, a measure of protection against theft of funds, and it is impossible to bypass it.

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Tip: Before selling or transferring your old phone, make sure to complete a Factory Reset. Even if you synchronize the data, personal information remains in the device’s memory until the reset.

Solving problems in synchronization

Sometimes the data transfer process can go wrong, and one of the common problems is that contacts sync fail when numbers don't appear in the phone book, so you should check if you've chosen the right account to display contacts. In the Contacts app, click on the menu and make sure that the checkmark is in front of your Google account, not just the Phone or the phone «SIM-map».

Another common problem is app installing “hangs.” If you see app icons gray and “Waiting to download” doesn’t disappear, try clearing the Google Play Store app cache. To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Google Play Store → Storage → Clear the cache. After that, restart the smartphone and downloads should resume.

If the new Xiaomi phone requires system components to be updated to run some applications, don’t ignore this requirement. MIUI sometimes blocks Google services from running on irrelevant firmware versions. System updates often solve problems with unstable synchronization and the lack of some drivers.

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Using a Google account to transfer data to Xiaomi is the fastest way to get a working smartphone, but it requires prior backup checks and having a stable internet connection.