How to transfer data from your phone to the new Xiaomi

Buying a new Xiaomi smartphone is always a joyful event, opening up access to more powerful hardware and fresh features of the MIUI or HyperOS shell. However, the owner immediately faces a difficult task: how to transfer data from the phone to a new Xiaomi phone so as not to lose any contact, photos or important documents. Modern technology allows you to make this process as automated as possible, but it is important to choose the right method, depending on the type of old device.

The process of information migration can vary significantly depending on whether you have previously had an Android, iOS or perhaps a button phone. In this article, we will discuss all the available methods in detail, including using the built-in Mi Mover tool, Google cloud services and manual copying through your computer. Proper preparation of devices ensures that you start using the new device immediately, without much settings.

Before you start the active phase of the transfer, you need to make sure that both devices are ready to work. Android smartphones must have a battery charge of at least 50%, and iPhones must be connected to the Wi-Fi network to synchronize iCloud. Ignoring simple preparation rules can lead to interruption of the process or errors when copying large amounts of data.

Using the Mi Mover app for Android devices

The most efficient and quickest way to migrate is to use the Mi Mover app, which is pre-installed on all modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones, and for other Android devices, it can be downloaded free of charge from the Google Play Store, the main advantage of the method is to transfer data directly over Wi-Fi Direct, which provides high speed and does not consume mobile traffic.

To get started, run the app on both devices. On the new Xiaomi phone, select Reciever and on the old one, Sender. QR-The code that you need to scan with the camera of the old device, and once you've established the connection, you'll see a list of categories that you can transfer.

When choosing which to copy, look for the "Applications" and "Multimedia" items. The application will automatically select the analogues for system programs, but some specific applications may require re-authorization. It is important to note that the data of banking applications for security purposes are not automatically transferred and require manual login adjustments.

⚠️ Note: During the transfer process, the screens of the devices may go out, but you cannot interrupt the connection or exit the Mi Mover application. This can lead to file corruption or incomplete copying of the contact database.

Once you've finished scanning and selected files, you'll start transferring, the speed depends on the amount of data and the distance between the devices, and it usually takes 10 to 20 minutes to transfer 32 GB of information, and then you'll get a summary of the number of files that have been moved.

Transferring data from iPhone (iOS) to Xiaomi

Apple iPhone owners who have decided to switch to Android also have Mi Mover functionality, although the process has its nuances. Since the iOS and Android ecosystems differ in the structure of file systems, a full clone of the system is impossible to do, but the basic user data is saved without problems. The Mi Mover app on iOS has limited functionality compared to the Android version, but copes with the main tasks.

To start the transfer, download the Mi Mover app from the App Store to your iPhone. On the new Xiaomi, run the built-in app and select the data acquisition mode from iOS. QR-code or enter the connection code manually, the system will offer you to choose the types of data: contacts, photos, videos and calendar.

If you have a huge library on iCloud, the process can take considerable time. Make sure your iPhone is connected to a stable Wi-Fi network, since iOS can block the background transfer of large files when there is a weak signal. Contacts are synced through your Google account if you have previously added it to your iPhone settings.

After completing the basic transfer, it is recommended to check the gallery. Sometimes the metadata of photos (date of shooting, geolocation) can get lost, so it is better to double-check important albums. For messages and call history, direct copying from iOS is often not available without using backups created specifically for Android.

Synchronization through Google Account and Cloud Services

The most versatile method, independent of the brand of the old phone, is sync through Google Account. This method is ideal if the old phone is broken, lost or simply unavailable, but you know your credentials. All you need is to enter a login and password when you first set up a new Xiaomi.

In the initial setup of MIUI, the system will suggest recovering data from the Google Drive cloud, so you can select a backup that you made earlier on your old device, which usually includes a list of installed apps, contacts, calendar events, Wi-Fi passwords and system settings, which allows the new phone to become almost a complete digital twin of the old one.

For photos and videos, Google Photos is the best option. Install the app on your old device, enable sync and wait for media to be uploaded to the cloud. On the new Xiaomi, it’s easy to log in to the same account, and your entire gallery will be available instantly, even without physically copying files to internal memory.

It's important to understand that recovery from the cloud requires a stable and preferably fast Internet connection. If you have a tariffed traffic, you'd better wait for a Wi-Fi connection, otherwise the process can "eat" the entire package of gigabytes in minutes.

Manual copying via computer (USB)

If wireless methods seem too slow or unreliable, you always have the classic PC copy option, which gives you complete control of the file system and allows you to transfer data even from phones that are not fully turned on (if drive mode is running), you will need a USB cable and a computer with drivers installed.

Connect your old phone to your computer and select file transfer mode (MTP) In the notifications, copy the folders. DCIM (Photos and videos), Download, Documents and Music to your PC hard drive. Then connect the new Xiaomi and move those folders to the appropriate internal memory directories or to the computer. SD-map.

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Use a USB 3.0 cable and a USB 3.0 port on your computer for maximum speed copying of large video files. Charging cables often only support the slow USB 2.0 protocol.

Contacts are best exported to a.vcf file via the Contacts app on an old phone, toss the file to a PC, and then import it on a new Xiaomi. The.vcf file is universal and opens on any platform, including iOS and Android.

When you're working with files through a computer, you need to be careful about folder structure. Some applications, like a voice recorder or WhatsApp, create their own folders. If you just copy media files, but not the folder structure, applications may not see new files, and in these cases, scanning media files through storage settings helps.

⚠️ Note: When copying system folders or application files through your computer, do not delete or modify files with unknown names.

Transferring the history of WhatsApp and messengers

The transfer of the history of correspondence in messengers deserves special attention, as it is one of the most important data for the user. Unlike contacts, WhatsApp chat history is not stored in the Google cloud by default in the same form as on the iPhone, and requires a separate backup procedure.

For WhatsApp on Android, use the built-in backup function. Go to Settings → Chats → Chat Backup and click Backup. Make sure the copy is created on Google Drive, not locally. When you install WhatsApp on a new Xiaomi and type in the same phone number, the app will prompt you to restore the story from the cloud.

Telegram and Viber are easier. Telegram stores the entire history of correspondence on its servers, so just install the application and log in to the account - all chats will be downloaded automatically. Viber also allows you to create a backup to Google Drive, which you need to activate in the application settings before switching to a new phone.

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WhatsApp history is only restored when you first install the app, and if you have activated WhatsApp without restoring it, you will have to delete the app and re-insert it.

Photos and videos from chats are better transferred separately through Mi Mover or gallery synchronization, so as not to take up space in the cloud storage of the messenger.

Problem Solving and FAQ

Even if you follow all the instructions, users may encounter technical difficulties, most often problems are related to incompatibility of Android versions, lack of space or network errors. Below are answers to frequently asked questions that will help troubleshoot the problems.

When you finish the process, don't rush to reset your old phone to factory settings. Use the new device for a couple of days to make sure all data is in place and synchronization is successful. Only then can you safely clear the memory of the old gadget.