How to transfer data from your phone to Android Xiaomi: a step-by-step guide

Buying a new smartphone is always a joyous event, but often overshadowed by the prospect of a long and tedious migration of information. The owner of the device is faced with the question of how to transfer data from the phone to the Android phone so that not a single contact, photo or important document is lost. Fortunately, modern technology, especially in the ecosystem of MIUI and HyperOS, allows you to automate this process to a minimum of actions.

Unlike the old methods of manually copying files through a computer or using sophisticated third-party utilities, a couple of touches are now enough. Data synchronization has become the standard, and Xiaomi offers its own, very efficient solution called Mi Mover. However, there are alternative ways that may be more convenient depending on the specific model of the old device or version of the operating system.

In this article, we will take a look at all the migration options available, from official tools to cloud services, how to prepare devices, what nuances exist when switching from iOS, and how to avoid the typical errors that can lead to data loss. It is critical to understand that before starting any operations with the file system, you need to make sure that you have a battery charge of at least 50% on both devices.

Preparing devices for data migration

Before any transfer process can be started, basic training is required, not just a formality, but an important step in ensuring connection stability and transmission speed, and ignoring the preparatory steps can lead to communication failure at the most critical moment or to incorrect display of data on a new smartphone.

First of all, make sure that both devices are Wi-Fi enabled. Even if you plan to use a cable, a wireless module is often necessary for initial handshakes and authorization. Also check for free space on the new Xiaomi: the amount of memory available must exceed the amount of data transferred by at least 10-15% for the system to work properly.

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If you are switching from iOS, make sure that the iPhone has disabled the “Storage Optimization” feature for photos, otherwise the original images may not load completely.

An important aspect is system software updates: on the old device, it is worth checking for updates for Google Services, and on the new Xiaomi, you should update the Mi Mover app through the GetApps store or Google Play. This ensures the compatibility of transfer protocols and fixes known bugs.

• 🔋 Charge both smartphones to at least 60% or connect them to a power source.
• 📶 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network or enable an access point.
• 🧹 Clear the cache on your old phone to speed up the file scanning process.
• 🔒 Unlock the screens of both devices and allow access to files when requested.

Using the Mi Mover app for Android

The most efficient and quickest way to build a platform specifically for Xiaomi’s ecosystem is Mi Mover, which is built into the MIUI and HyperOS shell, but is also available for other Android smartphones, and the application’s algorithm is designed to minimize user involvement.

To get started, open the app on both devices. On the new Xiaomi, select Receiver and on the old one, Sender. The system automatically creates a secure Wi-Fi Direct local area network through which data will be transmitted. This mode is much faster than when transmitted via a router, and can reach 20-40 MB/s.

After connection by scanning QR-If you use a code or password, you'll be asked to choose data types to transfer. Mi Moover can transport contacts, messages, call logs, apps (including their data), photos, videos, music, and even alarm settings.

⚠️ Note: When you transfer applications from other Android devices, some banking programs or secure enterprise customers may require re-authorization for security reasons.

If there is an error in the process, try restarting the Wi-Fi modules on both phones, and it is also worth turning off the power saving mode on the old device, as it can limit the background activity of the network module, which will cause the connection to break when transferring large amounts of data.

Transferring data through Google Account

The classic method that works on any Android device is sync through a Google account, which is ideal for those who want to save their data in the cloud and have access to it from any device in the future, and is less dependent on physical proximity devices.

On your old phone, go to your Google account settings and make sure that you have your contacts, calendar, and app data synced. For backup photos and videos, the best option is to use the Google Photos app, which will create a full copy of your media files in the cloud.

When you first activate a new Xiaomi, you just need to enter the same username and password, and the system will prompt you to restore data from the last backup, you can choose which apps and settings to download, which is especially useful if the old phone has already been sold or lost, and the copy is left in the cloud.

It’s worth noting that Google doesn’t save passwords from Wi-Fi networks and some specific system settings unless they’re standard Android features, so after recovering from the cloud, you’ll probably have to re-enter passwords from some services.

Migration from iPhone (iOS) to Xiaomi

Moving from iOS to Android used to be a challenging quest, but now the Mi Mover app supports that platform, and you'll need to download the Mi Mover app from the App Store to your iPhone to get started, and it's based on creating a temporary hotspot.

Launch the app on Xiaomi and select the import option from iOS. QR-Scan it with your iPhone camera or through the Mi Mover app on iOS. Once you connect, you can choose what you want to transfer: contacts, photos, videos and calendar events.

It’s important to understand the limitations: apps purchased from the App Store can’t be migrated to Android, as they’re different ecosystems, you’ll have to re-download their analogues to Google Play, and alarm settings and some iOS system preferences don’t have direct analogues in MIUI.

• 📸 Photos and videos are transferred in original quality.
• 📞 Contacts are synced into Xiaomi phone book.
• 📅 Calendar events are imported into the standard appendix.
• 🎵 Music not protected DRM, will be copied to the media library.

Alternative methods: PCs and cloud storage

If wireless methods are unstable or the data is hundreds of gigabytes, it makes sense to use a wired connection. USB-Cable to computer allows you to use a file manager for manual sorting and copying.

To do this, connect your old phone to your PC, copy the DCIM, Download, Documents, and Music folders to your hard drive, then plug in the new Xiaomi and transfer those folders to the appropriate internal memory directories, which gives you complete control over the file structure.

Another option is to use third-party cloud storage, such as Yandex.Disk, Dropbox or Telegram (favorite). By uploading files to the cloud on one device, you can download them on another, which is convenient for transferring small amounts of data or individual documents.

⚠️ Note: When manually copied via PC, the folder structure may change. Make sure you copy files to the root of the respective media folders so that the Xiaomi gallery can see them.

Using a microSD card is also relevant if both smartphones support this format, and you can move the card from the old device to the new one, instantly accessing all media files, although apps and contacts cannot be moved that way.

Solving and eliminating errors

Even with automated tools, there can be failures, most often problems are related to an unstable Wi-Fi connection or a lack of memory. If the process hangs on a certain percentage, try interrupting it and starting over with fewer types of data to transmit.

A common problem is the absence of some apps after the transfer, which happens if the app is incompatible with the Android version on the new device or is not in the region of your Google Play account. APK-hand-file.

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If Mi Mover is permanently breaking the connection, try to turn off mobile internet (4G/5G) on both devices, leaving only Wi-Fi modules active.

Users may also find that after the transfer, contacts are displayed in duplicates, and to solve this problem, the Contacts app on Xiaomi has a built-in “Combine Duplicates” feature that automatically finds and merges duplicate entries.

In case of problems with authorization in banking applications after transfer, the safest way to remove the application and install it again from the official store, after going through the full procedure of registering the device with the bank.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)