Xiaomi to Xiaomi data port to MIUI 12: full guide

Buying a new smartphone is always a joyful experience, especially when it belongs to the Xiaomi ecosystem, but the challenge is to move all the information from the old gadget as quickly and without loss. MIUI 12 owners can use built-in tools that make migration much easier.

Modern Android shells offer several proven ways to sync, but it is a bunch of two devices from the same manufacturer that allows you to copy even the location of icons on the desktop. In this article, we will discuss all the available methods in detail so that you can choose the most convenient for your situation.

It is important to understand that before starting any manipulations, you need to make sure that both devices are stable: the battery charge on each smartphone should be at least 50-60% so that the process does not stop in the middle due to a sudden power outage.

Using the Mi Mover app for quick migration

The most efficient and quickest way to transfer information is to use the Mi Mover app, which is pre-installed on all modern Xiaomi smartphones with a MIUI 12 shell and above, and allows you to transfer contacts, messages, call history, photos, music, videos, documents and even installed applications.

The process starts with running the app on both devices, and on the old smartphone, you have to select the role of "Sender" and on the new one, "Receiver." QR-The data transfer will start, with code or manual Wi-Fi connections from the new phone, and the speed may vary, but it is much faster than using cloud services.

⚠️ Note: While Mi Mover is running, device screens may go out, but interrupting the process or switching to other applications is not recommended to avoid errors in the transmission protocol.

A unique feature of MIUI is the ability to clone system settings, which means that the new phone will behave almost identical to the old one, retaining your familiar usage patterns.

It’s worth noting that the app automatically sorts data into categories, allowing the user to choose what to move, for example, you can opt out of transferring heavy video files if space is limited on the new device, but save all important documents.

Sync with Mi Cloud and Google account

The Xiaomi ecosystem is deeply integrated with its own Mi Cloud service, which allows you to store backups of contacts, notes, voice recordings and screenshots. To activate this feature, you need to log into your Mi Account in your system settings.

In parallel, the standard Android mechanism through Google Account also continues to work flawlessly. When you first set up a new smartphone, just enter the username and password from Google so that the phone independently pulls up the contact list, calendar events and list of previously installed apps from Google Play.

• 📱 Mi Cloud: Ideal for saving system settings, desktop layouts and shell-specific data MIUI.
• ☁️ Google One: The Best Choice for High Quality Photo Backup and Data from Most Third-Party Apps.
• 🔄 Hybrid method: Using both services simultaneously ensures maximum reliability of data security.

It’s important to keep in mind the limits of free storage. Mi Cloud provides 5GB of free space, which may not be enough for a full media backup, in which case it makes sense to purchase an extended subscription or use the cloud selectively, choosing only critical data.

After logging into the account on the new device, the system will prompt you to restore data from the last available backup, and the user can choose a specific backup date if several have been created.

Manual file transfer via USB and PC

For users who are used to having full control over their files, or if you need to transfer terabytes of data, the best solution is to use a personal computer. USB-cable and free space on the hard disk of the PC.

Connect your old smartphone to your computer and select the MTP file transfer mode in notifications. Copy the required folders, such as DCIM (photo and video), Music, Download and Documents, into a separate folder on your computer. Then repeat the procedure with the new phone, copying the data in reverse order.

When you manually copy, it’s important to keep the folder structure in mind, especially if you want some apps to see files right after installation, such as music players often scan standard media directories.

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Use a USB 3.0 cable and a USB 3.0 port on your computer for maximum speeds for transferring large amounts of data. Older standards can significantly slow down the process.

Also, be sure to check hidden folders like.thumbnails, although it usually doesn’t make sense to copy them, as they will be recreated on a new device. Android/data, where many applications store their cache and offline cards.

Transfer of messages and call history

One of the most delicate tasks is to preserve the history of SMS correspondence and call logs. Standard Android tools are not always willing to share this information between different devices without using special utilities.

In MIUI 12, Mi Mover takes over this function by copying SMS and MMS along with attachments, which allows you to save important confirmation codes, if they are still relevant, or sentimental correspondence. However, if you use third-party messengers, the situation may be different.

For instant messengers like WhatsApp, Viber or Telegram, you need to use their built-in backup features. In chat settings, select “Backup” and save it to Google Drive. When you install the app on a new phone and log in to the same account, the system will prompt you to restore your correspondence history.

⚠️ Note: Messenger backups are linked to a cloud storage account. Make sure you are logged in to the same Google account you used to create the backup on the new phone.

In some cases, especially when switching from very old versions. MIUI, It may be necessary to use the application SMS Backup and Restore. It creates. XML-a file with all messages, which can then be forwarded via Bluetooth or USB and restore it to a new device.

Transfer of applications and their data

Today's apps store vast amounts of data: game progress, offline maps of navigators, social media cache, and just copying the APK installation file is not enough — the data will remain on the old phone.

When using Mi Mover or restoring from Google backup, applications will install automatically, but their internal data (logins, saves) may not be transferred if the developer has not provided synchronization through their server, in which case logging into an account within each application is required.

• 🎮 Check if progress is tied to Google Play Games or Mi Account to keep your achievements from being lost.
• 🏦 Banking applications: Re-authorization and possibly re-binding of the device in the bank’s security system will be required.
• 📸 Photo Editors: Presets and settings are often stored locally, need to be exported separately or synchronized through a developer account.

For some Xiaomi system applications, such as Themes or Security, settings can only be moved completely if both devices run on the same MIUI version.

It is also worth paying attention to two-factor authentication applications, such as Google Authenticator, whose data is not automatically transferred for security purposes, and you need to export accounts in advance through the “Account Transfer” function inside the authenticator application itself.

Possible problems and solutions

Even when using official tools, errors can occur, and most often users experience a Wi-Fi Direct connection interruption when using Mi Mover, in which case it is recommended to disable Smart Network Switching in the Wi-Fi settings on both devices.

Another common problem is the lack of space on the new device. Before you start migrating, always check the available amount of memory. If the data does not fit, the application will suggest choosing what to move as a priority.

In rare cases, a broken backup may occur. If the recovery is flawed, try creating a new backup on your old device by clearing the cache of system services before you start the procedure.

⚠️ Warning: If the new phone is slow after data transfer, give it time.The system indexes files and optimizes applications in the background in the first hours after the migration.

Don't panic if some widgets or shortcuts are "gotten." On MIUI 12, this is often solved by simply applying the "Classic" theme followed by a return to your main theme, which reboots the desktop configuration.

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The key to successful transfer is to use one method for each data type and verify the integrity of the files immediately after the procedure is completed.