How to transfer all data from Xiaomi to Xiaomi: a step-by-step guide

Buying a new smartphone is always accompanied by a pleasant excitement, but also the inevitable question of the migration of digital baggage. Xiaomi ecosystem owners are more fortunate than others, as the company has developed a native and extremely effective tool for this purpose.

The process of cloning the system has become so automated that even an inexperienced user can cope with the task in 15-20 minutes, the main thing is to prepare both devices correctly and choose the right method of transmission. Below we will discuss in detail all the available methods, from cloud synchronization to direct Wi-Fi connection, and also consider the nuances of password transfer and application settings.

Before you start, make sure both smartphones are at least 50 percent charged. Power stability is critical, as the process can take a long time with a large amount of data. Interrupting transmission at the final stage sometimes leads to errors in the contact database or loss of media files.

Preparing devices for data migration

Successful transfer of information begins long before you hit the Start button. On the old device, you need to audit the content. Delete unnecessary screenshots, duplicate photos and messenger cache, which inflates the amount of data transferred without benefit, this will speed up the process and free up space on the new gadget.

Both smartphones must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network, or better yet, one can act as an access point. The regular Mi Mover tool does not require Internet access, it creates a local network between devices, but to verify the versions of MIUI or HyperOS, you still need a connection to the global network.

It is important to check for system updates. Often new migration features are added with security patches or major shell updates. Go to Settings → About phone and click on the MIUI version to check the relevance of the software. If a new phone has a more recent version of Android installed, old backups may not properly deploy without an update.

⚠️ Note: Do not try to migrate data if the old phone has custom firmware or superuser (Root) rights installed. In such cases, standard tools may not work correctly or deny access to system folders.

Using the Mi Mover application for direct transmission

The fastest and most reliable way is to use the built-in Mi Mover app, which is pre-installed on all of the brand's smartphones today, and if you've removed it for some reason, you can download it from GetApps, and it's based on a secure communication channel between the two devices.

Run the app on both devices. On the new device, select "I'm the recipient" and on the old one, "I'm the sender." QR-code or connect via Bluetooth to pair. Once you have established the connection, you will see a list of data categories available for copying.

The interface allows you to flexibly customize the sample, so you can eliminate heavy video or system logs, leaving only contacts, messages and settings, which is especially useful if the internal memory on the receiving device is smaller than on the original device.

Transfer speeds depend on supported Wi-Fi standards. If both phones support 5GHz, the process will go much faster. The bandwidth of the channel directly affects latency, especially when transferring gigabytes of high-resolution photos.

💡

Mi Mover is the only method that allows you to transfer not only files, but also the placement of icons on the desktop, as well as passwords from Wi-Fi networks.

Sync with Mi Cloud and Google Account

Cloud technology offers an alternative scenario that is convenient because it doesn’t require both devices to be physically present at the same time: Mi Cloud is deeply integrated into the shell and allows you to save contacts, notes, voice recordings and even screenshots.

To activate, go to your account settings and enable synchronization of the desired categories, the data will be uploaded to the company's servers, on a new phone, just log into the same account, and the information will "fly" automatically, which is ideal for a gradual transition or if the old phone is already sold or lost.

Google Account takes over another piece of data: it stores call history, SMS (in newer versions of Android), list of installed apps and their data. When the new smartphone is first activated, Xiaomi will offer to restore a backup from Google Drive.

The free storage capacity of the Mi Cloud is only 5GB, which is quickly filled with high-resolution photos. For large amounts of data, the cloud method will require subscriptions or selective synchronization of only important documents.

Manual transfer of multimedia and documents

Sometimes automatic systems fail or the user wants to maintain full control over the file structure, in which case the classic connection to the computer helps. Connect the old phone with a USB cable, select file transfer mode (MTP), and copy the DCIM, Picture, Download and Documents folders to the hard drive of the PC.

Then plug in the new smartphone and transfer the data to the appropriate directories, which is good for its versatility: it doesn't depend on Android or MIUI versions. However, it won't tolerate app settings, logins and saves in games.

To transfer without a computer, you can use the Wi-Fi sharing feature in a standard Explorer. Open the file manager, select files, click Send and select the device from the list of nearby ones. The speed will be comparable to Mi Mover, but the choice of categories will be less detailed.

Note hidden folders. Some applications create directories that start with a dot (like.whatsapp) that are hidden by default from the user's eyes. To move them, you need to activate the hidden file display in the Explorer settings.

⚠️ Note: When manually copying messenger folders (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber), make sure that you copy not only media files, but also databases, otherwise the correspondence history may not recover after installing applications on a new phone.

Nuances of application and data portability

The hardest part of migration is apps. APK-Files and data via Mi Mover, most programs will open immediately with the data entered previously.However, banking applications and programs with a high degree of protection may require re-authorization or customization of biometrics.

Pay special attention to two-factor authentication. If you use Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator, be sure to export codes or move them through the cloud of these services before resetting your old phone, otherwise you risk losing access to accounts forever.

Apps that are not installed from official stores (sideload), may not be ported correctly if the new device has a stricter security policy Android. APK-files, pre-allowing installation from unknown sources in the Settings menu → Protection of confidentiality → Special rights of access.

💡

Banking applications often require a device anchor reset.Make sure in advance that you have access to a phone number to receive SMS-confirmation codes on the new device.

Some heavy games store cache (OBB files) in separate folders. Even if the application itself is transferred, you may need to pump resources.

Solving the problems of cloning

Users often experience a situation where the process is stuck in the "Data Analysis" phase, usually due to the presence of corrupted files in the gallery or a huge number of small logs in the system folders, in which case it helps to restart both devices before trying again.

Another problem is the incompatibility of Android versions: When you move from a very old version (like Android 8) to the latest version (Android 14), some old database formats may not read, which helps to intermediately update the old phone to the maximum possible version before transferring.

If the new phone is already in use and has data on it, the system will suggest that you delete it or (mix it up), and be careful: the unification function can create duplicate contacts that will take a long time to manually clean.