How to Transfer Settings from One Xiaomi Phone to Another: The Complete 2026 Guide

Why data transfer between Xiaomi requires a special approach

The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but the joy of updating the gadget is often overshadowed by the need to transfer data. Unlike the iPhone, where everything is synchronized through iCloud, or universal solutions like Samsung Smart Switch, Xiaomi has its own nuances. It’s not only the MIUI branded shell, but also the peculiarities of working with Chinese accounts, restrictions on some models for global firmware, and also the pitfalls when transferring between devices with different versions of Android.

Many users find that standard methods (for example, through Google Account) do not tolerate MIUI settings, design themes, data from Xiaomi applications (for example, Mi Fit or Mi Home). And trying to use third-party utilities like ShareIt or Xender often ends up losing some data or compatibility errors. In this article, we will analyze 5 proven methods of transfer — from official Xiaomi tools to little-known life hacks that work even on locked bootloaders.

Method 1: Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s official migration tool

Mi Mover is an MIUI-built application designed specifically for data transfer between Xiaomi devices, which supports contact, message, photo, video, audio, apps (including their data), call records, and even some system settings, with the main advantage of not requiring an internet connection, as data is transmitted directly over Wi-Fi Direct.

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

• 📱 On your old phone: Open Settings → The phone. → Data Transfer (Mi Mover).
• 🆕 On a new phone: when you first turn on, select the “Data Transfer” option or find Settings → Additionally. → Data portability.
• 🔗 On the old phone, press "I give" and on the new phone, "I receive." Confirm the connection via QR-code.
• 📤 Select data types to transfer (you can choose all or only the desired categories).
• ⏳ Wait until the process is complete. Time depends on the amount of data (from 5 minutes to an hour).

Charging the battery of both phones > 50%|Both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (not necessarily, but speeds up the process)|There is plenty of free space on the new phone.|Disabled. VPN firewalls|Both phones are updated to the latest version. MIUI-->

⚠️ Note: If you have Xiaomi with global firmware (Global) ROM) and Chinese (China) ROM), Mi Mover may not work due to manufacturer restrictions, in which case use alternative methods in the following sections.

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If the Mi Mover is stuck in the transfer phase, try restarting the process by pre-enabled Do Not Disturb mode on both phones, which will prevent crashes due to incoming calls or notifications.

Method 2: Xiaomi Cloud – sync through the cloud

Xiaomi Cloud is a proprietary cloud storage that allows you to sync contacts, notes, photos, call records, SMS, MIUI settings and some system applications, and the advantage of this method is that you can transfer data remotely, without physical access to the old phone.

• 📁 Free tariff provides only 5 GB (this is enough for contacts and a part of the photo, but not for a full backup).
• 🔒 Some data (such as Wi-Fi passwords or Mi Home settings) are not synced.
• 🌍 For Chinese firmware (China) ROM) You may need to be linked to a Chinese phone number.

Instructions for transferring through Xiaomi Cloud:

1. On your old phone: Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Sync. Turn on sync for all the right categories.
2. Wait until the data is uploaded to the cloud (you can check the progress in the Mi Cloud → Storage section).
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Xiaomi account and enable sync in Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
4. Select categories to recover (e.g. Contacts or Photos).

Xiaomi Cloud|Mi Mover|Google Account|Third-party apps (ShareIt, Xender)| Manual transfer via computer-->

⚠️ Note: If you use Xiaomi Cloud to transfer photos, note that they are saved in compressed format.

Method 3: Google Account – Universal but Incomplete Transfer

Syncing through Google Account is the most versatile way, as it works on any Android device, including Xiaomi. However, it does not carry everything: it is mainly contacts, calendars, mail, Chrome bookmarks, some application settings and data from Google Play. This is not enough to fully port, but in combination with other methods (for example, Google Photos for media files) can cover basic needs.

How to set up synchronization:

• 🔄 On an old phone: Settings → Accounts. → Google → Sync your account. Enable all the options you need.
• 📱 On a new phone: When you first start, log in to the same Google account and enable sync.
• 🔙 To recover applications: Open Google Play, go to the Library → Installed and press "Restore».

The main disadvantage of this method is not tolerated:

• 📞 Call log and SMS.
• 🎨 Settings MIUI (themes, wallpaper, sounds).
• 🔐 Wi-Fi passwords.
• 📁 Third-party application data (e.g. saves in games).

Method 4: Manual transfer via computer (for advanced users)

If you need to migrate all the data without exception, including hidden settings files, the best way to do this is to manually copy it over a PC, which takes longer, but guarantees 100% control over the process.

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows, macOS or Linux.
• 🔌 USB-cables (preferably original).
• 📂 Backup software (e.g., Mi) PC suite ADB).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old phone to your PC in File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Copy the following folders from internal memory: DCIM (Photos and videos) Download (downloads) Pictures (images from apps) Miui (theme and wallpaper settings) Android/data (Application data, root rights are required)
3. To transfer SMS and call logs, use ADB: adb backup -f sms.ab -apk -obb -shared -all -system adb restore sms.ab
4. Connect a new phone and transfer the copied data to the same folders.
5. To recover applications, export the list through Mi PC Suite or adb shell pm list packages > apps.txt.

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Manual transfer over PC is the only way to save data from applications that don’t support cloud sync (such as some banking apps or games with local saves).

⚠️ Note: When copying a folder Android/data You will only see a portion of the files without root rights. Full access requires unlocking the bootloader and obtaining superuser rights, which will void the warranty on some Xiaomi models.

Method 5: Third-party applications – when nothing helps

If the official methods do not work (for example, due to different versions of MIUI or blocked bootloader), you can use third-party utilities.

• 📲 Xender is Wi-Fi, with no limits on volume, SMS, applications, media files.
• 🔄 Clone Phone (from Huawei, but it also works on Xiaomi) – even transfers Wi-Fi settings and wallpaper.
• 🖥️ MobileTrans (paid) – clones WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram with message history.
• 🔗 Send Anywhere – generation of one-time links for transferring large files.

How to use Xender:

1. Install the app on both phones from Google Play or APKMirror (if Play Market is not available).
2. On the old phone, select “Send” and on the new one, “Get”.
3. Connect to a single Wi-Fi network or create an access point.
4. Select files to transfer and confirm the transfer.

⚠️ Warning: When using third-party applications, never transmit data over public Wi-Fi networks (such as cafes or airports).This can lead to personal information leakage. Always use a mobile hotspot or home network.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even when using official Xiaomi tools, users are facing problems, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:

• 🚫 Mi Mover can't find the device: Check if Wi-Fi Direct is on on both phones. VPN Reboot both devices.
• ❌ Xiaomi Cloud does not sync data: Make sure there is enough space on your account (only 5GB is free). VPN).
• 🔄 Apps don't recover via Google Play: Check that the new phone has the same region on Google Play.Some apps may not be compatible with the new version of Android.

If none of these methods worked, try resetting the new phone to factory settings and repeating the transfer from the clean system, sometimes because of pre-installed updates or third-party apps.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions