How to transfer data to the new Xiaomi: full instructions

Buying a new smartphone always brings mixed feelings: the joy of owning a fresh gadget and a slight panic over the need to transfer information. Xiaomi ecosystem owners are more fortunate than users of many other brands thanks to the built-in Mi Mover tool. This system component allows you to create an exact copy of the old device on a new one in just a few clicks, bypassing complex cloud storage settings or manually pumping files.

The migration process has become much easier with the release of MIUI 12 shells and later, where synchronization algorithms are more stable. You don't need to be a technician to do this correctly. The main thing is to understand the logic of the system and prepare both devices for the transfer of large amounts of information.

In this article, we will discuss all the stages of the transfer, consider possible errors and ways to fix them, and discuss the nuances of the transition from iOS and Android from other manufacturers.

Preparing devices for data migration

Before you start any action, you need to make sure that both smartphones are ready to work. First of all, check the battery level on both devices. The optimal indicator is a charge above 50%, although it is better to connect both devices to a power source or make sure that they are fully charged.

The second important step is connecting to a Wi-Fi network. While the Mi Mover can work through a direct Wi-Fi connection between phones, having stable internet on an old device will help to quickly update the portability tool itself if needed.

⚠️ Warning: Do not interrupt the data transfer process, even if it seems that it is stalled. Interrupting during the copying phase of system settings can lead to incorrect operation of the new smartphone.

Also, free up space on the new device. Although the system usually calculates the amount of space it needs, having 120% of the data space of the old phone ensures that it runs smoothly, delete temporary files or unnecessary downloads if the memory is full.

Use of the Mi Mover app

The main tool for migration is the built-in Mi Mover app. On the new Xiaomi smartphone, it is already preinstalled and located in the Tools folder or in the settings menu. If you can't find it, just search by settings by entering the utility name.

Run the app on both devices. The interface is as simple as possible and offers you to choose the role of each phone. On the old smartphone, click the "I send" button and on the new one, "I receive" button, which will start the device search engine.

The system will then offer scanning. QR-You can point the camera of the old phone at the code that's displayed on the screen of the new one, and after a successful scan, the devices will create a secure direct connection, and the transmission speed is much faster than using Bluetooth.

Once you connect, you'll see a list of data categories that you can transfer, and you can choose what you want to copy: contacts, messages, call history, photos, music, videos, installed apps, and even desktop layouts, and selective transfer allows you to avoid dragging digital debris from your old device.

Transferring data from Android to other brands

If your previous smartphone was released under the Samsung, Huawei, Honor or Realme brands, the procedure will look similar but require pre-installing the app. On non-Xiaomi devices, the Mi Mover app is often absent from the standard build.

You will need to download the installation file (APK) Mi Mover apps on an old phone, and you can do this through a browser, go to the official support site or use it. QR-code that appears on the screen of the new Xiaomi when you start the data reception function. After installation, launch the application and follow the instructions on the screen.

It’s worth noting that some system apps from the old phone’s maker (like the Galaxy Store or HiCloud) won’t be ported or will not work on the new device.

Migration from iPhone (iOS) to Xiaomi

The transition from the Apple ecosystem to Android has become much more comfortable thanks to improved compatibility. The Mi Mover app on iOS has limited functionality compared to the Android version, but the basic tasks perform perfectly. To get started, you need to download Mi Mover from the App Store on your iPhone.

The connection process is similar: select the role of the device, scan QR-However, the backup data will be smaller, you can move contacts, photos, videos and calendar events, iMessage messages and call history, unfortunately, are not migrated due to the closed iOS operating system.

Apps purchased from the App Store won’t install automatically, because Android uses the Google Play Store. You’ll have to re-discover and download the apps you need. Many popular services (Telegram, WhatsApp, Instagram) will require re-authorization.

⚠️ Note: When transferring photos from iPhone, make sure the format is HEIC It is supported or will be converted, in some cases, older versions. MIUI These files may not be displayed correctly without prior conversion.

To transfer WhatsApp messages from iPhone to Android requires the use of a special cable (Lightning to USB-C) and the presence of Android 12 or higher on the new device, or the use of a backup function in the messenger itself, if it supports cross-platform recovery.

Transferring WhatsApp and Viber messages

Mobile messaging is the most sensitive part of data for most users. The standard method of backing up to the cloud (Google Drive or iCloud) is often the most reliable way, but Mi Mover also offers its own solutions.

When selecting data to migrate to Mi Mover, be sure to tick the box against WhatsApp, and the system will prompt you to create a local backup on your old device and then restore it to a new one, which works faster than downloading from the cloud, especially with a large amount of media files.

For Viber, the situation is similar, but it's critical to remember the backup password. If you set backup encryption in Viber's settings on your old phone, you'll need to enter the same password on your new device, otherwise you won't be able to restore it.

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Backup WhatsApp in Google Drive manually before you start porting, which will create an additional restore point in case the local Mi Mover method fails.

After the transfer is completed and the first authorization in the messenger on the new phone, wait until the background download of media files ends. Depending on the speed of the Internet and the amount of history, this can take from 15 minutes to several hours.

Solving problems and mistakes

Despite the smoothness of the process, users may encounter difficulties, and one of the most common problems is a connection break in the middle of the process, which often happens when one of the phones is power-saving mode that aggressively strangles the background Wi-Fi processes.

If the transfer is stuck at a certain percentage (e.g. 99%), don't rush to restart the phones. Wait 10-15 minutes. The system can complete the final indexing of files. If the progress is not moving for more than 20 minutes, you will have to interrupt the process and try to select a smaller amount of data to transfer, breaking the operation into stages.

Another problem is the incompatibility of Android versions, where when you switch from a very old version (Android 6-7) to a new version (Android 13-14), some old file formats or settings may be ignored by the system for security reasons, in which case important documents should be transferred manually over USB or the cloud.

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

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Connection stability is more important than speed, and it's better to move data in multiple stages than risk damage to the file system due to a communication breakdown.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions