Changing your smartphone is always a little stressful, with the risk of losing important information. However, if you stay in the Xiaomi ecosystem, the migration process is greatly simplified by built-in tools. You donβt have to manually rewrite phone numbers or search for application installation files, as MIUI offers a powerful solution for cloning the device.
In this article, we will discuss in detail how to transfer all the necessary information from Xiaomi to Xiaomi using the official Mi Mover application. This method is the most reliable and fast, allowing you to save the structure of folders, passwords from Wi-Fi and even the location of icons on the desktop. Modern data compression algorithms allow you to complete the process even with a large amount of files in minutes.
Before you start, make sure that both devices are charged at least 50% to avoid a sudden shutdown at a critical moment. Also check for free space on the new device, which should exceed the amount of data transferred. Direct Wi-Fi Direct connection provides transfer speeds of up to 40 MB / s, which is several times faster than Bluetooth.
Preparing devices for data migration
Successful transfer of information depends on the correct preparation of both smartphones. On the old device, you need to free up some RAM, closing the background applications so that the system can easily start the archiving process. On the new phone, if it was already in use, it is recommended to reset to the factory to avoid conflicts of application versions and duplicate files.
Both smartphones must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network or have wireless modules enabled to create a direct access point. In some cases, antivirus programs or aggressive energy saving settings can block the connection, so temporarily turn them off. Make sure that geolocation is enabled on both devices, as this is an Android security requirement for file transfer protocols to work.
- π± Charge both smartphones to at least 60% or connect them to a power source.
- πΆ Turn off the mobile internet (3G/4G/5G), Only the Wi-Fi module is active.
- π Unlock the screens of both devices and allow all file access requests.
- π Free up a new smartphone space that exceeds the data volume of the old device 10-15%.
β οΈ Note: If your older smartphone has a large number of system updates that are not yet installed, it is better to update before transferring. MIUI and prevent errors when restoring system settings.
It is important to understand that some system applications may not migrate if the operating system versions on devices are critically different. For example, switching from Android 10 to Android 14 may require manual configuration of some Google services. However, user-generated content such as photos, videos and documents will be copied completely regardless of the software version.
βοΈ Ready for transfer
Use of the Mi Mover app
The main tool for migration is the built-in Mi Mover app, which is pre-installed on all of the company's modern smartphones, and can be found in the Tools folder or through a search in the settings by entering the program name. If for some reason the app is removed, it can be downloaded for free from the GetApps store or Google Play, but it is always present on stock firmware.
When you run the app on your old phone, select the role of Sender and the new one, Receiver. QR-A code that appears on the screen of the receiving device, or you can select a connection through a password. Once the connection is established, the devices will create a secure transmission channel isolated from the external network.
In the data selection phase, you'll see a detailed category tree where you can deselect unnecessary files. The system allows you to select specific folders in the gallery, individual chats in messengers, or only system settings. This is especially convenient if you want to clean your smartphone of garbage before moving to a new device without carrying old cached data.
What if Mi Mover doesnβt find the device?
The copying process can take anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours depending on the amount of data, which is not recommended to be interrupted, as it can damage the archive, but modern versions of the Mi Mover can resume transmission after a short-term communication break, which reduces the risks of unstable signals.
- π Click βSendβ on the old and βGetβ on the new device to start.
- πΈ Scan it. QR-camera code of a new smartphone for pairing.
- β Select data categories: Contacts, Messages, Call Log, Applications.
- β³ Expect the process to be completed without switching to other applications.
| Type of data | Transmission speed | Demands the Internet. | It keeps the structure. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contacts and SMS | Instantly. | No. | Yes. |
| Photos and videos | High (up to 40 MB/s) | No. | Yeah (dads) |
| Annexes (APK) | Medium | No (files only) | Partially (requires entrance) |
| System settings | Instantly. | No. | Yes. |
Transfer via Mi Cloud and Google Account
An alternative and often more convenient way is to use cloud services, synced via Mi Cloud, allowing you to save contacts, notes, voice recordings and calendars in the cloud, and then automatically upload them to a new phone when you log in to the same account, ideal if the old smartphone is already unavailable or damaged.
For multimedia files and app backups, it is better to use Google One. When you first set up a new Xiaomi, just enter your Google account, and the system will suggest restoring data from the last backup. This includes call history, SMS, list of installed applications and their data, unless the developer has banned the backup.
It is important to note that recovery from the cloud requires a stable and preferably fast Internet connection. If you have a tariffed traffic, connect to the Wi-Fi network before you start downloading to avoid unnecessary costs. Google's free storage is 15 GB, which may not be enough to make a full copy of the system, so it's worth choosing only important data.
β οΈ Note: When you recover from Google Drive, passwords from Wi-Fi networks and some apps may not be saved due to Android security policies, unlike Mi Mover, which copies them directly.
The combined approach often produces the best result: system settings and contacts are synchronized through the cloud, and heavy files (photos, videos, music) are transferred locally via a computer or cable, which allows you to avoid wasting time downloading gigabytes of media content over the Internet.
π‘
Use the Advanced Sync feature in Mi Cloud to automatically upload new photos to the cloud immediately after shooting, which will create an additional copy of your memories on the server.
Working with WhatsApp, Viber and messengers
Special attention should be paid to transferring correspondence in messengers, as they often store data in isolated storage. For WhatsApp, the portability mechanism built into Xiaomi works well, but requires certain conditions. Before launching Mi Mover, make sure that the WhatsApp settings on the old phone have a fresh backup.
In Viber, the situation is similar: the application will offer to save the message history to the cloud or locally when you first start on a new device. If you use Mi Mover, the chat data will be transferred along with the application itself, but the login to the account will still need to be confirmed via SMS. This is the standard security procedure for all messengers.
Telegram works differently, because it stores all the history of correspondence on its servers. You just need to install the application and log in to your account - all chats, channels and files (except cache) will be downloaded automatically. Secret chats in Telegram are not portable and remain only on the old device, which is a feature of their encryption.
- π¬ Make a manual backup on WhatsApp: Settings β chat β Backup copy.
- π Prepare. SIM-receptionist SMS-confirmation code on the new phone.
- π Check the way to save media files in the settings of messengers.
- π After transfer, open the messenger and wait for full synchronization.
Some banking applications and secure corporate customers may require re-assignment or biometric resetting, which is a normal security response to hardware change, and remember online bank passwords beforehand to avoid blocking account access.
π‘
End-to-end encrypted messengers (Signal, Secret Chats in Telegram) are not transferred through the cloud or Mi Mover for security reasons, their history remains on the old device.
Computer and cable transfer
If wireless methods seem unreliable or too slow, you can always use the "old-fashioned" way of connecting to a PC. USB-cable, select file transfer mode (MTP) and copy the folders. DCIM, Pictures, Download and Music on hard drive.
Then, connect the new Xiaomi and move the stored data to the appropriate directories, which guarantees 100% file integrity and is independent of Wi-Fi speed or battery charging, and you can simultaneously audit files and remove unnecessary debris that would not be worth transferring to the new device.
For more advanced users, it is possible to create a full backup through ADB debugging tools, but this requires drivers and certain technical knowledge.
adb backup -apk -shared -all -system -f backup.abRemember that when copying through the computer, you do not transfer system settings, alarm clocks and location of widgets, this method is suitable only for saving personal media library and documents. After transferring files, it is recommended to check their openability on a new smartphone.
β οΈ Note: When you copy an Android folder through your computer on newer versions of Android (11 and above), access to some system subfolders may be limited.
Possible problems and solutions
Migrating can cause unforeseen complications, such as a process freeze or integrity check error, most often due to an unstable connection or memory deficit. If the transfer is interrupted, try restarting both devices and starting the process anew, selecting only the data that was not copied.
Sometimes users are faced with the fact that the applications are migrated, but do not open or fly out. In this case, you need to go to Settings β Apps β All applications, find the problematic application and select Clear Data or reinstall it from the GetApps store. Conflicts of versions of the Android System WebView libraries can also cause crashes.
If the contacts are not portable, check where they are saved on the old phone. SIM-The best practice is to store contacts in a Google or Mi Account account, which eliminates their loss when changing devices.
- π Restart both smartphones if the process is stuck in step 99%.
- π Reduce the number of files transferred by breaking them into groups.
- π Use original cables and chargers.
- π‘οΈ Temporarily disable antivirus software on both devices.
In rare cases, the problem lies in the damage to the file system of an old phone. Before buying a new device, it is worth checking the old smartphone for broken sectors or disk errors.