Buying a new smartphone is always a joyous event, but it is often overshadowed by the need to transfer information from an old device. Xiaomi device owners can breathe a sigh of relief, as the MIUI and HyperOS ecosystem offers powerful built-in tools for migration.
The process of copying information has become as automated and safe as possible, and whether you are switching from Android, iOS or another Xiaomi, the system will offer the optimal way to solve the problem, the main thing is to know which tools to use and how to properly prepare both gadgets for the procedure.
In this article, we will take a look at all the portability options, from using the Mi Mover app to working with cloud services. You will learn about the nuances of saving passwords, settings, and even the location of icons on your desktop. Proper preparation ensures that you start using a new phone immediately, rather than spending hours setting up.
Preparing devices for data migration
Before you start the copying process, you have to do a series of preparatory steps, which is a critical step that is often ignored and then surprised by the interruption of the transmission or errors. First, check the battery power on both devices, preferably a charge level of at least 50-60% on each of them, or connect them to a power source.
The second important step is to ensure a stable connection. If you plan to use the wireless method, make sure that both smartphones are in close proximity to each other. the distance should not exceed 1-2 meters so that the Wi-Fi Direct signal is not interrupted due to interference.
It’s also worth freeing up space on a new device. While the system usually warns of a memory shortage, it’s best to make sure that the amount of free space on Xiaomi exceeds the amount of data you plan to transfer, not only for photos, but also for app cache.
⚠️ Warning: Do not start the transfer process if the new phone is running heavy games or background downloads.This can cause overheating and slow down the Wi-Fi module, which will cause a failure when transferring large files.
Make sure that both devices are Bluetooth enabled and file transfer is allowed. Some firmware versions require permission to access geolocation to activate the transfer mode, since scanning of nearby devices is tied to location services.
Using the Mi Mover app for Android
The most efficient and quickest way to transfer between Android smartphones is the Mi Mover app, which is already pre-installed in MIUI and HyperOS, so you only need to download it separately to an old phone if it has a clean Android or other shell.
Run the app on both devices. On the new Xiaomi smartphone, select I'm a recipient and on the old one, I'm a sender, and the system automatically creates a Wi-Fi hotspot that the old device needs to connect to. The password is usually displayed on the screen or the connection is automatically via QR-code.
☑️ Check before launching the Mi Mover
Once you connect, the interfaces sync up, and you'll see a list of categories to transfer, so you can choose everything, or you can specify specific data types, and you can look at the System Data section, where you store the settings of alarm clocks, alarm clocks, and even wallpaper.
The speed of transmission depends on the volume of data and the version of Wi-Fi modules. When transferring hundreds of gigabytes of photos, the process can take from 30 minutes to several hours. It can not be interrupted categorically, it can damage the file system.
What if the Mi Mover can’t see the device?
Transferring data from iPhone to Xiaomi
iOS owners also don’t have to worry about losing data when they change platforms, the Mi Mover app is available on the App Store, making the transition as smooth as possible, but it has its own technical limitations due to the closedness of the Apple ecosystem.
The process starts similarly: installing an app on an iPhone, selecting a sender role, and scanning. QR-Once you've established the connection, you'll be asked to select data types. Unfortunately, you can't transfer everything: contacts, photos, videos, notes and calendar events are copied without any problems.
Apps from the App Store cannot be ported directly because they are not compatible with Android.The system will offer to find their counterparts in Google Play or GetApps, but the data inside these applications (game progress, settings) will only be saved if they support sync through the cloud or the developer account.
| Type of data | Transfer status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Complete. | Numbers and names retained |
| Photos and videos | Complete. | Metadata (record date) is retained |
| Messages (SMS) | Partial | Depends on the iOS version |
| Annexes | Not supported | We need to download it again. |
| Music. | Complete. | Local files only |
Video formats popular on iPhones (such as HEVC or ProRes) may not play with a standard Xiaomi player without installing additional codecs, although the files will be intact.
Sync with Mi Cloud and Google Account
Cloud technology allows you to move data without having to connect your phones directly, which is ideal if your old smartphone is broken, lost or simply unavailable right now, with Google Account and Mi Cloud being the main tools.
When you first set up a new Xiaomi, it will prompt you to log in to your Google account. If your old device has enabled synchronization of contacts, calendar and notes, they will automatically appear in the relevant applications after you log in, which is a basic migration layer that works seamlessly.
For deeper sync, use Mi Cloud. Go to the settings on your old phone (if it's also Xiaomi), select the "Mi Account" section and activate the synchronization of the desired data. On the new device, just log in to the same Mi Account.
The advantage of the cloud is that it doesn't require both devices at the same time, so you can buy a phone today, but you can transfer data from the old one that's at home tomorrow, but the speed depends on the speed of your Internet connection.
⚠️ Warning: Free space in Mi Cloud is limited (usually 5 GB). If you have a lot of high-resolution photos, there may not be enough space.
Don't forget Google Photos. If you have this program installed on your old phone and you have autoloaded, all your photos are already in the cloud. Just install the app on your new Xiaomi and log in.
Transfer of WhatsApp messages and messengers
A separate and often the most painful topic is transferring your correspondence history to WhatsApp, Viber and Telegram, which are apps that store data locally or in their clouds, and standard file copying methods here may not work properly.
For Telegram and Viber (partially), everything is simple: the history is stored on servers, just install the application, enter the phone number and confirmation code, all chats (except secret ones in Telegram) will be downloaded automatically.
WhatsApp is more complicated. When you move from Android to Android inside the Xiaomi ecosystem, the Mi Mover app can often migrate WhatsApp data, and if not, use the built-in backup feature.
On your old phone, go to Settings → Chats → Chat backup. Create a copy in Google Drive. On your new phone, WhatsApp will offer you to recover data from the cloud when you first install it. It's important to use the same Google account.
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When you port WhatsApp, make sure that the new phone uses the same phone number and Google Drive (or iCloud) account as the old one. Otherwise, it will not be possible to restore from the backup.
If you are switching from iPhone to Android, WhatsApp offers an official migration tool when you initially set up your phone (via the Lightning-USB-C cable).If the phone is already set up, you will have to do a full data reset or use third-party paid utilities on your PC.
Working with the file system and hidden folders
After the main transfer, it is worth checking the file system. Some applications create their folders at the root of the internal drive, which are not always copied by standard means, such as Download folders, DCIM folders (if not synchronized), and specific application directories.
Use Xiaomi's File Manager, which allows you to sort files by type and date. Pay special attention to the Android/data folder where some programs (such as messengers or navigators) fold cache of cards and media files.
In newer versions of Android (11 and above), access to the Android/data folder is restricted to third-party applications. However, Xiaomi's file manager system usually has the necessary rights. If you transfer files manually through a PC, be sure to copy the contents of this folder if there is important data there.
Also check the Bluetooth folder, which often includes files obtained through the blue tooth, which is a blind spot that even experienced users forget.
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Manually checking Download, DCIM and Bluetooth folders after automatically transferring will help you find files that may have been lost during automatic migration.