How to Transfer All Data from One Android to Another Xiaomi

Changing a smartphone is always an exciting process, involving not only the joy of a new gadget, but also the need to transfer a huge amount of information. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices often face the question of how to move to a new platform as quickly and without loss, saving contacts, photos and app settings. Fortunately, modern technology allows you to perform this procedure in minutes, minimizing user participation.

There are several proven migration methods, each with different features and suits different use cases: you can choose cloud sync through your Google account, use Mi Mover, or manually copy files. Understanding the nuances of each method will help avoid common mistakes, such as losing your correspondence history or resetting system applications.

In this article, we will take a closer look at all the options available, with a focus on the specifics of the MIUI and HyperOS shells. We will look at how to properly prepare both devices, what file formats are supported during transfer, and what to do if the process is interrupted in the middle.

Preparation of devices before the migration

Before you start any data porting tool, you need to make sure that both smartphones are ready to go.The first step should always be to charge the batteries of both devices to a level of at least 60%. The process of transferring large amounts of data, especially over Wi-Fi Direct, is actively consuming energy, and discharging the phone at a critical moment can lead to file damage or the need to start the procedure again.

It is also worth checking the availability of space on the target Xiaomi device. The amount of memory available should exceed the size of the data you plan to transfer, with a margin of about 10-15% for the correct operation of the system. If the new phone already has some information installed, it is better to clean or make sure that there is enough space.

Don’t forget to update the system software on both devices to the latest available version. Manufacturers often release patches that improve connection stability and fix bugs in the work of embedded migration utilities. Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI (or OS Version) and check for updates.

⚠️ Note: If you use two-factor authentication on important services (banks, mail), make sure you have access to your phone number or backup codes, as you may need to reconfirm your login when changing your device.

Using the Mi Mover app for fast transfer

The most effective and native way to switch to Xiaomi devices is to use the pre-installed Mi Mover app. This tool is designed specifically for the brand ecosystem and allows you to transfer not only multimedia, but also system settings, the location of icons on the desktop, as well as data from some applications. For older Android smartphones, the application can be downloaded from Google Play, and on new Xiaomi it is already built into the system.

The process starts with running an app on both devices. On the new Xiaomi phone, select the role of “I am the recipient” (or “New Phone”), and on the old device, choose the role of “I am the sender.” The system will propose to create a Wi-Fi hotspot: the new phone will create a network that the old device will need to connect to through the application interface, which ensures high transfer speeds without using Internet traffic.

Once you have established the connection, you will be offered a choice of data categories to transfer. You can choose all at once or manually mark the desired items: contacts, messages, call logs, images, videos, audio files and installed applications. Particular attention should be paid to the item "System settings", which copies the passwords from Wi-Fi and interface configuration.

• 📱 Contacts and messages: Completely migrating, including investments in MMS and the history of correspondence in the standard application.
• 🖼️ Multimedia: Photos and videos save their metadata (EXIF), What is important for sorting by date in the gallery.
• ⚙️ System settings: Wallpaper, sounds, alarm settings and widget location are transferred.
• 📦 Annexes: Installed APK-files, but data within applications (logins, game progress) may not be saved if the application does not support cloud sync.

It's important to understand that the speed of transfer depends on the number of files and their size. Large video files can be transmitted longer than hundreds of small photos. Interruption at this point is not critical - after reconnecting, you can select only the undelivered files.

Synchronization through Google account

A classic method that works on any version of Android, including a clean system and manufacturers’ shells. When you first turn on a new Xiaomi smartphone, the system will prompt you to log in to your Google account. If you enter the same credentials as the old device, you will automatically sync the main data.

This method is ideal for saving contacts, calendar events, notes and installed app lists, but it has limitations: photos and videos are synced only if the old phone has enabled Autoboot in Google Photos, and the files are stored in the cloud or downloaded to a new device.

To activate full sync on your old phone, go to Settings → Accounts → Google and make sure all switches are active. Click the Sync button or three dots in the corner of the screen to force the data to be updated before you start the transfer.

On a new device, after logging in, the recovery process can take anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours, depending on the speed of the Internet and the number of applications.The phone will automatically download and install programs from the Play Market that were on the old device.

Manual transfer of files via computer

For users who prefer full control of their data or have a very large volume of media files (for example, hundreds of gigabytes of video in 4K), the optimal solution is to use the PC as an intermediary, which allows you to structure files, clean up debris before downloading to a new phone and ensure that you maintain original quality without compression.

Connect your old smartphone to your computer through USB-cable and select file transfer mode (MTP). Copy the folders. DCIM (Photos and video from the camera, Pictures (screenshots and images from the apps), Download and Music to the hard drive. Then connect the new Xiaomi and transfer the data to the appropriate directories.

Structure of folders for manual copying:


/DCIM/Camera (Photos and videos)




/Pictures (Screenshots, WhatsApp Images)




/Music (Audio files)




/Documents (Documents)




/Android/media (Special Application Data)

Pay special attention to the Android/media or Android/data folder, where some applications (such as messengers or navigators) store cache and downloaded files. Copying this data can restore offline cards or save downloaded files in work chats.

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Use a USB 3.0 cable and a USB 3.0 port on your computer for maximum transfer speed. Older USB 2.0 cables can significantly increase the time you copy large files.

Comparison of data transfer methods

To make it easier for you to choose the right way, we have prepared a comparative table of the main characteristics of each method, which will help you to weigh the advantages of speed, reliability and volume of information transmitted.

As you can see from the table, the combined approach often gives the best result: use Mi Mover for settings and applications, and throw heavy media files over your PC or select them selectively in the migration application, which will avoid long downloads over the Internet and ensure the safety of personal archives.

Transfer data messengers: WhatsApp and Telegram

Messengers deserve special attention, as they store their correspondence history in their secure databases. For Telegram, it is simple: just enter a phone number on a new device, and all cloud chats, channels and groups will appear automatically. Secret chats are not synchronized for security reasons.

WhatsApp is more complicated. To successfully transfer your chat history to the new Android, you need to pre-backup your old phone in Google Drive. Go to Settings → Chats → Backup Chats and click Create. On the new phone, WhatsApp will prompt you to recover data from the cloud when you first launch.

⚠️ Note: When porting WhatsApp, make sure you use the same Google account and phone number.Moving through a local backup file (without Google Drive) on newer versions of Android can be difficult due to file system access restrictions.

If you are switching from iPhone to Xiaomi, use the Move to iOS app (at the iPhone setup stage) or the portability function inside WhatsApp itself when initially set up if it is offered by the system. However, for the Android-Android transition, the method with Google Drive is the most stable.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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The optimal migration strategy is a combination of Mi Mover for system and applications, and manual control over important documents via the PC or cloud.