Buying a new smartphone is always a joyous event, but one that is often overshadowed by the prospect of a long and tedious setup. The Xiaomi owner faces the challenge of re-creating the digital environment he was used to on an old gadget. The process of migrating information can seem like a complex maze, especially if the previous device was running a different operating system.
Fortunately, modern technology is enabling this to be done as quickly and without loss as possible. Xiaomi has developed powerful tools that are integrated directly into the MIUI and HyperOS shell, allowing users to transfer not only contacts and photos, but also call history, messages, and applications with their data.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at all the migration options available, from using the built-in Mi Mover app to Google’s cloud services, how to avoid common bugs, why you shouldn’t rely on Bluetooth alone for big data, and how to properly prepare both devices for the procedure. It’s important to understand that the choice of method depends on the type of your old phone.
Preparation of devices before the migration
Before you run any software tools, you need to do basic hardware training. Ignoring this stage often leads to interruption or file corruption. Make sure that both the old and new Xiaomi smartphones are charged at least 60-70%. The process of active data transfer over Wi-Fi Direct, which is used by most utilities, significantly consumes energy.
It's also critical to check for free space, because the amount of free memory on the receiving device should exceed the size of the data being transferred, and if you plan to transfer 100 GB of information, and the new phone only has 50 GB free, the process will either get stuck or end up in error.
⚠️ Note: Do not attempt data porting if one of the devices is connected to an unstable Wi-Fi network or is in a bad reception zone. Interrupting the connection at the time of writing system files can lead to incorrect operation of the new smartphone.
It is also recommended to clear the cache on the old device and delete unnecessary files so as not to clog the new phone with digital debris.This is the perfect moment to review the gallery and remove duplicates.
- 🔋 Charge both smartphones to levels above 60% or connect them to power supplies.
- 📶 Make sure that both devices have Wi-Fi modules on and GPS (geolocation in some services).
- 🗑️ Clean your old phone of temporary files and unnecessary apps.
- 🔒 Unlock the screens of both devices and allow access to files if the system requests confirmation.
After completing these simple steps, you can move on to selecting the specific transfer method that will be most effective in your situation.
Using the Mi Mover app for Android
The most efficient and quickest way to switch to Xiaomi from another Android smartphone is to use the proprietary Mi Mover utility. This application is pre-installed on all modern models of the brand and is available for download in Google Play for devices of other manufacturers. The mechanism of the program is based on the creation of a local Wi-Fi hotspot, which provides high speed transfer without the use of Internet traffic.
To get started, run the app on both devices. On the new Xiaomi phone, select Receiver and on the old one, Sender. QR-This is a code that appears on the screen of the receiving device, and this action automatically connects the gadgets to a single secure network.
Once connected, the interface will suggest selecting data categories to migrate, you can select only contacts and messages, or copy all content, including system settings. Note that some system applications of the old phone may not be compatible with the MIUI shell and will not be portable.
What if the Mi Mover can’t see the device?
Make sure that both phones are on GPS And Wi-Fi. Try to turn off the mobile Internet (4G/5G) On an old device, because it sometimes blocks the creation of a local network, restarting an application often helps solve the problem of detection, and an important advantage of Mi Mover is the ability to transfer these applications along with their cache and authorization. This eliminates the need to re-enter passwords on social networks and instant messengers, although for banking applications, you will still have to log in manually for security reasons. 📲 Run Mi Mover through the Settings menu» → «About the phone" or find the app in the Tools folder». 🔗 Click “I am the sender” on the old and “I am the receiver” on the new Xiaomi. ✅ Select data to copy: contacts, messages, photos, videos, music, apps and settings. 🚀 Press the send button and wait until the process is complete without turning off the screens. Transfer speeds can range from 5 to 20 MB/s depending on the volume of small files. The process can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. Transferring data from iPhone to Xiaomi The transition from the Apple iOS ecosystem to Android has traditionally been considered difficult, but for Xiaomi owners, this process is as simple as possible.The Mi Mover app has a special version for the iPhone available in the App Store. However, the functionality here is slightly limited compared to transfer between Android devices due to the closedness of the iOS file system, the main emphasis is on the transfer of multimedia (photos and videos) and contacts. Apps purchased from the App Store cannot be ported directly because they are incompatible with the App Store. APK-You'll have to re-download their analogues from Google Play or GetApps. ⚠️ Note: When transferring photos from your iPhone, make sure the format is HEIC Some older Xiaomi models may not open these photos without the conversion that happens automatically when you transfer them over Mi Mover. To get started, download Mi Mover on your iPhone. On the new Xiaomi, launch the app and select the Receive Mode. Scan the code from your iPhone screen. Unlike Android devices, you need permission to access photos and contacts. The transfer process is over Wi-Fi Direct, so it's pretty fast. Contacts deserve special attention. If you have stored them in iCloud, the app will suggest syncing them to your Google account or saving them to your phone’s local memory. iPhone Data Type → Xiaomi Android → Xiaomi Comment Contacts Yes (fully) Better sync with Google Photos/Video Yes Yes HEIC is automatically converted Applications No (installation needed) Yes (with data) System applications are not portable Messages (SMS) No Yes iMessage is not compatible with Android Music Yes (local files) Yes DRM-protected files are not copied So the transition from the iPhone requires manual installation of applications, but the main user data is transferred without problems. Synchronization through the Google Android account is built around the account (SMS) No Yes iMesssssssage is not compatible with Android Music (local files) Yes (local files are not compatible with Android data portable) Yes DRM files from the first time, it is the first time it is switched on the data portable data portable from the Google data portable data, it is enough from the new data portable data center and the old one of the old one of the Google data portable data. The system will automatically restore the backup. It includes a list of contacts, calendar events, notes (if you used Google Keep), as well as a list of installed applications. The phone will start downloading and installing apps that were on the previous device. For photos and videos, the best way to use Google Photos. Install the application on the old phone, enable autoboot and sync and wait for the process to end. On the new Xiaomi, you just log in to the same account, and your entire gallery will be available in the cloud without taking up space on the device if you have Saving Space mode. It is important to note that this method does not transfer files within applications (for example, game cache or correspondence in messengers, unless configured separately), nor does it copy files from internal memory, such as downloaded documents or music, unless they are in special sync folders. 📧 Make sure that the old phone in the “Accounts” section is ticked on the synchronization of contacts and calendar. ☁️ Check the download status in the Google Photos app – it should read “Sync is complete». 📲 When setting up a new Xiaomi, select “Restore from the Cloud” and specify the desired backup by date. ⏳ Give your phone time: Apps and photos can take hours to load in the background, ideal for those who change devices regularly or are afraid of losing data if an old phone breaks down. Xiaomi’s own cloud service, Mi Cloud, is a great alternative to Google for storing specific data, such as desktop settings, voice recordings, screen recordings and system settings. Free storage is 5GB, but for contacts and settings, this is usually enough. To create a local backup without using the Internet, go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Restore. Here you can create a full system backup that will be stored in internal memory. This file can then be transferred to a new phone through a computer or a computer setting, but for contacts and settings, this is usually enough. To create a local backup without using a computer, for a computer, for some applications, for example, the backup service, which is a microSD, which is ignored by the server server, for the server, which is a specially server, for the server, for example, which the server server server, which is used in the backup. However, recovering from a local backup requires the MIUI version on both devices to be similar, otherwise conflicts can arise. If you use a memory card, the process is as follows: create a backup on an old phone, copy a MIUI/backup/AllBackup folder to a computer or card, insert a card into a new phone and start recovery through the same settings section. It is worth remembering that restoring a full copy of the system can take time, and during this period the phone will not be used. It is recommended to perform this procedure at night or when the device is not urgent. Migration of correspondence and Telegram are the most important data sources for modern Telegram, Telegram messengers are perhaps the most effective tools for modern users. Telegram is the easiest thing to do: it's a cloud messenger. Just install the app on the new Xiaomi, enter your phone number, and all your chats, channels, and media (unless you have a cache limit on it) will be automatically downloaded. No additional action is required. WhatsApp is more complicated, as the history of correspondence is stored locally or in the cloud Google Drive / iCloud. When you first start WhatsApp on a new phone, the application will prompt you to restore the history from the cloud. It is important to use the same phone number and the same Google account (for Android) or iCloud (for iPhone). ⚠️ Note: When switching from iPhone to Android (and vice versa), WhatsApp’s standard cloud backup may not work due to differences in database formats. In this case, use the “Chat Transfer” feature inside the WhatsApp app itself when you first set up, following the instructions on the screen. To create a local backup on WhatsApp, go to Settings → chat → Backup chats and click "Backup." Make sure the copy is created in Google Drive if you change your phone. Once you install the app on your new phone, the recovery confirmation will automatically appear. 💬 Telegram data is uploaded by itself, but secret chats are not portable – this is a security limitation. 💾 For WhatsApp, make sure to make a fresh backup on Google Drive before resetting your old phone. 📞 The phone number must be active and inserted into the new phone to receive the phone. SMS-confirmation. 🔒 Two-factor authentication should be on hand (code or email) if enabled, and following these rules will save the entire history of communication, which for many is more important than photos or contacts. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Will the data be deleted from the old phone after the transfer? No, the data transfer (copying) process does not affect the contents of the old device. All files, contacts and applications will remain in place. However, after successfully completing the migration and checking the new smartphone, it is recommended to perform a full reset (Factory Reset) of the old device before selling or disposing of it, so that your data does not fall into the wrong hands. What if some applications do not open on the new Xiaomi? This can happen for several reasons. First, the application may not be optimized for your version of Android or screen resolution. Second, some banking applications may require re-updating from Google Plays. If the problem persists, delete the application and reinstall it. Can you interrupt the transfer process and continue later? Mi Mover in some versions allows you to resume the interrupted transmission, but this is unstable. Most often, when the connection is broken, the process has to start again. So it is critically important to ensure a stable connection and not to switch between applications during the migration. Is the password from Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices transferred? Yes, when using Mi Mover or a full backup of MIUI, passwords from stored Wi-Fi networks and lists of associated Bluetooth devices are usually transferred. However, for some Bluetooth gadgets, it can take a new Bluetooth menu to re-interwire 100 hours. Time depends on the speed of the Wi-Fi modules in both phones and the number of small files. On average, transferring 100 GB over the Mi Mover takes 40 minutes to 1.5 hours. Cable usage (via OTG) could be faster, but the standard Mi Mover runs predominantly wirelessly.