Changing your smartphone is always stressful, not so much with getting used to a new interface, but with the risk of losing important information. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi or Poco devices often face the question of how to quickly and without errors throw contacts, photos and settings from an old gadget. Modern technology allows you to make this process automatic, but it is important to know the nuances of working with the shell of MIUI or the new HyperOS.
There are several proven ways to migrate: using the built-in Mi Mover app, syncing through Google’s cloud service, or manually copying files. The choice of the specific method depends on the operating system of your previous device (Android or iOS) and the amount of data. In this article, we will discuss each option in detail so that you can choose the most suitable one for your situation.
Before starting the procedure, make sure that both devices are charged at least 50-60%. The process of transferring a large amount of data can be energy intensive, and discharging one of the phones in the middle of the operation will cause a failure. Also check for free space on the new smartphone, as older devices are often clogged with “digital garbage” that will take up gigabytes on the new drive.
Using the Mi Mover app for Android
The most efficient and quickest way to transfer between Android devices is the Mi Mover app, which is pre-installed on all modern Xiaomi smartphones, and allows you to transfer data over Wi-Fi Direct without using the Internet, which is ideal because it copies not only media files, but also folder structure, system settings and even the location of icons on the desktop.
To start, run the app on both devices. On the new phone, select Receiver and on the old phone, Sender. The app will automatically create an access point or prompt you to scan. QR-Once you've successfully paired, you'll see a list of data categories that are available for portability.
Select the items you need: contacts, messages, calls, apps, images, music and videos. Note that system settings can only be moved between Xiaomi phones. If you move from another brand, some settings will have to be manually configured.
It is important not to interrupt the connection or switch to other applications during the transfer. The copy speed depends on the amount of data and the distance between devices, but it is usually much higher than when using Bluetooth.
What if Mi Mover can't see an old phone?
If an automatic connection does not occur, try manually turning on Wi-Fi on both devices_modules_, The old phone doesn't have Flight mode on, and the permissions for the Mi Mover app are given in full. Sometimes it helps to reboot the Wi-Fi module. The iPhone owners also don't have to worry, because the Mi Mover app supports migration from iOS. But in this case, the functionality is a little bit limited compared to the transition between Android devices, you can migrate contacts, photos, videos and notes, but the applications and their data can not be copied because of the closed Apple ecosystem. Install Mi Mover on your iPhone from the App Store (if available in your area) or use the web version if the app is not available. On Xiaomi, select Recipient and on iPhone, Sender". Follow the instructions on the screen to create a connection. ⚠️ Note: When ported from iOS, photos can be saved in the original format HEIC. For future compatibility with other Android devices, it is recommended to convert them or configure exports to the future immediately after the transfer. JPEG To move your calendar, contacts and email, it’s best to use sync through a Google account added to your iPhone.This takes a few minutes, but ensures that all your records appear in standard Xiaomi apps immediately after you enter your Google password. The universal method that works for switching from any smartphone to Xiaomi is synchronization through the Google cloud. This is the “gold standard” for the Android ecosystem, allowing you to recover the main dataset simply by entering the username and password when you first set up a new phone. On your old device, make sure that sync is enabled. Go to settings, find the Accounts or Users and Acca section, and select your Google account. Check that the check boxes are ticked against Contacts, Calendar, Keep Notes and Photos (if you use Google Photos). Once you have a new Xiaomi and connect to Wi-Fi, the system will prompt you to recover data from the backup. You can choose which apps and data to download. This method is especially convenient because it restores passwords from the Wi-Fi network and many of the system. Type of data Method Google Mi Mover Manual method Contacts Automatically Complete Transfer Import VCF Photo/Video Through Google Photos Direct transfer Copying folders App Link to Play Store APK And the main advantage of this method is that it's independent of the brand of the old phone, and even if you switch from Samsung, Huawei or Nokia, your data will be intact. The only limitation is the amount of free cloud storage, which is 15 GB. If automatic systems fail or you need to transfer specific files, such as game cache or documents from hidden folders, there is no substitute for the good old method of copying through a computer. USB-port. On your phone, select USB File Transfer (MTP) mode. Open the device's internal memory in your computer explorer. You need DCIM (camera photos and videos), Download (downloads), Documents and Pictures. Copy these folders to your computer's hard drive, then plug the new Xiaomi and move the data to the appropriate directories. This method takes more time, but gives you full control over the process and allows you to audit files by removing unnecessary debris before transfer. Pay special attention to the Android/media or Android/data folder, where some messengers (for example, Telegram or Telegram's built-in backup methods can be used for copying applications. WhatsApp and Telegram messengers store data differently, and their transfer requires special attention. For Telegram everything is as simple as possible: just install the application on a new phone and enter a phone number. All of your correspondence, channels and groups will be automatically downloaded from servers, and WhatsApp is more complicated because the story is stored locally or in the cloud of the linked service. When setting up a new Xiaomi, if you use the Google Sync method, WhatsApp will offer to restore the history from Google Drive. Make sure that the old phone has a fresh backup in the WhatsApp settings. → chat → Backup of chats. ⚠️ WARNING: If you change platform (from iPhone to Android or vice versa), the standard WhatsApp port may not work. In this case, when you initially set up Xiaomi, select the option “Copy data from iPhone” and follow the instructions for using the Lightning-USB cable or QR-You can use local backup to move without the cloud. You can create a backup on your old phone, find a folder. WhatsApp/Databases In the file system, copy the msgstore.db.crypt file to the new phone in the same folder before installing the WhatsApp application. Typical errors and their solution Even when following the instructions can be technical difficulties. Often, users experience a certain percentage of the process hanging over, usually due to an unstable Wi-Fi connection or an on-line power saving mode that kills the background transmission process. A new phone may seem empty, but system files and updates already take up a significant portion of memory. Always check the available volume before starting a large-scale transfer. If the contacts are displayed as "Unnamed" or duplicated after the transfer, check the display settings in the Contacts app. Often there are filters that hide the contacts from the contact information. SIM-Maps or only showing specific accounts, and cleaning up the cache of the Contacts app can also help. What if the apps don't open after the transfer? Some applications, especially banking or secure ones, may require re-authorization or not work after transferring data from another brand, in which case it is better to remove the application and download it again from Google Play or GetApps. MIUI/HyperOS. Can I interrupt the data transfer and continue later? In most cases, especially when using Mi Mover, interrupting the process will lead to the need to start again. The application does not know how to “upload” only missing files. So make sure you have time to complete the operation. Will passwords from Wi-Fi networks migrate? Yes, if you use synchronization through Google Account or transfer data from another Xiaomi via Mi Mover. Passwords from saved Wi-Fi networks will be automatically restored, and you will not have to enter them again. Do you need to reset the new phone before transferring? No, this is not necessary. Mi Mover and the setup wizarder work on the new devices, however, you have already started to use the new ones to use the new ones, if you have a full data dump on the new ones, or already started to use them. How do you move data if your old phone's screen is broken? If the sensor doesn't work, but you have the image, try connecting it. USB-mouse-over OTG. If the screen is completely black, but the phone is turning on and making sounds, the only hope is if you have synced with Google or Mi Cloud in advance, otherwise you will need to repair the display to access the data.