How to transfer all settings from Xiaomi to Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

Why Shifting Settings Between Xiaomi Needs a Special Approach

The transition to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but the joy of updating the gadget is often overshadowed by the need to transfer data. Unlike other brands, phones on MIUI have unique features: its own Mi Account ecosystem, branded applications like Mi Home or Mi Fit, and specific interface settings that do not always migrate correctly through standard tools like Google Account.

The main problem is data fragmentation. For example, call history and SMS are transferred through the Mi Cloud, and Always On Display settings or control gestures are only through local backup. If you skip even one step, you risk losing interface personalization, saved Wi-Fi passwords or even data from Xiaomi Pay. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods of transfer, including hidden MIUI 14/15 features that are not written in the official instructions.

Method 1: Automatic Mi Mover Transfer (recommended for MIUI 12-15)

Mi Mover is a proprietary tool from Xiaomi that allows you to transfer data directly between two smartphones over Wi-Fi without intermediaries. This method is suitable for transferring almost all settings, including wallpaper, themes, lock screen settings and even data from applications like Mi Browser or Notes. The main advantage is the preservation of the structure of folders and tags in the gallery.

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

• 📱 On an old smartphone: open Settings → The phone. → Data Transfer (Mi Mover).
• 🆕 On a new smartphone: when you first turn on, select “Data Transfer” or find this item in the settings.
• 🔗 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (or create an access point on an old phone).
• 📤 On the old phone, press "Send" and on the new phone, "Get." Confirm the connection via QR-code.

Important: If the new phone already has data, Mi Mover will suggest resetting it to factory settings, which is a prerequisite for proper porting! Also note that some settings (such as Developer Mode or bootloader Unlock) are not portable - they will have to be reconfigured.

Charging both phones > 50%|Same version MIUI (or compatible)|Unplugged. VPN firewall|Free space on the new phone > portable-->

Method 2: Backup via Mi Cloud (for partial settings)

Mi Cloud is Xiaomi's cloud storage that automatically syncs contacts, notes, call history and some system settings, but there's a nuance here: not all settings are saved in the cloud, like Game Turbo or Second Space settings, you'll have to manually migrate.

How to set up backup:

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Enable synchronization for all available items (especially System Settings and Applications).
3. Click on "Backup" and create a new copy. Wait until it's finished (may take up to 30 minutes).
4. On the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account and restore the data from the backup.

⚠️ Warning: If a new phone has already backed up to Mi Cloud, the data from the old copy will be overwritten!

Method 3: Local backup (for power users)

If you don’t trust cloud services, or if you want to move all settings without exception (including Root application data or modified system files), use local backup, which takes longer, but gives you full control over the process.

Instructions:

1. Connect your old phone to your PC and copy the /MIUI/backup/AllBackup folder (if any) to your computer.
2. On your old phone, go to Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
3. Create a new copy by selecting all available items (including System Data).
4. Move the backup file (usually with the.mbk extension) to the new phone to the same folder /MIUI/backup/.
5. On the new phone, restore the data from this file.

The advantage of this method is that it can be selectively restored, for example, you can only move the Security settings or Sound settings without affecting the application, but there are also risks: if the versions of MIUI on phones are very different, some settings may not apply or cause crashes.

Method 4: Transfer through Google Account (for basic data)

While Xiaomi is actively promoting its own services, Google Account remains a one-stop solution for moving contacts, calendars, mail and apps, which is suitable if you do not want to depend on Mi Cloud or plan to switch to another brand in the future.

What is carried over Google:

• 📇 Contacts (if synchronization is included in Settings) → Accounts. → Google).
• 📅 Calendars and reminders.
• 📧 Posts and Notes (via Google Keep).
• 📱 Some system settings (language, date/time, Wi-Fi passwords).
• 🎮 Progress in games (if the games support Google Play Games).

Limitations:

• ❌ Settings MIUI (Themes, gestures, Always on Display are not portable.
• ❌ Data from branded apps (Mi Home, Mi Fit) remain on the old phone.
• ❌ Call history and SMS It is not synchronized (unlike the Mi Cloud).

⚠️ Note: If the old phone was enabled Developer Mode with debugging USB, And when you move it over to Google, you reset those settings, and you have to re-activate them on the new device.

Method 5: Manually copy files (for specific data)

Some data cannot be transferred in standard ways, such as:

• 🎵 Equator settings in Mi Music.
• 📸 Filters and presets in the Mi Camera.
• 🔑 Wi-Fi passwords (if not synced to Google).
• 📁 Folder Structure in the File Manager.

For such cases, manual copying is suitable:

Key folder addresses in MIUI:


/data/data/com.miui.gallery/ - Gallery settings




/MIUI/sound_recorder/ - tape recordings




/DCIM/.thumbnails/ - Photo/video miniatures

Use a Explorer with Root rights (such as Root Explorer) or ADB to access system folders. Commands to copy through ADB:

adb pull /sdcard/MIUI/backup/ C:\XiaomiBackup\


adb push C:\XiaomiBackup\ /sdcard/MIUI/backup/

For Wi-Fi password transfer:

1. On your old phone, install WiFi Password Viewer (Root required).
2. Export the list of networks to the file.
3. On a new phone, import this file through the same app.

💡

If you don’t have a Root license but need to transfer Wi-Fi passwords, temporarily connect your old phone to the router as an access point. The new phone will “see” the network and connect without entering a password (if WPS or Mi Share is active).

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even when following instructions, users face problems, and here are the most common ones:

1. “Not enough space” error: Reason: Mi Mover requires 2 to 3 times the amount of data it can carry, solution: Clear the application cache (Settings → Storage → Clear cache) or use a memory card.
2. Freeze in Preparing Data: The reason: conflict of MIUI versions or corrupted backup files. Solution: Update the firmware on both phones or create a new backup.
3. No wallpaper or themes: Reason: This data is stored in /data/system/theme/ and not included in the standard backup. Solution: copy the folder manually or sync through Mi Account.
4. SMS missing after transfer: Reason: If the new phone already had messages, they could overwrite the old ones. Solution: delete all SMS on the new device before transferring.

If none of these methods worked, try a combination approach:

1. Move the basic data (contacts, applications) through your Google Account.
2. Restore system settings from Mi Cloud.
3. Copy the remaining files manually through ADB or Explorer.

💡

Before transferring data, always check the compatibility of MIUI versions on both phones. The difference between 1-2 subversions (for example, 14.0.3 and 14.0.5) is usually not critical, but a transfer between the 13th and 15th version can cause crashes.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions