Buying a new smartphone is always a joyous event, but often overshadowed by the prospect of a long and tedious migration of information from the old device. The owner of the gadget faces the need to save thousands of photos, contacts, correspondence and app settings to avoid losing important moments of life. Fortunately, the Xiaomi ecosystem offers several effective tools to automate this process.
Modern methods allow you to copy almost all the contents of memory in minutes using a local Wi-Fi connection or cloud services. You do not need to be a technician to perform this operation, since embedded programs have an intuitive interface. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the available methods so that you can choose the most suitable for your situation.
Preparation of devices for the transfer procedure
Before any manipulations, you need to make sure that both smartphones are ready to work. First of all, check the battery level, since the process of active data transfer can consume a significant amount of energy. It is recommended to charge both devices at least up to 60-70% to avoid a sudden shutdown at the most critical time.
You should also make room for a new device if it has been used before, delete unnecessary files or temporarily move them to a memory card so that internal memory can accommodate all the data from your old phone, and if you plan to use cloud services, make sure you have a stable Wi-Fi connection.
Don't forget to check for accounts. For most system functions, you'll need a Google account, and for branded chips, you'll need to register your Mi Account in advance, which will allow you to synchronize not only files, but also system settings.
- 🔋 Charge both smartphones to at least 60% before starting work.
- 📶 Connect devices to a single Wi-Fi network or make sure the mobile internet is stable.
- 🆔 Check the availability and performance of Google and Mi Account accounts.
⚠️ Warning: Do not interrupt the data transfer process, even if it seems to be suspended. Forced reboot can damage files or disrupt the operating system.
It is also important to update the operating system on both devices to the latest available version, and developers often release patches that improve the stability of data protocols and fix compatibility errors between different versions of Android.
Using the Mi Mover app for quick migration
The most efficient and quickest way is to use the Mi Mover app, which is designed specifically for Xiaomi devices and allows you to transfer data over a local Wi-Fi channel without using Internet traffic. Transfer speeds can reach tens of megabytes per second, which is much faster than Bluetooth.
To get started, open the app on both smartphones. On the new device, select Receiver and on the old device, Sender. The system will automatically create an access point or prompt you to scan. QR-Once you've established the link, you'll see a list of data categories that are available for copying.
☑️ Check before launching the Mi Mover
You can selectively specify what to move: contacts, messages, call history, installed applications, photos, videos and music. The program itself will determine the compatible formats and will try to migrate even the settings of some system applications.
If the old phone does not have a program installed, you can download it from Google Play or find it. APK-The installation process takes a couple of minutes, and then you can start migrating right away.
- 📱 Run Mi Mover on both devices via the Tools menu.
- 🔗 Create a connection by scanning QR-camera-code.
- 📂 Select data categories (photos, contacts, applications) to transfer.
- 🚀 Click the “Send” button and wait for the process to be completed.
⚠️ Note: Some applications may require re-authorization when migrating, which is normal Android security behavior that requires proof of ownership.
Once you have finished copying, the new phone will offer you to install the ported apps in the background, which will take some time, but you will get a fully configured device ready to go.
Synchronization through Google account
An alternative and time-tested method is synchronization via Google’s cloud services, ideal for those who are switching from another Android device or want to have a backup in the cloud, with the main benefit of being independent of the physical presence of the old phone once set up.
When the new Xiaomi is first enabled, the system will prompt you to enter Google account details. Once authorized, the smartphone will automatically prompt you to restore data from the last backup, which usually contains contacts, calendar, notes and a list of installed applications.
What is not saved in Google Sync?
For photos and videos, the best way to use Google Photos is to have all your photos in the cloud if you have autoloaded on your old device, and just install the app on your new phone, and the entire library will be instantly available.
Contacts are also easily portable if they were stored in a Google account rather than in memory. SIM-You can check this in the Contacts app in the display settings. SIM-map, use the import function in the phone book settings.
| Type of data | Google's method | Mi Mover Method | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Autosynchronization | Complete transfer | Google is preferable for security |
| Photo/Video | Google Photos (cloud) | Local copy. | Mi Mover is faster for larger volumes |
| Annexes | List for download | APK files + data | Application data is better copied by Mi Mover |
| SMS messages | Not always. | Complete transfer | Important for preserving the history of correspondence |
Using the cloud requires free space on Google Drive.The standard 15GB limit can quickly run out if you store a lot of high-resolution video, so keep an eye out for storage filling.
Transferring data from iPhone to Xiaomi
iOS owners also don’t have to worry about losing data when they switch to Android, but Mi Mover is available on the App Store and allows basic data to be transferred between the Apple and Xiaomi ecosystems, but it will be somewhat limited compared to transferring between Android devices.
The process starts in the same way: run the app on both phones. On iPhone, select "I'm the sender" and on Xiaomi, "I'm the recipient." Since direct Wi-Fi Direct between iOS and Android may not work smoothly, the app will suggest creating an access point or using it. QR-pairing.
With iPhone, you can successfully transfer contacts, photos, videos and calendar events. iMessage messages and the applications themselves (.ipa) are technically impossible to transfer due to the closedness of the Apple operating system. You will have to re-download analogues of applications from the Google Play Store.
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To transfer passwords and notes from your iPhone, use the “Move to iOS” app to create an intermediate copy, or export notes to PDF if there are few.
The HEIC format used by default in new iPhones may not be supported by some older Android galleries.The Mi Mover app usually automatically converts them to a compatible JPEG, but the process may take longer.
- 🍎 Download Mi Mover from the App Store on iPhone.
- 🔌 Connect your iPhone to Xiaomi’s Wi-Fi network.
- 📸 Allow access to photos and contacts in iOS pop-ups.
- ⏳ Wait for the copy to finish without blocking the iPhone screen.
To make instant messengers like WhatsApp work, use the built-in chat export function inside the app before removing it from your iPhone, which will save your email history as a file or move it through the cloud if the WhatsApp Android version supports recovery from iCloud (which is rare).
Working with cloud storage Xiaomi Cloud
Xiaomi Cloud (formerly Mi Cloud) is a powerful tool for owners of several devices of the brand. It allows you to synchronize not only contacts and photos, but also desktop settings, themes, alarm clocks and even open browser tabs.
To use this method, log into your Mi Account on your old device and enable synchronization of the desired partitions in the cloud settings menu, then all the data will be uploaded to the company's servers, and on the new phone, just log into the same account, and the content will appear automatically.
Free storage is 5GB, which is enough for contacts and documents, but not enough for photos and videos, you can subscribe to expand space if you need it, and the main advantage is the ability to access data from any device via the web interface.
An important feature is Device Search. If you port data because an old phone is lost or stolen but has been connected to the internet and account, you can see its location or remotely erase data through the cloud.
Synchronization of the gallery works in the background and depends on the quality of the Internet connection. It is recommended to connect the phone to the charger and Wi-Fi at night for the initial upload of a large amount of photos.
Frequent problems and ways to solve them
Despite the fact that the processes are fine, users can face various difficulties, most often problems are associated with unstable connection or lack of memory. If the transmission is interrupted, check whether the phone screens are energy-saving mode, which can turn off the Wi-Fi module.
Sometimes Mi Mover doesn't see the device, so try restarting both smartphones and restarting the procedure, and make sure that geolocation services are enabled on both devices, as they are used to detect nearby devices in Android.
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If data transfers are constantly disrupted, try turning off mobile internet on both phones, leaving only Wi-Fi to avoid routing conflicts.
Android version compatibility issues may prevent some system settings from being migrated, in which case the system will only offer to move the basic data and the settings will have to be configured manually, which is not a bug, but a feature of the operation of different versions of the operating system.
If contacts are not displayed correctly or duplicated after transfer, go to the contact settings and select the "Combine Duplicates" or "Import/Export" function to clean the list. Often duplicates occur when synchronizing simultaneously. SIM-Maps and Google Account.
- 🔄 Restart both smartphones if the connection is not established.
- 📡 Turn it off. VPN Proxies and servers during data transfer.
- 🧹 Clear the cache of the Mi Mover app in case of getting stuck.
⚠️ Note: When transferring data from phones from other manufacturers (Samsung, Huawei), some branded applications may not install or work incorrectly on Xiaomi. MIUI and OneUI/EMUI.
If you have a critical error, you can use an alternative method, which is to connect to a computer. DCIM, Download and Document via USB-hand-held cable and save the contacts in.vcf format and import them through the phone book menu.