How to sync Xiaomi phone with Xiaomi: a complete guide

Buying a new smartphone from Xiaomi is always accompanied by the desire to start its full operation as soon as possible, without spending a week manually installing applications and searching for lost photos. Data synchronization between devices of the same brand is most seamless, since the shell MIUI or HyperOS is designed with ecosystem features in mind. Owners often face the need to transfer all digital life from the old device to the new, and in the case of a bundle of Xiaomi to Xiaomi, this process is as automated as possible.

There are several proven methods to clone a system or selectively migrate media and settings. The choice of the specific method depends on the version of the operating system, the amount of internal memory and the availability of a stable connection to the Wi-Fi network. We will consider the most effective tools, including the built-in Mi Mover application and cloud services, which avoid loss of contacts or message history.

Before starting the procedure, it is important to make sure that both devices have sufficient battery power, as the process of transferring large amounts of data can be energy intensive.It is critical to use 5 GHz Wi-Fi to transfer more than 50 GB of data to reduce the latency from a few hours to 15-20 minutes. Incorrect settings at the initial stage can lead to a connection break and the need to start the process again, which is especially unpleasant when migrating from a device with filled storage.

Using the Mi Mover app for quick migration

The most effective and built-in tool is the Mi Mover utility, which is pre-installed on most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices. To start working, you need to open the application on both smartphones through the settings menu or find it in the Tools folder. On the device from which the data will be transmitted (the sender), you need to select the role of “Sender”, and on the new phone (the recipient) you need to choose the role, respectively, “Receiver”.

After selecting roles on the screen of the new phone will appear QR-The system automatically creates a secure Wi-Fi hotspot through which the information flows, so interrupting the screen or switching to other applications can slow down the process. In the menu that opens, you can customize in detail what exactly you want to transfer: system settings, images, music, videos, documents or even the layout of the home screen.

It is worth noting that when you transmit system settings, passwords from Wi-Fi networks and some interface configurations are copied automatically, which saves user time. However, applications that are not part of the Google Play ecosystem or have data copy protection may require separate authorization after installation. During the transfer, the progress bar and approximate time to completion will be displayed on the screen, which is calculated dynamically depending on the channel speed.

Sync through Mi Account and cloud storage

An alternative and more background way is to use Mi Cloud, which allows you to store backups of key data on the company's servers. To activate this feature, you need to log into your Mi Account in the Settings → Mi Account section on your old device, where you can enable synchronization of contacts, messages, notes, voice recorders and even screenshots, which will allow you to access them immediately after entering the login on the new gadget.

Special attention should be paid to the Xiaomi gallery, which can upload photos and videos to the cloud, freeing up space on the device. When you first turn on a new phone, just log in to the same account, and media files will begin to download as needed or in the background, this is ideal for those who want to save correspondence history and important documents even in the event of physical loss or breakage of the old device.

It is important to understand that free 5GB of space may not be enough for a full copy of a system with heavy video files. In this case, Mi Mover remains the preferred choice for local porting, and the cloud is used for critical text data and contacts. Regularly checking the sync status in the cloud menu will help to avoid situations where data was not saved in time.

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Enable the option “Advanced Sync” in the Mi Cloud settings to save data from third-party apps that support this feature, making the backup more complete.

Backup through Google Account

Don’t forget the classic method provided by the Android operating system itself. Linking to a Google Account ensures that you save your contact list, calendar events, Chrome passwords and a list of installed apps. When you first set up the new Xiaomi, just enter your Gmail email address, and the phone will prompt you to restore data from the last available backup.

This method is especially useful for restoring the list of applications: the system will automatically start downloading all programs that were installed on the old device, keeping them in order and grouping. However, it is worth considering that the data inside the applications (game progress, messenger cache) is not always copied unless the developer has provided this opportunity through the Google Drive API.

To activate a full backup, go to Settings → Google → Backup and click Start Copy. Make sure the right storage is selected and that the device is connected to Wi-Fi so that mobile traffic is not wasted, a process that can take a long time at first launch, so it’s best to leave it overnight.

⚠️ Note: When you restore a backup from Google to a new shell device MIUI Some system settings can be overwritten with standard Android values, which will require manual interface adjustments.

Transfer of messages and call history

One of the most delicate tasks is to preserve history. SMS-Messages and call logs, as standard Android tools often ignore this data with simple synchronization. The built-in Mi Mover tool copes with this task perfectly, even carrying the investment in the system. MMS When selecting the data type in the carrier application, make sure that the tick opposite the "Messages" item is active.

For users of instant messengers like WhatsApp or Telegram, the process can be different. Telegram stores the entire history on its servers, so it is enough to simply log in. WhatsApp needs to create a local backup or copy on Google Drive on an old phone before transferring. The Mi Mover app also knows how to transfer WhatsApp data if you select the appropriate item in the list of transferred files.

If you use third-party backup apps like SMS Backup & Restore, the process will look like this: create a backup file on your old phone, transfer that file in any convenient way (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct), and restore it to a new one. However, Xiaomi's built-in tools are preferable, as they guarantee compatibility of database formats.

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For full transfer of call history and SMS, using Mi Mover is the only reliable way that does not require root rights.

Synchronization of multimedia and documents

Photos and videos occupy the lion’s share of the memory of a modern smartphone, and their transfer requires a special approach: using the Mi Mover, the original quality of files, the structure of the albums and even metadata (date and location of the shooting) is preserved, which allows the Gallery on the new device to properly sort the images by timeline.

Documents, downloads and downloads from the browser can also be transferred en masse. In the interface of the portable application, select the category "Files" or "Documents" to specify specific folders. If you use a file manager, you can simply copy the contents of the /Internal Storage/Download or /DCIM folder, but the automated method reduces the risk of human error.

For users working with large volumes of video in 4K, it is recommended to use a USB-C to USB-C cable if both devices support data transfer over it, or that both phones are in close proximity to the Wi-Fi 6 router for maximum speed.

⚠️ Note: When transferring hidden albums or secure folders, you may need to re-enter the privacy password you set on your old device!

Solving and eliminating errors

Synchronization can be a technical challenge due to incompatibility of Android or MIUI versions. If you see an error "failed to connect" or the process is hanging during the analysis stage, try restarting both devices and turning off mobile Internet, leaving only Wi-Fi. Often, the conflict of network interfaces prevents the creation of a direct connection between phones.

Another common problem is the lack of space on the receiving device. Before starting the procedure, be sure to check the free space. If there is not enough space, Mi Mover will suggest selecting only critical data, skipping heavy videos or app cache. Ignoring this warning will lead to an error in the recording of data.

In some cases, especially when switching from a very old version of MIUI (e.g. MIUI 10) to a new HyperOS, it may be necessary to update the Mi Mover application itself via GetApps or Google Play.Outdated versions may misinterpret the structure of new file formats.