How to Transfer Xiaomi Account to a New Phone: 7 Steps to Safely Migration

Why changing Xiaomi phone can turn into an account problem

Moving to a new Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphone is always an exciting moment, but many users face an unexpected problem: once the device is replaced, some data disappears, applications require re-authorization, and sometimes even a Mi Account is blocked due to suspicious activity.

The main mistake is to rely on automatic synchronization. In practice, it doesn't work perfectly: contacts can be duplicated, messages in Mi Messages are not always portable, and theme and wallpaper settings are reset. Especially at risk are device owners with unlocked bootloader or custom firmware, where the probability of problems when changing their phone increases significantly. Next, we will discuss how to avoid typical traps and save everything valuable.

Step 1: Check the status of your Mi Account before transferring

Before you start migrating, make sure your Mi Account is in a "healthy" state. Go to account.xiaomi.com and check:

• 🔒 Security status: Are there any active sessions from unknown devices (Device tab").
• 📧 Linked email: it must be valid – it will receive a confirmation code when you first log in on the new phone.
• 📱 Phone number: If it is not confirmed, add it – it is a backup recovery method.
• 🔄 Two-factor authentication: If enabled, turn it off temporarily (you can then turn it on again).

Pay special attention to the Security section, where there are warnings about suspicious activity, they need to be removed before you switch to a new phone, for example, if the system requires you to change your password, do it in advance, otherwise, the first time you sign in on a new device, you may be able to activate the security protection against hacking, and the account will be blocked for 24 hours.

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If you use Mi Pay or Mi Credit, be sure to check your linked bank cards. After changing your phone, you may need to be re-verified via SMS.

Step 2: Backup data through Mi Cloud

The most reliable way to save data is a full backup in the Mi Cloud. But there are nuances: a free tariff gives only 5 GB, and for a full copy of a modern smartphone this is not enough. If you have a Xiaomi 12 Pro or Redmi Note 11 with a lot of data, you will either have to clear the cloud of old backups or buy an additional space (from 200 rubles for 50 GB).

How to make a backup right:

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Backup to Mi Cloud.
2. Select categories to save: contacts, messages, notes, system settings, and application data (especially important for Mi Fit or Mi Home).
3. Click on "Create backup" and wait until it's finished. On Xiaomi with MIUI 14, the process can take up to 30 minutes.

Critically, if you use third-party launchers (like Nova Launcher), their settings will not be saved in the Mi Cloud – they need to be backed separately through export to the file. The same applies to certain games (such as Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail) – they are better linked to Google Play or HoYoverse accounts.

Contacts and call log|Communications (SMS/MMS)|Photo and video (Google Photos or Mi Cloud)|Application data (Mi Fit, Mi Home, Banking)|Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings|Notes and calendar|Game data (linking to developer accounts)-->

Step 3: Local backup for reliability

Cloud services can fail: slow Internet, sync errors or sudden deletion of data. So always make a local backup to your computer or external drive. MIUI has a built-in tool for this:

1. Connect your phone to your PC via USB (file transfer mode).
2. In Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Local Backup, select “Create Backup”.
3. Specify the folder on your computer to save (the file will be with the.mbk extension).

Local backup saves even those data that are not synchronized with the cloud: browser history, settings Mi Video and Mi Music, as well as some system files. The main disadvantage is that you can restore such a backup only on a phone with the same version of MIUI. For example, a backup with Redmi Note 10 Pro on MIUI 13 will not work for Xiaomi 13 Lite on MIUI 14.

Step 4: Transferring your account to a new phone: step-by-step instructions

When the backups are ready, you can start setting up the new device, and the key here is to keep the login step in your Mi Account on the first turn on, and if you miss this step, the later will have to reset the phone to the factory settings.

How to transfer the account correctly:

1. Turn on your new phone and select your language.
2. In the “Account Login” step, click “I already have an account” and enter your details (do not use the “Login through” function. QR-code" - it often fails).
3. Confirm login via SMS or email (if two-factor authentication is enabled, use a backup code).
4. In the Data Recovery step, select Restore from Mi Cloud and select the latest backup.
5. Wait for the synchronization to be completed (it can take up to an hour depending on the amount of data).

If a newer phone has a newer version of MIUI, some settings may not be restored, such as the themes from MIUI 12 are not always compatible with MIUI 14, and you will have to manually adjust them.

:Mi Cloud|Local backup |Google Account |Manual file transfer |Another way-->

Step 5: Post-transfer problems and how to solve them

Even if you transfer it properly, you can have problems, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

If the phone is slowing down after the transfer, try clearing the cache: Settings → Apps → App management → Clear the cache for everyone. Also check if contacts are duplicated – a common problem when syncing with multiple accounts (Mi and Google).

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If Mi Pay payments have stopped working after the transfer, delete and add the bank card again.

Step 6: Features for devices with unlocked bootloader

If your old Xiaomi phone had an unlocked bootloader or custom firmware (like LineageOS), the transfer process is complicated, as Mi Cloud can block an account due to “suspicious activity” if it detects traces of modifications.

What to do in this case:

• 🔓 Return the stock firmware before transferring. Use the Mi Flash Tool to firmware the official version MIUI.
• 🔄 Reset the unlock counter (if any) via fastboot oem device-info.
• 📱 Don’t use custom firmware backups – only recover data from Mi Cloud or Google Drive.
• 🔒 After the transfer, wait 7 days before re-unlocking the bootloader on the new phone.

Important: If you have used Magisk or other root rights modules, traces of them may remain even after you reset, in which case, before transferring your account, complete a cleanup via fastboot erase userdata.

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For custom firmware devices, the best way to port is to use Titanium Backup (root rights required), which stores application data in a universal format that can be restored on any Android device.

Step 7: Final Verification and Optimization

After the data transfer, be sure to perform several checks to avoid problems in the future:

1. Make sure the new phone displays all the devices from Mi Home (smart lamps, robot vacuum cleaners, etc.) If something is missing, reconnect the devices manually.
2. Check Mi Fit, sometimes steps and sleep data don't sync. In this case, re-tether your fitness bracelet.
3. Update all apps via Mi App Store or Google Play – this will eliminate possible version conflicts.
4. Go to Settings → Accounts → Mi-account → Sync and enable automatic sync for all categories.

If you notice that a new phone’s battery is running out faster than usual, it may be due to background synchronization. Open Settings → Battery → Battery Use and check which apps consume the most power. Often Mi Cloud or Google Play Services are to blame – limit their activity in the background.

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After the account transfer, it is recommended to change the password from the Mi Account, which will protect your data if the old phone was sold or lost.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the transfer of the Xiaomi account

Moving your Xiaomi account to a new phone just seems complicated. If you follow the checklist: checking your account → backup to the cloud → local copy → correct authorization → data recovery, you will avoid 90% of the problems. The main thing is to take your time and pay attention to the details, especially if it is about payment data or smart devices. And if something goes wrong, you can always restore access through the official Mi-account website.