How to transfer everything from Android to Xiaomi Android: a step-by-step guide

Changing a smartphone is always perceived as stressful, especially when an old device has thousands of important files, contacts and correspondence stored in its memory. However, for owners of the Xiaomi ecosystem, this process has become much easier thanks to built-in tools and an optimized shell MIUI or HyperOS. If you are wondering how to transfer everything from android to android Xiaomi as quickly as possible and without losing data, modern methods of cloning allow you to do it in just a few clicks.

The biggest challenge is often not the lack of tools, but choosing the right method for a particular situation: some prefer Google cloud services, others trust a local wireless connection, and others want a full copy of the system, including the location of icons on the desktop. In this article, we will take a detailed look at all the migration options available so that you can choose the most suitable one for you.

Before any manipulations are initiated, it is critical to ensure that both devices have sufficient battery power, preferably more than 50%. Also check for free space on a new Redmi or Poco smartphone, as the amount of data transferred can be significant. Proper preparation will eliminate the interruption of the process halfway, which sometimes leads to errors in the database.

Using the Mi Mover app for quick migration

The most effective and preferred way for users of Xiaomi equipment is to use the proprietary Mi Mover application. This tool is pre-installed on all new devices of the brand and allows you to transfer data over a direct Wi-Fi connection without consuming mobile traffic.

To get started, you need to run the app on both smartphones. On the new device, select Receiver and on the old device, Sender, and the system will create an access point that you need to connect to from the old phone. Once you connect, the interface will suggest selecting data categories to transfer.

⚠️ Warning: While running Mi Mover, do not switch to other apps or block the smartphone screen, as this can break the connection and interrupt file transfer.

The tool allows you to flexibly configure filters to avoid carrying unnecessary debris. You can only choose contacts, messages, call history, photos, videos, music and documents. There is also an option to clone the list of installed applications, although the program files themselves often have to be downloaded from the Google Play store or GetApps already on a new device.

An important advantage of the method is the ability to transfer not only media files, but also system settings such as alarm clocks, Wi-Fi network configuration and even the location of widgets on the desktop, which allows the new smartphone to immediately “feel” your familiar device, which does not need to get used to for a long time.

Synchronization through Google account

The classic method that works on any Android device, regardless of manufacturer, is that all your data is stored in Google’s cloud storage. When you first activate a new Xiaomi phone, you just need to enter your username and password from your account so that the system automatically starts downloading contacts, calendar events and notes.

To prepare your old device, you need to go to the settings and find the Accounts or Users and Accounts section. Select your Google profile and make sure that the sync sliders are activated for all the important items: Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, Notes. After that, click the Force Sync button, which is usually in the three-dot menu in the corner of the screen.

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Photos and videos are better synced through the Google Photos app, enabling the function “Autoboot and sync” over Wi-Fi, so as not to overload the main data channel of the system.

For apps, when you log in to Google Play on a new smartphone, the system will suggest you restore programs you've installed before, and you'll see a list of all the apps that have ever been downloaded to your account, and just tick the boxes against the ones you want, and they'll start downloading automatically.

But it has its limitations: it can't carry Wi-Fi passwords, alarm settings, voice recorders (if they're not in the cloud), and files in downloads or documents if they're not placed in synced directories, so Google sync is often used as an addition to other methods.

Manual transfer of files via computer

If your data is hundreds of gigabytes long, like shooting 4K video or storing huge archives, wireless methods can be too slow, and the most reliable option is to use a personal computer as an intermediate buffer, which requires a USB cable and access to the file system of both devices.

Connect your old smartphone to your PC via cable and select File Transfer or MTP mode from the menu on your phone screen. The computer will open a conductor window with your phone files. Copy the required folders (DCIM, Pictures, Download, Documents, Music) into a separate directory on your computer's hard drive.

Once you've finished copying, turn off your old phone and plug in your new Xiaomi. Also put it in file transfer mode. Now just drag and drop the saved folders from your computer into the internal memory of the new device. Android folder structure is universal, so photos are automatically identified in the gallery and music is determined in the player.

The main advantage of the manual method is that you have complete control over the process and no compression of file quality, which sometimes happens when you use messengers or some cloud services in traffic saving mode, and you can physically see which files have been copied.

SMS Message Transfer and Call History

One of the most painful topics when changing phones is the loss of correspondence history and call logs. Standard Android tools are not always willing to share this data between different manufacturers, although within one ecosystem, things are better.

The most popular solution is the application SMS Backup & Restore. It creates local XML-A file with all the history of messages and calls, which can then be transferred to a new phone in any convenient way (via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct or cable) and restored.

Xiaomi owners can also try the built-in MIUI backup feature.It allows you to create a system backup that includes SMS, MMS and call log.This file can be saved to a computer or to the Mi Cloud and then deployed to a new device.The path to the feature: Settings → About the phone → Backup and Restore.

It is worth noting that it can take time to restore an SMS from a backup, and during this period the phone may work slower. It is not recommended to interrupt the recovery process, as this can damage the message database, and then it will be impossible to read the old SMS.

Migration of data messengers: WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber

Modern life is unthinkable without instant messengers, and losing correspondence in them is equivalent to losing important documents. Each popular instant messenger has its own backup mechanism that must be activated in advance, ignoring this step will lead to the fact that on the new phone you will get a “clean” account.

For WhatsApp, it is critical to back up on Google Drive. Go to chat settings inside the app, select “Chat Backup” and click “Create.” Make sure the process is successful and you see the current date and time of the last save. When you install WhatsApp on a new phone, the app will prompt you to recover data from the cloud.

• 📱 Telegram: all data is stored in the cloud, just log in to your phone number.
• 💚 Viber: requires you to create a local copy on Google Drive or manually through a file manager.
• ✈️ Signal: has a transfer function through QR-code that must be activated in the settings of both devices at the same time.

⚠️ Note: When transferring WhatsApp to a new phone, the phone number must be active and inserted into the device to be checked through the phone. SMS call.

Some users try to simply move the folders of data through the file manager, but this method often doesn't work due to changes in Android's security policy, which encrypts the app data.Using regular backup tools inside the apps themselves remains the most reliable way.

Solving problems in transfer

Even if all instructions are followed, there can be technical difficulties: users often find that the process hangs on a certain percentage or some files do not open on a new device, in most cases due to incompatibility of Android versions or lack of access rights.

If data transfer is interrupted, try restarting both smartphones and repeating the procedure by temporarily disabling VPNs or antivirus programs that can block network connection. It is also worth making sure that geolocation is enabled on both devices, since some transmission protocols (especially on Android 12 and above) require access to GPS to detect devices nearby.

In case of problems with specific apps that don’t port or open, check the operating system version.If the old phone had a very old Android and the new Xiaomi has a fresh Android 14, some older versions of the apps may just be incompatible and require a store update.

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The most reliable way to avoid errors is the combined method: contacts and kalinov through Google, photos through cable or Mi Mover, and messengers through their internal backup settings.

Sometimes users forget about two-factor authentication. Make sure you have access to a phone number or an authenticator app, as logging into accounts on a new device often requires proof of identity, without which you can lose access to your data even if you physically move files.