Changing a smartphone, especially within the same Xiaomi ecosystem, always raises questions about the safety of personal information. Users often worry that when switching to a new model of Redmi or POCO will have to reconfigure each setting and install applications. Fortunately, modern technology allows you to clone the contents of an old device in almost automatic mode, even saving the placement of icons on the desktop.
The most efficient and reliable tool for this task is the built-in Mi Mover app, which works locally without consuming mobile traffic, and provides fast file transfer speeds of any type. Unlike cloud backups, this method allows you to transfer heavy video archives and cached game data in minutes without loss of quality.
In this guide, we will take a look at all the migration steps, from battery preparation to fine-tuning MIUI or HyperOS system services, and learn how to avoid common errors that can interrupt the process and which data requires special attention for complete security.
Preparing devices for data migration
Before starting the cloning process, you need to make sure that both smartphones are in good condition. The basic requirement is that the battery on both devices should be at least 50%, and it is better to connect them to a power source.
It is also critical to check for free space: the amount of available memory on the receiving Xiaomi device should exceed the total weight of the data being transferred. If you move from 64 GB to 128 GB, there will be no problems, but you will have to manually sort files when you switch to a model with less memory.
⚠️ Warning: Be sure to turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both smartphones before starting the procedure, even if the transmission is over a direct channel. System services use these modules to detect devices and establish the initial handshake.
Make sure your old phone doesn’t run heavy background processes that can slow down the processor, close unused apps and clear RAM, which will help speed up file indexing before sending.
☑️ Ready for transfer
Use of the Mi Mover app
The main tool for the transfer is the utility Mi Mover, which is preinstalled on all current Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones. You can find it in the Tools folder or through a search in the settings menu. If the old device is a different version of Android or brand is different, the application must be downloaded from Google Play or the official website of the manufacturer.
The process of launching is as follows: on the new phone, select the Recipient role, and on the old one, the Sender. After that, the devices will be asked to create an access point or connect to an existing network, and the system will itself suggest the optimal connection option, which usually works faster than a standard Wi-Fi router.
After the connection QR-And then you can start to use the code to select the data, and you can set up what's going to be copied in detail, and the algorithm allows you to select specific categories:
- 📸 Multimedia: photos, videos, music and dictaphone recordings.
- 📞 Contacts and messages: phone book, call history and SMS/MMS correspondence.
- 📱 Applications: list of installed programs and, in some cases, their data.
- ⚙️ System settings: alarm clocks, Wi-Fi passwords and interface settings.
It's important to note that the speed of transfer depends on the number of small files. Thousands of photos can be copied longer than a single 10GB movie, because of the time it takes to process the metadata of each file.
What if the Mi Mover can’t see the device?
Transfer through Google Account and Cloud Services
An alternative, but no less effective, way is to sync through a Google account, ideal for those who want to keep contacts, calendars and notes safe in the cloud, and when you first turn on a new Xiaomi smartphone, you just need to enter a username and password so that all data is automatically pulled from the network.
For photos and videos, Google Photos is the best service, which allows you to free up space on your old device by uploading media files to the cloud and see them instantly on your new device, but keep in mind the 15GB free storage limits that can quickly run out with active camera use.
Owners of older Xiaomi devices can also use the Mi Cloud service. If the old phone was enabled sync with Mi Account, then after you log in to the same account on the new device contacts, recordings of the recorder and screenshots will appear automatically, this is especially convenient when switching between models of the same brand.
| Method | Speed. | Internet dependency | Type of data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Mover | Tall. | No (locally) | All types of files |
| Google Account | Medium | Required. | Contacts, calendar |
| Google Photo | Depends on the channel. | Required. | Photos and videos |
| Bluetooth | Very low. | No. | Only contacts. |
Features of transferring WhatsApp and messengers
The migration of messenger data deserves special attention, as they often store the correspondence history in local databases. For WhatsApp, the standard procedure through Mi Mover can move the application itself, but not the chats. To save the history, you need to use the built-in backup function inside the messenger settings.
On your old phone, go to Settings → Chats → Chat Backup and click on “Backup.” Make sure the copy is created in Google Drive. Once you install WhatsApp on your new device and enter the same phone number, the system will prompt you to restore data from the cloud.
⚠️ Note: WhatsApp backup can only be restored to the same phone number and Google account from which it was created. Changing the account region or number can make the backup inaccessible.
For Telegram, the situation is simpler: all the history of correspondence is stored on the company's servers. Just log in to a new device, and all chats, except secret ones, will be downloaded automatically. Secret chats are tied to a specific device and cannot be transferred.
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To transfer WhatsApp without using Google Drive (if there is no internet), you can create a local backup, copy the Android/media/com.whatsapp folder to your computer, and then move it to a similar directory on your new smartphone before installing the application.
Solutions and errors in synchronization
During the transfer process, users can face various technical difficulties, and one of the most common problems is a disconnection of the connection in the middle of the process, which often happens if one of the devices is power-saving mode, which aggressively turns off the Wi-Fi module to save charge.
Another common mistake is the incompatibility of Android versions: When you migrate data from a very old version (like Android 6) to the latest HyperOS, some system settings may not apply, in which case Mi Mover will skip them by focusing on user files.
If the process is suspended during the “Waiting” or “Connection” stage:
- 🔄 Restart both smartphones and try to start the procedure again.
- 📶 Turn off the mobile internet (4G/5G) On both devices, leaving only Wi-Fi.
- 🔒 Unlock the phone screens, as in sleep mode the transmission often breaks off.
- 📂 Check if the memory of the receiving device is full in real time.
Sometimes antivirus programs or third-party launchers can block Mi Mover’s access to the file system, in which case it is recommended to temporarily disable the protection or use the standard system interface to conduct an operation.
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Connection stability is more important than speed. If Wi-Fi Direct is unstable, it's better to create a hotspot on one of the phones and connect to it than to try to use a public network.
Completion and initial setup
After you successfully complete the copy, take your time to delete data from your old phone. During the first days of using the new Xiaomi gadget, carefully check for all files. Pay special attention to hidden folders in the file manager and browser bookmarks.
MIUI or HyperOS may require additional time to index the transferred photos in the gallery, during which time the smartphone may heat up slightly - this is a normal process of optimizing the database of media files.
It is recommended to check the biometric protection immediately, fingerprints and facial data are not transferred between devices for security reasons. → Passwords and security.
It’s also worth checking notification settings for portable apps. Xiaomi’s aggressive power saving system may have reset background permissions for some programs, which may cause notifications to fail. Go through the list of important apps and make sure there’s no limit mode.