Buying a new smartphone is always a joyous event, but it is often overshadowed by the need to transfer a huge amount of information from the old device. Xiaomi ecosystem owners are in a great position, as the company has developed several effective tools for data migration. The process can take from 15 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the files, but with the right approach, you will save all the important contacts, correspondence history and system settings.
There are several proven methods, each with its own advantages, depending on the version of the operating system on the old phone, the availability of a stable Wi-Fi connection and personal preferences of the user, we will consider the most relevant and reliable options that guarantee the safety of your digital life.
Use of the built-in Mi Mover application
The fastest and most convenient way to transfer data between Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones is using the Mi Mover application, which is pre-installed on all modern devices of the brand and optimized for working with the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS. The main advantage of the method is that it creates a direct Wi-Fi connection between devices, bypassing the Internet channel, which ensures high speed of transferring large files.
To get started, run the app on both devices. On the new phone, select "I'm the recipient" and on the old phone, "I'm the sender." QR-And the code of the device will connect, and you can choose the categories of data to copy, and it allows you to transfer not only the gallery and contacts, but even the placement of desktop icons and passwords from Wi-Fi networks.
⚠️ Warning: Make sure the screens of both smartphones don't go out during the process.While the Mi Mover is tear-resistant, suddenly turning off the display on some models may interrupt packet transmission.
It is important to note that the app does not copy the programs themselves, but only creates shortcuts and downloads fresh versions from the GetApps store or Google Play, which avoids transferring junk files and cache that could accumulate on the old device over the years of use.
- 🚀 High speed data transfer over a local Wi-Fi Direct network
- 📱 Support for transfer of system settings and desktop layout
- 🔄 Ability to resume interrupted transmission without loss of progress
- 🛡️ Secure Encryption of the Communication Channel Between Devices
📊 What data transfer method do you use most often?
Mi Mover (built-in)
Google Account
Third-party applications (Cloneit, Send Anywhere)
Manual copying on PC
If you are switching from a device of another brand, such as Samsung or Honor, you will need to install Mi Mover on an old smartphone via the phone. QR-code APK-The setup process remains the same, but the range of data transmitted can be limited to standard multimedia files and contacts.
Synchronization through Google account
The classic method that remains relevant for all Android users is backup through Google services. When the new Xiaomi is first activated, the system will prompt you to log in to your account and recover data from the cloud, which is ideal for saving contacts, calendar events, notes and passwords stored in the Google password manager.
To make sure that the method works correctly, you need to make sure that the old device is fully synced. Go to settings, find the Accounts section and check the sync status for all important items. Often users forget to turn on sync for contacts or calendar, which causes them to find empty lists when they log in to the new phone.
Settings → Google → Synchronization → Check all points
However, it is worth considering the limitations. Through Google Backup, it is not always possible to transfer the history of calls and SMS-Messages if the old device did not have a special backup plugin installed, and photos and videos take up space in the cloud storage, the limit of which in the free version is 15 GB.
What to do if the synchronization is suspended?
If the sync process is stopped in the middle, try to do the following: 1. Clear the cache of the Google Play Services app. 2. Remove the account from the phone settings and add it again. 3. Make sure the device has an exact time and date, as time desynchronization blocks the connection to the server.> The advantage of this method is the independence of the old phone brand. Data is "tied" to the account, not to a specific device, which makes this method universal when switching from any Android operating system. Transfer over Mi Cloud and Xiaomi Mi Mi Accounts only allow owners to store a full cloud-based service. Unlike Google, Mi Cloud specializes in deep integration with the MIUI shell, saving even specific interface settings. To use this method, you need to create or log into Xiaomi Account on both devices. In the cloud service menu, you can select options for backup: system settings, lock screen, alarm clocks and application data. After logging in on a new smartphone, you just need to select the last restore point. Google Drive Mi Cloud Data Type Local (Mi Mover) Contacts Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes (original) Yes (original) MIUI No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes, there is not enough for the full SMS Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data for the System No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No In this case, it makes sense to pay for a temporary expansion of the storage or use a hybrid approach. ☑️ Check before syncing Mi Cloud Registered Mi AccountEnabled Wi-FiEmployed Cloud Location Cleared Account Password Known Two-factor Protection Enabled: 0 / 5 Using Mi Cloud is especially effective if you’ve lost your phone before.The Find Device feature and remote lock only work with an active account, so having a Xiaomi account is also a matter of security for your data. If the built-in tools do not work for some reason or you are switching from iOS, you can use third-party solutions. Apps like Send Anywhere or Cloneit, which work on the principle of creating a local network, are popular. They are convenient for their cross-platform and lack of binding to the brand. The alternative is to use a personal computer, and you can connect the old phone as a media device (MTP) and copy the folders DCIM, Download and Documents manually. Contacts and calendars can be exported to.vcf and.vcs, respectively, and then imported on a new device. ⚠️ Note: When you manually copy through a PC, the folder structure on a new phone may be different. Don't copy the entire Android system folder, it can cause conflicts in the work of applications. PC Suite (or its modern counterparts), which allows you to create complete images of the system. However, working with such images requires caution, since restoring a full copy of the firmware from another device can lead to unstable work. Third-party applications often require permission to access all files, which can be a concern for privacy-conscious users, in which case cable connection to a PC looks like a safer option, since data is not transmitted through third-party servers. Special attention should be paid to the transfer of correspondence in messengers, since standard methods of synchronization often save only the list of contacts, but not the history of messages. WhatsApp has a built-in backup feature that is linked to a Google Drive account. To save correspondence, open WhatsApp settings on your old phone, go to the Chats section» → «Backup" and click "Create." Once you install the app on your new phone and confirm the number, the system will prompt you to restore the story from the cloud. With Viber, the situation is similar to WhatsApp: you need to create a local or cloud copy before changing your device. If you do not follow this step in advance, it will be impossible to restore old messages, since messenger servers do not store the history of correspondence indefinitely. It is important that the new device has the same Google account that the backup was made to. When you change the account region or operating system type (from iOS to Android), special utilities may be required to convert the backup. Frequent errors and troubleshooting During the migration, users often face typical problems that are easily solved. For example, if the transfer of data is made to the backup, 99% is likely to be interrupted from the new device, and the free space is always left on the new one. Another common mistake is ignoring updates. Before starting a transfer, it is recommended to update the Mi Mover app and system software on both devices to the latest versions. MIUI This may cause incompatibility of data formats. ⚠️ Warning: Don't try to interrupt the process of writing data by forced reboot. If the process is stalled, wait for the connection to time out rather than risk the integrity of the file system. If contacts are not displayed correctly (duplicate or unnamed) after transfer, check which account is being displayed. Often, multiple contact sources are active on a new phone at the same time: SIM-Map, Google and Mi Account. Contact settings can only select the display from the right source. 💡The golden rule of migration: Always double backup your critical data (photos and documents) to an external medium or PC before any transfer operations begin. Understanding these nuances will help you avoid data loss and reduce the time you set up a new gadget. Proper preparation of the old device is the key to a successful start with a new smartphone (FAQ) How long does it take to move 64GB of data over Mi Mover? The time depends on the speed of the Wi-Fi modules and the number of small files. On average, the process takes 20 to 40 minutes. Photos are copied faster than thousands of small system settings files. Do you need to insert SIM-- It's desirable, but not necessary, for the Mi Mover to work. SIM-The card will be required to confirm the number in messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber) after the completion of the data migration. Can I transfer data from iPhone to Xiaomi? Yes, the Mi Mover app has an iOS version. It allows you to transfer contacts, photos, videos and calendar events. A full copy of the system and applications from the iPhone is impossible due to OS differences. What if the new Xiaomi works slower after transfer? Give the phone 1-2 hours in the background. After transfer, the system conducts file indexing and application optimization. Also check if there are many updates in the backgrounds. Will passwords from Wi-Fi networks be saved after transfer? Yes, if you use Miver Mover or synchronization via MiFi Account. If you use the old device, you can only save the password from the old one, you can synchronization from the old Wi-Fi account.