How to Transfer Data from Android to Xiaomi: 5 Proven Ways (Including Hidden Chips)

Switching to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always an exciting moment, but transferring data from an old Android device often turns into a headache. Users lose hours manually copying photos, restoring contacts or setting up apps, although the process can be put into place. 5-15 In this article, only relevant ways to do this are the right ones. 2026 The year, including official Mi Mover tools, cloud services and little-known life hacks for transferring even Wi-Fi passwords.

Feature of Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi models, POCO Black Shark – its own ecosystem MIUI, But many users make the critical mistake of starting the transfer without preparation, which leads to data loss or duplicate files. We will analyze each method with nuances in mind – from compatibility of Android versions to the limitations of the amount of data transferred.

1.Official method: Mi Mover - fast transfer without PC

Mi Mover – a proprietary solution from Xiaomi, which is integrated into the firmware MIUI It allows you to transfer up to 100 GB of data wirelessly, and the main advantage is the support not only of Xiaomi smartphones, but also of devices from other brands (for example, Samsung, Huawei or Realme:

• 📱 It only works on Android 5.0 devices.+ (Older versions need a workaround).
• 🔗 Requires connecting both phones to the same Wi-Fi network (or creating a direct connection).
• ⚡ The speed of transmission depends on the firmware version: MIUI 14/15 process 2-3 times faster than MIUI 12.
• 🚫 Does not transfer data of certain applications (for example, WhatsApp or banking programs).

To avoid errors, follow the algorithm:

1. On the new Xiaomi, select Data Transfer when you first turn on (if the phone is already configured, open Settings). → The phone. → Data portability).
2. On your old phone, install the Mi Mover app from Google Play (if it’s not on the system).
3. Scan the scanner on the new device QR-The code that will appear on the old phone.
4. Select data types for transfer (contacts, messages, photos, videos, applications) and confirm the beginning of the process.

⚠️ Warning: If your old phone has battery optimization enabled for Mi Mover, the transmission may be interrupted. Before starting, turn off the power saving for this application in the battery settings.

Disable VPN on both devices

Battery Charge > 50% on both phones

Release. ≥ 20% of memory on the new Xiaomi

Turn off ad blockers (they can block the connection)-->

2. Google Account: a universal method for contacts, photos and applications

Syncing through Google Account is the most reliable way to transfer basic data, as it does not depend on the model of the phone and works even when changing the operating system (for example, from Android to iOS).

• ☁️ Contacts, calendars and notes are synced automatically if the Settings option is enabled on the old phone. → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization.
• 📸 Photos and videos are transferred via Google Photos, but only if backup is enabled on the old phone (check in the Settings app). → Backup).
• 📱 Apps are restored from Google Play, but their data (such as saves in games) is only if the developer supports cloud storage.
• 🔑 Wi-Fi passwords are not transferred via Google, but a separate method is required (see Section 5).

Step-by-step:

1. On your old phone, check that sync with Google is enabled: Settings → Accounts. → Google → [your email] → Synchronization of the account.
2. Open Google Photos and wait for the backup to complete (the cloud icon in the upper right corner should turn green).
3. On the new Xiaomi, when setting up, select “Restore from backup” and log in to the same Google Account.
4. Confirm the data recovery and wait for the process to be completed (can take anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours depending on the volume).

Mi Mover (Official Xiaomi App)

Google Account (Sync)

Manual copying through cable

Cloud services (Yandex Disk, Dropbox)

Another way.-->

OTG Cable Transfer: For Large Volumes Without Internet

If you have a slow internet connection or need to move more 100 GB of data (e.g., high-resolution movies or Adobe Premiere Rush projects), cable OTG It's the best solution. It works in a way. 3-5 faster than wireless alternatives, but requires additional accessories:

• 🔌 Needed. OTG-adapter (or cable) USB-C → USB-C, If both phones are modern).
• 📁 The new Xiaomi should have a file manager installed (e.g., Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer).
• ⚡ Transfer speed depends on the version USB: USB 3.1 copies data 10 times faster than USB 2.0.
• 🔒 Some folders (e.g, /Android/data/) can be hidden – you will need to enable the display of system files.

Instructions:

1. Connect your old phone to your new one OTG-On the screen of the old device, select "File Transfer" mode" (MTP).
2. On the new Xiaomi, open the file manager and find the connected device in the Devices or External Drives section.
3. Copy the right folders (DCIM for photos, Downloads for downloads, WhatsApp for chats) in internal memory or on the SD-mapping.
4. To transfer applications, copy the folder /Android/obb/ (game data) and install APK-manually.

⚠️ Note: When copying the WhatsApp folder, don’t forget about the file msgstore.db.crypt14 — This is your message history. Without it, chats will only recover in the last 7 days.

💡

If the phone doesn't recognize. OTG-Cable, try restarting both devices or using a cable with support USB-IF (Certified accessories are more stable).

4. Cloud services: Yandex Drive, Dropbox and Telegram as an alternative

If you don't. OTG-And the main thing is to choose a service with enough free space and high download speeds, and Mi Mover refuses to work, cloud storage will be the salvation:

How to transfer data via Yandex Drive (optimum for Russia):

1. On your old phone, install Yandex Drive and log in to your account.
2. In the settings, turn on "Autoload photo" and wait for the synchronization to be completed.
3. For other files (documents, music) manually upload them to the cloud via the application interface.
4. On the new Xiaomi, install Yandex Drive, log in to the same account and download files to your phone’s memory.

For Telegram (the fastest way to get files up to 2GB):

1. Open the chat "Saved Messages" (Self-Messages).
2. Click on the paperclip ("Attach") and select "File".
3. Send the files you need, then open this chat on your new phone and download them.

5. Transfer Wi-Fi passwords, messages and application data: hidden chips

The hardest part about changing your phone is moving hidden data, like Wi-Fi passwords, message history, or game saves, and most guides don't mention those details, but we've put together a workable solution.

🔑 Wi-Fi passwords

On Android 10 devices+ Passwords are synced through Google Account if the “Password Backup” function is enabled (Settings) → Google → Backup → Copying application data for older versions:

• Use the WiFi Key Recovery app (requires root).
• Or manually copy the file /data/misc/wifi/WifiConfigStore.xml (You need a root and file manager with superuser rights).

💬 Communications SMS and MMS

For transfer SMS fitting SMS Backup & Restore:

1. Install it on your old phone and create a backup (“Backup”).
2. Save the file to Google Drive or send yourself an email.
3. On the new Xiaomi, install the same app, download the backup and restore messages ("Restore").

🎮 Game and application data

Most modern games (such as Genshin Impact or the likes of the game) PUBG Mobile) are linked to a Google Play Games account, Facebook or the developer's own server to keep up with progress:

• Before the penos, check the "Account" or "Synchronization" section in the game settings.
• For offline games, copy folders /Android/obb/[title of the game; and /Android/data/[title of the game through OTG-cable.
• Use Helium (requires a PC) to back up your application data without root.

💡

Before you run the app, check if it supports cross-platform sync, for example, WhatsApp is reserved only through Google Drive, and Viber is reserved through your own account.

6.Move from broken or non-enabled Android to Xiaomi

If the old phone doesn't turn on, has a broken screen, or is stuck on the logo, there's still a chance of saving the data, and the key is to determine the extent of the damage.

• 🔄 Phone vibrates, but the screen doesn’t work: connect it to your PC via USB and use ADB-copying-command.
• 🔋 The device does not respond to charging: try to pinch the Power + Volume Down on the 10-15 second-on-second forced reboot.
• 💀 Phone in the "brick" (not loaded even in recovery): JTAG or chip-off method (only in the service center).

To extract data from a phone that is turned on but the screen is not working:

1. Connect your phone to your PC through USB and set ADB-Drivers (can be downloaded from the site) XDA Developers).
2. Open the command line (Win) + R → cmd) and type: adb devices If the device is determined, execute: adb pull /sdcard/ C:\Xiaomi_Backup\ This will copy all the data from the internal memory to the disk. C:\.
3. To copy specific folders (for example, photos) use: adb pull /sdcard/DCIM/ C:\Xiaomi_Backup\Photos\

⚠️ Note: If the phone is enabled with data encryption (File-Based Encryption), ADB You can't copy files without unlocking them, and then you can only restore them through the TWRP (requires an unlocked loader).

7.Optimize the new Xiaomi after data transfer

Data portability is only half the battle. Once the process is complete, the new Xiaomi needs to be properly configured to avoid lag, overheating or rapid battery drain.

Disable auto-run of unnecessary applications (Settings) → Annexes → Auto-start)

Clean the cache in Settings → Memory → Cleanup

Disable animation (Settings) → Special facilities → Remove animations)

Set up a background activity restriction (Settings) → Battery → Background restriction)

Update all apps through Google Play-->

Pay particular attention to:

• 🔋 Battery: After transferring data, complete the full charging cycle (0% → 100% → 0%) for calibration of the controller.
• 📱 Performance: In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI Click 7 times to open Developer Mode, then turn off Windows Animation and Transitions".
• 🛡️ Security: Check the permissions of applications in Settings → Confidentiality → Permits and revoke contact/geolocation access for suspicious programs.

If the phone is slowing down after the transfer:

1. Reboot it in Safe Mode (click Power) → long tap on "Switch off" → "Reboot to Safe Mode").
2. Check which application loads the system in Settings → Battery → Battery utilization.
3. Perform a cache reset via Recovery (turn off the phone) → clamp down the Power + Volume Up → Choose "Wipe Cache").

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even when you follow the instructions, you have typical problems.-5 errors and ways of solving them:

If none of these methods worked, try a combination approach:

1. Move your contacts and calendars through your Google Account.
2. Photo and video - via OTG-cable.
3. Apps – Restore from Google Play.
4. Wi-Fi passwords and SMS — through special applications (WiFi Password Viewer and WiFi Password Viewer) SMS Backup & Restore).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions