How to quickly transfer data from one Xiaomi phone to another: 5 proven ways

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but data porting often becomes a headache. Contacts, photos, messages, apps, and even screen settings all need to be saved to keep from starting from scratch. Fortunately, device owners on MIUI have several quick ways to migrate, which take 5 to 30 minutes depending on the amount of data.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods, from the official Mi Mover tool to manually transferring over the cloud or cable, you will learn what method is suitable for your model (for example, the Redmi Note 12 or Xiaomi 13T), how to avoid data loss during transfer, and what to do if the new phone “can’t see” the old one, and also a unique life hack for transferring applications along with their data (for example, saving in games or chatting in Telegram), which is not mentioned in the standard instructions.

Importantly, if you’re switching from Android to iPhone (or vice versa), some of the methods in this article won’t work — there are separate guides for cross-platform migration, and here we focus exclusively on transfer between Xiaomi devices (including the Redmi and POCO sub-brands).

1.Mi Mover is Xiaomi's official tool for fast transfer

Mi Mover is a built-in application in MIUI that automatically copies contacts, messages, photos, videos, music, and even some system settings. It works on a point-to-point (no cloud) principle and does not require an Internet connection – data is transmitted directly over Wi-Fi.

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

• 📱 On both phones, open the settings. → The phone. → Mi Mover (or find the app through search on the system).
• 🔄 On the old phone, select “I am the sender” and on the new one, “I am the receiver».
• 📶 Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (or create an access point on an old phone).
• 🔍 Scan on your new phone. QR-code that will appear on the screen of the old.
• ✅ Select data types to transfer (you can mark all or only the desired categories).

The process takes 5 to 20 minutes depending on the amount of data. Mi Mover supports transferring most files, but there are limitations:

• ❌ No installed apps are transferred (only a list of them for later download from the Play Market).
• ❌ Some system settings (e.g. Read Mode or Navigation Gestures) may reset.
• ❌ Data from some apps (such as WhatsApp or banking programs) is not portable due to security restrictions.

Charge both phones at least 50% |Free 10-15% of memory on your new device |Plug both phones to charge (recommended) |Switch off VPN and firewalls |Make sure both phones have the latest version of MIUI-->

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If Mi Mover is stuck in the connection phase, try restarting Wi-Fi on both devices or using a mobile hotspot instead of a home network.

2. Google Account Transfer: Reliable, but not for everything

If you use Google, some of the data is already synced automatically, a method that is suitable for transferring contacts, calendars, notes, mail and certain settings, but not for multimedia or apps.

To transfer data through Google Account:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Make sure that synchronization is enabled for the desired categories (contacts, calendar, etc.).
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Google account when you first turn on or add it manually in the settings.
4. Wait until the synchronization is complete (it can take up to 10 minutes).

Advantages of the method:

• ☁️ Data is stored in the cloud and accessible from any device.
• 🔄 Automatic synchronization – no need to repeat the process when changing the phone.

Disadvantages:

• 🚫 Photos, videos, music are not transferred (you need Google Photos separately for them).
• 🚫 Applications and their data (e.g. game progress) are not stored.
• 🚫 Restriction on free storage (15 GB per account).

Local Cable Transmission: for Large Data Volumes

If you have hundreds of gigabytes of photos, videos or music, you'll have the fastest, most reliable transmission over the cable. OTG-cable USB-C to USB-C, If both phones have modern connectors).

Instructions:

1. Connect your old phone to your new phone using a cable.
2. On the new phone, select File Transfer (MTP) mode in the notification panel.
3. Open Explorer on a new phone and a folder with the old device will appear.
4. Copy the files you want (usually they are in DCIM, Download, Pictures, etc.).

The transfer speed depends on the USB version:

• USB 2.0 (older models): ~5-10 MB/s.
• USB 3.0/3.1 (modern flagships): up to 50-100 MB/s.

Warning:

⚠️ Warning: Do not turn off the cable during transmission - this can damage files. If the phone starts to warm, pause on the phone. 5-10 minute.

4. Cloud services: Mi Cloud vs Google Drive

If you don't have a cable or you want to back up your data, you can use cloud storage. Xiaomi has its own cloud, Mi Cloud, and it also has a universal Google Drive.

Comparison of services:

How to transfer data through Mi Cloud:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Turn on synchronization for the desired categories.
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account and wait for the synchronization to complete.

For Google Drive:

1. Install the Google Drive app on your old phone.
2. Upload files to the cloud (you can create an archive).
3. On the new phone, download the files back.

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Mi Cloud is convenient for transferring system data (such as design themes or lock screen settings), but for multimedia, it is better to use Google Drive or local transmission.

5. Data-saving application portability (for advanced users)

Standard methods do not carry installed applications and their data (for example, save in games or chats in Telegram), this requires a backup through ADB or specialized programs like Titanium Backup (requires root access).

If you don’t have root, try the following method (not all models work):

1. On your old phone, turn on USB Debugging (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – press 7 times, then go back to Additional Settings → For Developers).
2. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command in ADB: adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f backup.ab
3. Copy the backup.ab file to your new phone.
4. Restore backup via command: adb restore backup.ab

Limitations:

• 🔒 Not all applications support backup (for example, banking or with a bank account). DRM-protection).
• 🔧 On the new versions MIUI 14 This method may not work due to security limitations.

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To transfer data from WhatsApp, use the built-in backup to Google Drive: WhatsApp Settings → Chat → Backup. On your new phone, install WhatsApp and restore chats from the cloud.

6. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

Even with official tools, users are facing problems, and here are some of the most common solutions.

Problem 1: Mi Mover doesn't see the second phone.

• 🔌 Check that both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (not to different bands) 2.4/5 GHz).
• 📵 Turn it off. VPN and energy-saving regime.
• 🔄 Reboot the Mi Mover on both phones.

Problem 2: No photos or videos are tolerated.

• 📁 Make sure the files are not hidden (check the folder) DCIM/.thumbnails).
• 🗑️ Free up space on a new phone – sometimes the transfer is interrupted due to memory shortage.

Problem 3: Applications are not restored after the transfer.

• 📥 Check if automatic app downloads are enabled in the Play Market (Settings) → Auto-update).
• 🔓 Make sure the new phone has the same Google account as the old one.

⚠️ Note: If you transfer data from your phone to your phone MIUI 12 or older on a device with MIUI 14, some of the settings may not apply due to firmware changes, and in this case, you'll have to manually adjust them.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions