Xiaomi phone cloned to another device: the full guide

Shifting data from one Xiaomi smartphone to another is a challenge that every user faces when buying a new device or having to duplicate information. The cloning process saves not only contacts and photos, but also system settings, messages, call history and even installed applications with their data. However, not all methods are equally effective: some methods lose some information, others require additional equipment or risk data security.

In this article, we will analyze 5 proven ways of cloning Xiaomi – from standard features MIUI You will learn how to transfer data between devices of the same brand (for example, from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 13), as well as to devices of other brands. MIUI, which allow you to clone even system applications and lock screen settings – this information is rarely disclosed in official instructions.

1.Cloning through the built-in MIUI (Mi Mover) function

The easiest and safest way to do this is to use the Mi Mover branded tool available on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 9 and up, which does not require a computer and saves most of the data, including:

• 📱 Contacts and call log
• 📷 Photos and videos (including Google Photos albums)
• 💬 Communications (SMS/MMS and chat rooms of some messengers)
• 🎵 Music and documents from internal memory
• ⚙️ System settings (wallpaper, brightness, sound profiles)

Limitation: Wi-Fi passwords, some application data (such as WhatsApp or banking programs) and files from an external memory card are not portable.

Instructions for cloning:

1. On your old phone, open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Data Transfer (Mi Mover).
2. On the new device, do the same thing and select "I am a new user."
3. Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network or use a direct connection via a Wi-Fi network. QR-code (will appear on the screen of the new phone).
4. Select the data to transfer and confirm the start of the process. The time depends on the amount of information (from 5 minutes to 1 hour).

Charge both phones at least 50% | Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network (or use a mobile hotspot) |Free your new phone with at least 20% of the memory |Disable VPN and firewalls |Close all background apps-->

⚠️ Warning: If the new phone already has data, Mi Mover will suggest resetting it to factory settings before transferring.This will delete all existing files! Backup the new device in advance if it has important information.

2. Data transfer via Google account

If both phones are linked to the same Google account, some of the data is synced automatically, a technique that is suitable for basic cloning, but has limitations:

How to turn on synchronization:

1. On your old phone: Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync → Turn on all the switches.
2. On a new phone: When you first turn on, select “Copy Data from Another Device” and log in to the same Google account.
3. Wait until synchronization is complete (it can take up to 24 hours for large data sets).

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To speed up syncing photos, open the Google Photos app on your old phone and manually back up the Settings → Backup and Sync menu.

The main disadvantage of this method is not tolerated:

• 🔐 Passwords from Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices
• 📱 Lock screen settings and fingerprints
• 💰 Data of banking applications and wallets
• 🎮 Save games (unless they are tied to the cloud)

3. Cloning through a computer (Mi PC Suite)

For full control of the process, use the official Mi PC Suite software, which is suitable if:

• 🔄 You need to transfer data to a phone of another brand (not Xiaomi)
• 💾 Requires to backup PC before cloning
• 🔧 Only certain types of files need to be selectively transferred.

Instructions:

1. Download Mi PC Suite from the official website and install it on your computer.
2. Connect your old phone to your PC via USB-cable (select File Transfer mode in the notification curtain).
3. In the program, go to the "Backup" section and select the data to save (you can create a full backup or selective).
4. After creating a backup, disconnect the old phone and connect a new one.
5. In Mi PC Suite, select Recovery and specify the previously created backup file.

⚠️ Note: When you restore a backup to a phone of another brand (such as a Samsung or iPhone), some of the data may not be transferred due to differences in the file system.

4. Use of third-party applications (Clone Phone, SHAREit)

If standard methods don't work, use specialized applications. We tested the 3 most reliable ones:

We recommend Clone Phone for Xiaomi devices, as it is optimized for MIUI and even transfers the settings of the themes.

1. Install Clone Phone with Google Play on both phones.
2. On the old phone, select "Send data", on the new one - "Receive data".
3. Connect through QR-Bluetooth.
4. Select data to transfer and wait until it is completed (use Wi-Fi to speed up).

Through Mi Mover| Through Google Account|Through Computer|Through Third Party Apps (SHAREit, Clone Phone)|In Another Way-->

5. Manual transfer of critical data (for experienced users)

If you only need to migrate specific data (such as game saves or application databases), use manual methods to:

• 📁 Application files: Copy folders from /Android/data/[name package] and /Android/obb/[name packet] for a new phone (root rights required for some applications).
• 🔑 Wi-Fi Passwords: Export them via the WiFi Password Viewer app (root required) or manually from a file /data/misc/wifi/WifiConfigStore.xml.
• 📱 System settings: Use ADB-Export commands for settings: adb pull /data/system/users/0 settings.db (unlocked bootloader and superuser rights required).

⚠️ Warning: Manual transfer of system files can lead to unstable phone operation or setting conflicts.Before experimenting, create a full backup through the phone. TWRP or Mi PC Suite.

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To migrate these games (such as Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile), use built-in cloud storage features. Most modern games are tied to a Google Play Games account, Facebook or the developer's own server.

6. cloning on a phone of another brand (Android/iOS)

Transferring data from Xiaomi to an iPhone or smartphone of another brand (Samsung, Huawei) has nuances:

• 🍎 On iPhone: Use Apple's Move to iOS app, which portables contacts, messages, photos and videos, but doesn't support apps and their data.
• 🤖 On Android: Samsung is going to be smart Switch, Huawei is going to be Phone Clone, and these tools are similar to Mi Mover, but they're optimized for their own brands.
• 🔄 Dr.Fone – Phone Transfer works with any device, but requires a PC.

Instructions for Move to iOS:

1. When setting up a new iPhone, select “Data Transfer from Android”.
2. On Xiaomi, install Move to iOS from Google Play.
3. Connect to the temporary Wi-Fi network created by the iPhone.
4. Select the data to transfer and wait until it is completed (may take up to 2 hours).

Important: not all data is transferred.

• 📱 Apps: Only free ones from the App Store will be transferred (if there are analogues).
• 📁 Music and documents are not automatically copied – they need to be transferred manually over iTunes or the cloud.
• ⚙️ Settings: All system parameters (MIUI) will be dropped.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

When you clone Xiaomi, you have a typical problem, and we've put together solutions for the most common ones.

If the cloning is interrupted, don’t panic.

1. Check if all the data has been moved (sometimes the process is completed ahead of time, but the main files have already been copied).
2. Repeat the transfer only for missing data (for example, only contacts or photos).
3. If the phone stops turning on, reset via Fastboot: fastboot erase userdata fastboot reboot.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions