How to copy data from one Xiaomi phone to another: a complete guide

Transferring data from the old Xiaomi to the new one is a challenge that every smartphone owner of this brand faces, even if you upgraded to the Xiaomi 14 Ultra model or switched from the Redmi Note 12 to the new one. POCO F6, Copying contacts, photos, messages and apps can be tricky. In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to transfer data between Xiaomi devices, including official tools, cloud services and manual methods.

The main problem with copying is data loss or incomplete portability, for example, many users complain that Mi Mover does not transmit Wi-Fi passwords or set up certain applications. MIUI 14 and HyperOS to identify their strengths and weaknesses, and you will learn how to avoid common mistakes, such as losing your call history when using a Google account or crashing when transferring over a cable.

1. Official method: Mi Mover (transmission over Wi-Fi Direct)

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary solution for wireless data transfer between brand devices. MIUI 9 and newer, including Redmi models, POCO The main advantage is to maintain the folder structure and transfer most system settings.

To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:

• 📱 On your old phone, open Settings. → The phone. → Backup and reset → Transfer data (or find the Mi Mover app in the menu).
• 🆕 On the new phone, when you first turn on, select the option “Data Transfer” or start Mi Mover manually through Settings. → Additionally.
• 🔗 Bring the devices to each other and wait for the appearance QR-- Scan it from the old phone.
• 📤 Select data types to transfer: contacts, messages, photos, video, audio, applications (without their data!) and system settings.

It is important to consider the limitations of the Mi Mover:

• ⚠️ Applications are transferred without data – for example, saving in games or settings of messengers will have to be restored separately.
• ⚠️ The maximum transmission size is about 4 GB per session.
• ⚠️ Not all system application settings (e.g. Mi Home or Mi Fit) are portable correctly.

Charge both phones at least 50 times%|Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network (not necessary, but speeds up the process)|Free up space on a new phone (minimum 1.5)× from the volume of data transmitted)|Shut down. VPN firewalls

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Transfer speed depends on the phone model and version MIUI. For example, on Xiaomi 13 Pro with HyperOS, the process takes ~10 minutes for 2GB of data, while on Redmi 9A s MIUI 12 can stretch for 30.+ If the transmission is interrupted, try it:

1. Reboot both devices.
2. Turn off the power saving mode.
3. Use the cable USB-C — USB-C (We will tell you about it in the next section).

2.Transfer via OTG cable: fast and reliable

If you have a cable. OTG plug-in USB-C (Or an adapter for older models with Micro-USB, this method will be the fastest and most stable. Unlike the Mi Mover, cable transmission does not depend on the speed of Wi-Fi and allows you to transfer any files, including hidden folders of system applications.

Instructions:

1. Connect the cable. OTG The new phone (it should be supported) OTG — Check in the settings → Connected devices).
2. Connect the second end of the cable to the old phone.
3. A notification will appear on the new device "USB-Device connected. Select "Transfer files" (MTP).
4. Open Explorer (or Files) on a new phone and a folder with the old device will appear.
5. Copy the data you need manually (we recommend starting with folders). DCIM, Downloads and MIUI).

Advantages of the method:

• 🚀 Speed up to 40 MB / s (versus 2-10 MB / s on Wi-Fi).
• 📁 Full control – you choose which files to copy.
• 🔄 There is no limit on the size (except for free space on the new phone).

⚠️ Note: Not all cables OTG Support data transfer between two phones. Xiaomi recommends using the original Xiaomi cable USB-C to USB-C (articular MDY-12-ES) or certified analogues with a chip USB 3.1.

If the conductor does not display the old device:

• Check if the screen is unlocked on both phones.
• Try another cable or port.
• On your old phone, turn on Settings. → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB.

3. Cloud portability: Xiaomi Cloud and Google Drive

If you don't have a cable or your device doesn't support Mi Mover, you can use cloud services. Xiaomi offers its own cloud (Xiaomi Cloud), and also integrates Google Drive into firmware. Let's consider both options.

Xiaomi Cloud (for contacts, notes, photos)

Xiaomi Cloud automatically syncs:

• 📇 Contacts
• 📝 Notes (Mi Notes)
• 📷 Photos and videos (if Autosynchronization is enabled)
• 🔄 Settings for some system applications (e.g. Mi Browser or Mi Calculator)

How to transfer data:

1. On an old phone: Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization – enable synchronization for the desired categories.
2. Wait for the download to complete (check in Mi Cloud) → Storage management).
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Xiaomi account and enable sync.

Limitations of Xiaomi Cloud:

Google Drive (Universal Method)

Google Drive is suitable for data portability if you use Google services (Gmail, Contacts, Calendar) or want to keep a backup independent of Xiaomi.

1. On an old phone: Settings → Google → Backup – Enable Backup in Google Drive.
2. Click on “Create a backup now” and wait until it is completed.
3. On the new phone, when you set up, select “Restore from backup” and log in to the same Google account.

What is carried over Google Drive:

• 📱 Installed applications (links to the Play Market, but not APK-file).
• 📞 Call history (unlike Xiaomi Cloud).
• 📅 Calendar and reminders.
• 🔑 Wi-Fi passwords (if sync is enabled in Settings) → Google → Managing a Google Account → Security → Passwords).

⚠️ Note: If you used Xiaomi Cloud for photos and Google Photos for video, duplicates are possible when you restore via Google Drive.

4. Manual transfer: what to do if nothing works

If automatic methods fail (e.g., Mi Mover crash or lack of internet), you can manually transfer data, which takes longer, but guarantees 100% control over the process.

4.1. Transfer of contacts through file VCF

Export your contacts to the.vcf file:

1. Open Contacts. → ⋮ (menu) → Contact management → Imports/Exports → Export to device.
2. Select all contacts and save the file (such as contacts.vcf) to the Downloads folder.
3. Transfer the file to your new phone (via cable, Bluetooth or email).
4. On a new phone, import the file through Contacts → Imports/Exports → Import from the device.

4.2. Transportation of photos and videos

The most reliable way is to copy folders manually:

• Connect your old phone to your PC via USB (select File Transfer Mode).
• Find the folders: DCIM/Camera — Photos and video from the camera. DCIM/Screenshots — Screenshots. Pictures - uploaded images.
• Copy them on your PC, then transfer them to a new phone.

To speed up the process, you can archive folders in.zip:

On Windows (via PowerShell)


Compress-Archive -Path "D:\Phone\DCIM\*" -DestinationPath "D:\backup_photos.zip"

Transfer of messages (SMS)

To transfer SMS without Mi Mover, use the application SMS Backup & Restore:

1. Install the app on both phones.
2. On your old phone, create a backup.
3. Save the file (.xml) to a memory card or cloud.
4. On the new phone, restore the data (Restore).

⚠️ Note: When manually transferring messages from WhatsApp or Telegram, use the built-in features of these messengers: WhatsApp: ⋮ → Settings → chat → Backup. Telegram: Settings → Data and memory → Exports of history.

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If the new phone doesn’t have enough space to transfer photos, use Google Photos in “High Quality” mode (unlimited storage) and you can delete files from the device after transferring them to the cloud.

5. Transfer of applications and their data

Porting installed apps is one of the most challenging tasks. Xiaomi doesn't provide built-in copying tools APK-Data files, so you will need to use third-party solutions.

5.1. Transfer through APK-files (without data)

To copy only the applications themselves (without saving):

1. On your old phone, install APK Extractor.
2. Select the desired applications and export them to the folder.
3. Pass it on. APK-Files on a new phone and install them.

5.2. Data transfer (root required)

To fully port applications with data (for example, save in games or configure messengers) will require:

• 🔓 Root rights on both phones.
• 📦 Titanium Backup Appendix.
• 🔄 Time to build and restore backup (up to 1 hour to 50)+ applications).

Instructions:

1. On the old phone in Titanium Backup, select Backup/Restore → Package action → Backup of all user applications + data.
2. Copy the TitaniumBackup folder (located in the root directory) to a new phone.
3. On the new phone, restore data through Package Action → Recovery of all applications with data.

Alternative without root - Helium (requires PC and debugging by the Internet) USB), But it doesn't work with all applications.

5.3. Transfer through application accounts

Many apps support syncing through their own accounts:

• 🎮 Games: Link progress to Google Play Games, Facebook or developer account.
• 💬 Messengers: WhatsApp, Viber and Telegram use built-in export/import chats.
• 📊 Social networks: Instagram, TikTok and Twitter just log into the account on the new phone.

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If the application does not support synchronization, try to find its backup in the folder. /Android/data/ You can use an old phone and copy it to a new one. /Android/data/com.spotify.music/.

6. Transfer system settings and passwords

System settings (wallpaper, sounds, display parameters) and Wi-Fi passwords are not portable by all methods. Let's look at how to save this data.

Wi-Fi passwords

Modes of transfer:

• 🔄 Using Google Account (if password synchronization is enabled in Settings) → Google → Managing a Google Account → Security → Passwords).
• 📄 Manual: on the old phone open Settings → Wi-Fi, tap the network. → Share. → scan QR-code.
• 📱 Applications like WiFi Password Viewer (require root).

System settings (wallpaper, sounds, gestures)

Xiaomi allows you to export some settings to the file:

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Create a backup (the file will be saved to the /MIUI/backup/AllBackup).
3. Transfer the file to a new phone and restore it through the same menu.

What is stored in the local backup:

6.3. Smart home data transfer (Mi Home)

If you are using Xiaomi Smart Home devices (lamps, sockets, robot vacuum cleaners), transfer them to the new phone:

1. On your old phone, open Mi Home → Profile → Settings → Account and security → Export of data.
2. Save the backup file.
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Xiaomi account and import data.

⚠️ Note: When porting Mi Home devices, some may require re-association (e.g., Xiaomi Robot Vacuum). To do this, click the reset button on the device and add it again.

7. Frequent errors and their solutions

Even when you follow instructions, users have problems, and we'll look at the most common ones.

7.1 Mi Mover does not find the device

Causes and solutions:

• 🔋 Low battery power – charge both phones to at least 30%.
• 📶 Wi-Fi problems – restart your router or use a mobile access point.
• 📱 Incompatible versions MIUI — Update the firmware on both devices.
• 🔒 firewall VPN — Turn them off in the settings.

7.2. No photos or videos are transferred

Check it out.

• 📁 Folders. DCIM Pictures are not hidden (enable the display of hidden files in Explorer).
• 📏 File size – Mi Mover can ignore files larger than 50MB.
• 🔄 File format – some videos in.mov or.mkv are not supported.

Solution: transfer files manually through the cable or upload them to Google Photos.

Applications are not restored after transfer

If the app does not appear on the new phone:

• 📥 Check if sync is enabled in the Play Market (Settings) → Auto-update of applications).
• 🔄 Restart a new phone – sometimes apps are installed after restarting.
• 📋 Make sure that there is enough space on the new phone (minimum 2).× size).

7.4 Contacts or messages lost

If the data is not transferred:

• 🔍 Check if contact synchronization is enabled in Settings → Accounts. → Google.
• 📤 Export contacts manually (as described in section 4.1).
• 💬 Use the message for the message. SMS Backup & Restore (link in section 4.3).

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If after transferring on the new phone lost some settings (for example, power saving modes), reset the network settings: → System system → Resetting settings → Network resets. This often solves synchronization problems.

8. Comparison of data transfer methods

To choose the best method, compare all methods on key parameters:

Recommendations for the choice of method:

• 🔄 If both Xiaomi phones and you need to move everything quickly → Use the Mi Mover.
• 📁 It is important to keep all files without loss → cable OTG + copying.
• ☁️ If there is no cable and device on different firmware → Google Drive or Xiaomi Cloud.
• 🛠️ If you need to transfer applications with data → Titanium Backup