Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always an exciting moment, but data porting often turns into a headache. Contacts, photos, messages and app settings accumulate over years, and losing them to the wrong action is the last thing you need. Fortunately, the ecosystem MIUI Offers several built-in migration tools, and third-party services complement their functionality.
In this article, we will discuss 5 Proven ways to transfer data between Xiaomi phones โ from the official MIUI Transfer to cloud services and manual methods, you'll learn which option is right for your case: whether you need to save your call history, whether you can transfer passwords from Wi-Fi, and how to avoid loss of photo quality during transfer, and also unique life hacks for models with a Snapdragon chip. 8 Gen 2 and the latest firmware MIUI 14/15, which speeds up the process in 2-3 once.
Whether you upgrade from the Redmi Note 10 to the Xiaomi 14 Ultra or transfer data to a relative, you'll find a solution without the technical details.
1.Official method: MIUI Transfer (quick and lossless)
MIUI Transfer โ a proprietary solution from Xiaomi, optimized for data transfer between devices on the Internet MIUI. This method works even without the Internet (via Wi-Fi Direct) and saves the folder structure, message history in the Internet. SMS/MMS, and also setting up some system applications.
To take advantage of it, follow the following steps:
- ๐ฑ Install the latest version of the app on both phones MIUI Transfer (you can download from the App Store or through Settings) โ The phone. โ Update of the PO).
- ๐ On the old phone, select "Send data", on the new one - "Receive data".
- ๐ถ Connect devices to a single Wi-Fi network or create an access point on an old phone (recommended for speeding up).
- ๐ Select data types for transfer: contacts, messages, photos, video, audio, applications (APK-file.
- โก Click "Start Transfer" and wait until the end (time depends on the amount of data).
Install MIUI Transfer to both devices|Charge phones to at least 50%|Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network|Free up space on a new phone (at least 10% of the data transfer volume)|Shut down. VPN firewalls
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Transmission speed through MIUI Transfer reaches 10-15 MB/s when using Wi-Fi Direct, which is 5 It's faster than Bluetooth, but there's some nuances:
โ ๏ธ Note: If the new phone has a firmware installed MIUI Global, and old โ MIUI China, some system settings (such as themes or gestures) may not be portable. Before you start, check the compatibility of versions in the table below.
| Version. MIUI old-phone | Version. MIUI new phone | Compatibility | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIUI 12/13 (Global) | MIUI 14/15 (Global) | โ Complete. | All data will be transferred without loss |
| MIUI 11 or older | MIUI 14+ | โ ๏ธ Partial | There may be no lock screen settings |
| MIUI China | MIUI Global | โ Limited. | System applications (e.g. Mi Home) are not portable |
| Custom firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.EU) | Anybody. | โ ๏ธ Unstable. | It is recommended to use alternative methods |
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MIUI Transfer is the most reliable way to transfer data between Xiaomi phones, but requires the same firmware regions (Global/China/EU) fully compatible.
2.Cloud Transfer: Google Account and Mi Cloud
If you donโt have the ability to connect your phones directly (like an old smartphone already given to a relative), cloud services will be a lifeline. Google Account and Mi Cloud sync data automatically, but there are key differences:
- โ๏ธ Google Account: Syncs contacts, calendar, notes (Google Keep), photos (Google Photos) and some app settings. Works on any Android device, not just Xiaomi. Provides 15 GB of free space (common to all Google services).
- ๐ Mi Cloud: Save it SMS/MMS, call history, recorder, settings MIUI (themes, wallpaper, gestures. 5 GB is free, but expansion rates are cheaper than Google.Requires authorization in Xiaomi account (Mi Account).
Instructions for transferring through Google Account:
- On your old phone, go to Settings โ Accounts and Sync โ Google.
- Enable sync for the desired categories (contacts, calendar, Chrome, etc.).
- On your new phone, add the same Google account to Settings โ Accounts.
- Wait for the synchronization to be completed (it can take up to 1 hour with a large amount of data).
For Mi Cloud:
- Open the Settings. โ Mi Account โ Mi Cloud on an old phone.
- Select data for backup (e.g., "SMS", "Notes", "System settings").
- On the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account and recover data from the cloud.
โ ๏ธ Note: If you use Mi Cloud to transfer photos, please note that compression can reduce image quality. For original resolution, use Google Photos in Original Quality mode (requires a fee of over 15 GB).
Google Account|Mi Cloud|iCloud|Dropbox/OneDrive|I don't use clouds.
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3. Bluetooth Transfer: When there is no Wi-Fi
If you donโt have access to the internet or Wi-Fi, you have a cable. USB-C/USB-C Bluetooth is the last option, and it is suitable for transferring small files (contacts, several photos), but is not suitable for full migration due to low speed (1-2 MB/s).
Step-by-step:
- Turn on Bluetooth on both phones (Settings โ Connections โ Bluetooth).
- On an old phone, select files to transfer (for example, in the gallery, click Share โ Bluetooth).
- Confirm the pairing of devices (code must match on both screens).
- Take the file on your new phone and save it to the folder you want.
To transfer contacts via Bluetooth:
- Open the Contacts app on your old phone.
- Press "โฎ" (menu) โ "Imports/Exports" โ "Send contacts".
- Select Bluetooth as the transmission method and specify the target device.
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If Bluetooth refuses to connect, try resetting its settings: go to Settings โ Connections โ Bluetooth โ โ๏ธ (setting) โ Reset the settings. It helps in 80% of the problems.
Limitations of the method:
- โ It is impossible to transfer applications or their data.
- โ Slow speed (e.g. transmission) 1 GB photos will take ~15-20 minute).
- โ Not all Xiaomi models support Bluetooth call history transfers, for example, POCO F5 I don't know how to do it).
4. Cable use USB-C: big-data
If you have a cable. USB-C โ USB-C (Or an adapter for older models with Micro-USB, you can manually transfer data from a flash drive. This method is suitable for transferring large files (video to video). 4K, backups of applications and does not depend on the speed of the Internet.
Instructions:
- Connect your old phone to your new phone via cable (on the new phone, select File Transfer mode when notification appears).
- On your new phone, open the โConductorโ (or โFilesโ) and go to the section "USB-device".
- Copy the right folders (DCIM For photo, Download for downloads, Android/data data-based).
- Insert files into the appropriate directories on the new phone.
Important folders for manual transfer:
| Type of data | Way on the phone | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Photographs and videos | /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/ | Contains Camera, Screenshots folders |
| Downloads. | /storage/emulated/0/Download/ | APK-files, documents, music |
| Application data | /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/ | Root rights are required for full access |
| Calls and SMS | /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/ | Available only with root or through Titanium Backup |
โ ๏ธ Note: When manually copying a folder Android/data Some apps (such as WhatsApp or games) may not recognize the transferred data, and it is better to use built-in backup features for them.
How to transfer saving games without root rights?
5 Third-party applications: alternatives for advanced users
If standard methods donโt work (e.g., transferring data from Xiaomi to iPhone or vice versa), third-party apps can help bypass the restrictions. We tested 5 popular tools and selected the best ones:
- ๐ Clone Phone (from Xiaomi): Official app for data transfer from Android to Xiaomi (including iOS) Supports WhatsApp, WeChat and transfer LINE. Speed: up to 8 MB/s over Wi-Fi.
- ๐ฒ Send Anywhere: Transfers files of any type with a unique 6-digit code. There are no size restrictions (unlike Bluetooth) It works over the Internet or local network.
- ๐ SHAREit: High transfer speed (20 MB/s), but a lot of advertising. Supports cross-platform transfer (Android) โ iOS โ PC).
Instructions for Clone Phone:
- Install the app on both phones from Google Play or the App Store.
- On the old phone, select "This is an old phone" and on the new one, "This is a new phone."
- Scan it. QR-code PIN pairing.
- Select data to transfer (including WhatsApp if necessary).
- Wait until the process is completed (donโt interrupt!).
Advantages of third-party applications:
- โ They work between different brands (e.g. Samsung). โ Xiaomi).
- โ Often support data transfer applications (for example, game saves).
- โ Don't require root rights.
Disadvantages:
- โ Possible loss of quality when compressing media files.
- โ Some applications (such as SHAREit) collect user data.
6. Transfer data from a broken screen or a broken phone
If the screen of an old Xiaomi phone crashes or the device doesnโt turn on, but the data needs to be saved, use one of these methods:
- ๐ฅ๏ธ Connecting to the PC through USB: If the phone is defined by the computer as a drive, copy the files manually. ADB (Android Debug Bridge to access system folders.
- ๐ง Recovery mode: Squeeze the power + Volume up to enter Recovery Mode. Select "Mount" โ Mount USB Storage" for connecting as a flash drive.
- โ๏ธ Recovery from the cloud: If you previously enabled sync with Mi Cloud or Google, data can be restored on a new phone.
For the use of ADB:
- Install. ADB Tools on PC (download from the official Android website).
- Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb pull /sdcard/ C:\XiaomiBackup\ This will copy all files from internal memory to the XiaomiBackup folder on the C disk:.
- To access the application data, use: adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f C:\backup.ab (need to be unlocked OEM Unlock in the Developer Settings).
โ ๏ธ Note: If the phone was enabled Find Device (device search), but you do not remember the password from Mi Account, you can unlock it only through the official Xiaomi service with the provision of a purchase check!
Comparison of methods: which one to choose?
To simplify the choice, we have compiled a table with the pros and cons of each method:
| Method | Speed. | Data volume | Difficulty | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIUI Transfer | โกโกโกโก (10-15 MB/s) | Unlimited. | โ โโโ | Transfer between Xiaomi phones on one firmware |
| Google Account | โกโโโ (depends on the Internet) | Up to 15GB free | โ โ โโ | Synchronization of contacts, calendar, photos |
| Mi Cloud | โกโกโโ | Up to 5GB free | โ โ โโ | Transfer SMS, notes, settings MIUI |
| Bluetooth | โกโโโ (1-2 MB/s) | Up to 1-2GB | โ โโโ | Transferring contacts or multiple files without the internet |
| USB-cable | โกโกโกโ (5-8 MB/s) | Unlimited. | โ โ โโ | Manual transfer of large files (video, backups) |
| Clone Phone | โกโกโก (8 MB/s) | Unlimited. | โ โ โโ | Transfer from iPhone or other Android devices |
If you need to move everything at once, the best choice โ MIUI Transfer (for telephones on the MIUI) Or Clone Phone (for cross-platform transfer). For selective transfer (for example, only photos) suitable Google Photos or manual copying over cable.