How to Fly Information from One Xiaomi Phone to Another: 2026

Introduction: Why Data Transfers to Xiaomi Need a Special Approach

Changing your smartphone is always exciting, especially when it comes to storing all the important data. Xiaomi owners have a unique advantage: the MIUI ecosystem offers some exclusive migration tools that other brands don’t. But even here, there are pitfalls, from limits on the amount of data transferred to compatibility between old and new models.

If you are upgrading from Redmi Note 8 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra or just want to copy photos from the X-ray POCO X5 In Redmi 12, the portability will be different. In this article, we'll look at 7 proven methods, from the official Mi Mover to manual copying via PC, taking into account the nuances of different versions. MIUI (We will focus on the challenges that users face when switching between devices with different chips (for example, Snapdragon). → Mediatek).

Important: Starting with MIUI 14 and HyperOS, Xiaomi has restricted the transfer of some system files through Mi Mover, which concerns screen time settings and data from protected folders. If you need to transfer this data, prepare a backup in advance through Settings → About Phone → Backup.

1. Official method: Mi Mover (fast and without PC)

The easiest method for beginners is to use the built-in Mi Mover app, which is pre-installed on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones with MIUI 9 and later, and the main advantage is direct transmission over Wi-Fi Direct, without the need to connect to the Internet or use cables.

How it works:

• 📱 On both phones, open the settings. → Additionally. → Mi Mover (on new versions, the path can be Settings) → The phone. → Data portability).
• 🔄 Select a role: on the old phone, click “I am the sender”, on the new one – “I am the recipient».
• 📶 Connect to a Wi-Fi network created by one of the devices (password will appear on the screen).
• 📁 Select data types to transfer: contacts, messages, photos, videos, audio, applications (not all applications are supported!).
• ⏳ Wait until it is completed – the process can take from 5 to 30 minutes depending on the volume.

Limitations of Mi Mover:

• ⚠️ Data from some applications (for example, WhatsApp, Viber, banking applications) is not transferred).
• ⚠️ HyperOS devices may require additional confirmation via Xiaomi account.
• ⚠️ Maximum transfer volume – 10 GB per session.

Charge both phones at least 50% |

Turn off VPN and power saving modes |

Make sure that the new phone has enough memory.|

Check the compatibility of versions MIUI (old and new)-->

⚠️ Note: If the new phone already has a Xiaomi account and the old one has another, contact and note data may be duplicated. Before transferring, sync contacts with one account through Settings → Accounts. → Xiaomi.

2.Move over the Xiaomi cloud (for backups)

If you have a stable internet connection, you can use Xiaomi cloud storage, which is suitable for transferring contacts, notes, photos and some settings, but not for applications and their data.

Instructions:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and back up by selecting Xiaomi Cloud.
2. Sign in to the new phone under the same Xiaomi account.
3. Go to Settings → About Phone → Data Recovery and select the latest backup.

Nuances:

• 📸 Photos and videos can be transferred separately through Xiaomi Cloud (available 5 GB for free, up to 200 GB for 299). ₽/month).
• 🔒 Data from the Secure Folder is not backed up to the cloud – it must be manually transferred.
• ⏳ Recovery from the cloud can take hours with a lot of data.

Mi Mover (Live) |

Cloud Xiaomi/Google|

OTG or PC| cable

Other methods-->

3. Transfer via OTG cable or adapter (for large volumes)

If you need to transfer tens of gigabytes (for example, a video collection to a video store) 4K or RAW-Photos, the best option is a physical connection via cable OTG adapter USB-C → USB-A. This method works even if the phones have different versions. MIUI Android.

What you need:

• 🔌 Cable USB-C → USB-C (for new models or adapter USB-C → USB-A + common USB-cable.
• 📂 File Manager (e.g., embedded Files or Solid Explorer).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your old phone to your new phone via cable (on the new phone, select File Transfer mode when notification appears).
2. On your new phone, open the file manager and go to the section «USB-device».
3. Copy the right folders (DCIM for photos, downloads, etc.) to internal memory or SD-mapping.

⚠️ Note: When copying through a cable, do not remove it until the process is complete, this can cause file damage. If the phone gives an error "Device not recognized", try using a different cable or restart both devices.

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If you copy photos, check hidden folders: in Xiaomi, photos from some messengers are saved to /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/.thumbnails or /Android/data/com.microservice.gallery (available only through root or ADB).

4. Transfer over PC (the most reliable method)

Using a computer is a versatile method that is suitable for any Xiaomi models, including the old (Redmi 4X, Mi A1) and new (Xiaomi 13T, POCO F5).

What needs to be done:

1. Connect your old phone to your PC via USB-cable and select the "File Transfer" mode» (MTP).
2. Copy folders with data (for example, DCIM, WhatsApp, Documents) to the hard drive of the computer.
3. Disable the old phone, connect the new one and transfer the files back.

Additional opportunities:

• 🖥️ For backups SMS You can use programs like MobileTrans or Dr.Fone (paid, but supported by Xiaomi).
• 🔄 To transfer applications with data (for example, save in games) will be required ADB backup (instruction below).

5. Transfer of applications and their data (advanced method)

If you need to move not only the applications themselves (APK), But their data (e.g., save games, customize programs), the standard methods won't help. ADB (Android Debug Bridge or specialized utilities.

Method 1: Through ADB (for power users)

This method works on non-rooted devices, but requires the inclusion of debugging over USB:

adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f backup.ab


adb restore backup.ab

Step-by-step:

1. Enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times) → Additional → For Developers.
2. Connect the phone to the PC, confirm the debugging permission.
3. Follow the backup command (see above).
4. Transfer the backup.ab file to your new phone and restore it.

Method 2: Titanum Backup (requires root)

If you have root access, use Titanium Backup:

• 📲 Install the app on both phones.
• 🔄 On your old phone, back up the required applications.
• 📁 Transfer the Titanium Backup folder to your new phone (via PC or cloud).
• 🔙 Restore data on a new device.

⚠️ Note: When transferring application data through ADB Or Titanium Backup, you might have a conflict with new versions of software, for example, if you're transferring data from Google Authenticator, two-factor authentication might stop working.

6. Data transfer between Xiaomi and other brands (Samsung, iPhone)

If you switch from Xiaomi to a different brand (or vice versa), standard methods like Mi Mover won’t work.

From Xiaomi to Android (Samsung, Realme, etc.):

• 🤖 Use Google Account to sync your contacts, calendar and email.
• 📁 Transfer files via PC or cloud services (Google Drive, Dropbox).
• 🎮 Use Google Play Games to transfer games (if the game supports cloud-based saves).

From Xiaomi to iPhone:

• 🍎 Install the Move to iOS app on Xiaomi and follow the instructions when setting up your iPhone.
• 📱 Contacts, photos and email will be transferred automatically, but the applications will have to be installed again.
• 🔒 WhatsApp data can only be transferred via iCloud (requires backup to Xiaomi in format.crypt14).

From iPhone/Xiaomi to Xiaomi:

• 📱 If you’re switching from your iPhone, use Mi Mover – it supports data porting from iOS (but not all models).
• 🎵 Music and video are easier to transfer via iTunes (export the media library to PC, then to Xiaomi).

💡

Transition between ecosystems (Android) ↔ iOS: the main problem is the transfer of data from instant messengers and banking applications. Check in advance whether the application supports export / import of data (for example, Telegram allows you to unload chats to the Internet). JSON, SberBank Online is not available).

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

Even with official methods, Xiaomi users are faced with errors, and here are the most common ways to correct them:

If neither method worked, try resetting the network settings on both phones (Settings). → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Reset network settings) or use Recovery Mode (Fastboot) for manual firmware.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions