How to transfer information from Xiaomi to Xiaomi: all ways from Mi Share to ADB

Transferring data between smartphones in the same ecosystem should be simple – but in practice, Xiaomi users face MIUI limitations, Bluetooth errors or slow Wi-Fi Direct speeds. In this article, we will discuss 7 working methods for transferring information (photos, videos, contacts, applications and even system settings) between Redmi, POCO and Mi devices, including little-known tricks to speed up the process.

We will focus on the problems of MIUI 14/15, where the standard Mi Share often refuses to work due to conflicts with screen resolution or firmware version. Also compare the transfer speed: for example, a USB Type-C → Type-C cable provides up to 480 Mbit / s (USB 3.0), while Wi-Fi Direct on Xiaomi rarely exceeds 50 Mbit / s due to software restrictions. If you need to move tens of gigabytes, choose the method consciously.

1. Mi Share (formerly Mi Drop): Setup and Error Fixing

Mi Share is Xiaomi’s proprietary wireless file transfer tool built into MIUI. It uses a combination of Wi-Fi Direct and Bluetooth LE to set up a connection, but often “gluts” because of:

• 🔄 Different versions MIUI on devices (e.g. Redmi Note 12 on the MIUI 14 vs POCO X5 on MIUI 13)
• 📶 Conflicts with VPN or user-generated DNS (For example, AdGuard)
• 🔋 Energy saving mode blocking background activity

To launch Mi Share:

1. Open Settings → Connections and Sharing → Mi Share.
2. Activate visibility on both devices.
3. Click “Send” on the original smartphone and select files (maximum 1,000 pieces at a time).
4. On the target device, confirm acceptance in the notification.

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If Mi Share doesn’t find a second device, try temporarily disabling Bluetooth, then turning it on again – this resets the cache of connections.

The transmission speed depends on the model:

⚠️ Note: On devices with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (such as Xiaomi 14), the Mi Share can automatically switch to Wi-Fi 6 for acceleration, but this requires standard support on both smartphones. → The phone. → Full specification.

Direct USB connection (OTG): maximum speed

To transfer large amounts of data (for example, a.miui backup or folder) DCIM photo-in RAW) use USB-type-c cable → Type-C with support OTG. This method bypasses the limitations of Wi-Fi and works even on devices with a damaged wireless communication module.

Instructions:

1. Connect your smartphones with a cable (both should have a USB icon in the notification panel).
2. On the original device, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
3. On the target device, open Explorer and go to the section USB-device.
4. Copy files manually (we recommend using Total Commander or FX File Explorer for batch transfer).

Connect the original cable (not all OTGs support high speeds)| Disable screen lock on both devices |Check free space on the target smartphone |Close background applications (especially messengers)

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Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ Speed up to 480 Mbps (USB 3.0) or 5 Gbit/s (USB 3.1).
• 🔒 No loss of quality (important for video) 4K/8K).
• 📱 It works even without the Internet or local network.

⚠️ Note: On some models (Redmi) 10A, POCO M4 Pro) when connected by USB You may have a "Device not recognized" error. Solution: Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Developer mode → Configuration USB by default and select File Transfer.

3. Transfer via Xiaomi Cloud: pros and cons

Xiaomi Cloud allows you to sync contacts, notes, photos and even SMS between devices, but with limitations:

• 📁 5 GB free (for Russia / CIS – 10 GB when you link your Mi Account until 2022).
• 🔄 Automatic synchronization for contacts, calendar and notes only.
• ⏳ Download limit: up to 200 photos / day in free rate.

How to move data through the cloud:

1. On the original device: Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization → Select data types.
2. Wait for the download to complete (check in Mi Cloud → Storage).
3. On the target device, log in to the same Mi Account and enable synchronization.

Up to 1GB|1-5 GB|5-20 GB|More than 20GB-->

For manual file transfer:

1. Upload files to Mi Cloud → Files via the web version (i.mi.com).
2. On the second device, download them through the Mi Cloud app.

4. Local area network (FTP/HTTP-server: for advanced users

If Mi Share is not working and the cable is not at hand, run on one of the devices. FTP- or HTTP-This method requires a connection to a single Wi-Fi network, but provides speeds of up to 100 Mbps (the limit depends on the router).

Instructions for HTTP-server (without root):

1. Install the Simple HTTP Server application (available on Google Play).
2. Start the server by specifying the file folder (e.g. /storage/emulated/0/DCIM).
3. Copy the address of http://192.168.1.100:8080.
4. On the second device, open this address in the browser and download the files.

For FTP (requires root or ADB):

adb shell


su




setprop service.adb.tcp.port 5555




stop adbd




start adbd

Then connect through FTP-client (e.g. Solid Explorer) at the address ftp://IP-address-device:2221 (The username and password are the data from Mi Account).

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HTTP-The server is the only method that allows you to transfer files to Xiaomi from an iPhone or Mac without additional software.

5. Transfer of contacts and SMS via export/import

Contacts and messages can be transferred without the cloud using standard Android tools:

For contacts:

1. Open Contacts. → ⋮ → Contact management → Imports/Exports.
2. Export to a.vcf file (memory card or internal memory).
3. Transfer the file in any convenient way (for example, via Mi Share or cable).
4. On the second device, import.vcf.

SMS requires a third-party application, such as SMS Backup & Restore:

1. Create a backup in.xml format.
2. Transfer the file to the second smartphone.
3. Restore messages (the app will prompt you to select.xml).

⚠️ Attention: When transferring SMS through SMS Backup & Restore lost attachments (photos, videos, stickers) To save them, copy the folder before exporting. /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.android.mms/files.

6. ADB-commands: to transfer system data

If you need to move system settings (e.g. build.prop configuration or application data), use ADB (Android Debug Bridge. This method requires the developer mode enabled and USB-debugging.

Example of a command to copy a folder with Mi Home settings:

adb pull /data/data/com.xiaomi.smarthome/ /sdcard/Backup/MiHome/


adb push /sdcard/Backup/MiHome/ /data/data/com.xiaomi.smarthome/

To transfer all user data (except system applications):

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


adb restore /sdcard/backup.ab

7.Alternative apps: Send Anywhere, Snapdrop and more

If standard methods don't work, use third-party applications.

• 🌍 Cross-platform (working between Xiaomi, iPhone and PC).
• 🔐 Encryption (e.g. Send Anywhere uses the same code) AES-256).
• 📈 High speed compared to Mi Share (up to 100 Mbps).

Top.-3 apps:

How to use Snapdrop:

1. Open snapdrop.net on both devices (in the same browser).
2. Confirm your connection to a single Wi-Fi network.
3. Drag files into the browser window on the original device.
4. Accept files on the target device.

FAQ: Frequent questions about data transfer