How to Transfer Messages from One Xiaomi Phone to Another: All Ways to Go 2026

Why Google Copying Doesn’t Always Work with Xiaomi

Messaging between Xiaomi smartphones is often a headache for users. Unlike the iPhone, where the Apple ecosystem guarantees smooth data transfer, owners of Redmi, POCO or Black Shark face nuances: some SMS may not be copied through Google Backup, and MMS disappear from the archive altogether, the reason for this is the customized MIUI firmware, which blocks access to system folders with messages for third-party services.

Another catch: when changing the phone, many people forget that messages are in the MIUI Not only are messages stored in the standard Messages app, but they're also stored in duplicate services like Mi Cloud or Security, and if you don't sync them in advance, some of the correspondence will remain on the old device. SMS/MMS between Xiaomi of any years of release, including models 2026 year-end.

Method 1: Mi Mover is the official tool of Xiaomi

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary solution for data migration, including messaging, and works on all devices with MIUI 9 and up (this is almost all smartphones since 2017), the main advantage is the preservation of the structure of correspondence: contact names, dates, attachments (photo / video in MMS).

How to use:

• 📱 Install Mi Mover on both phones from Google Play (if not preinstalled).
• 🔗 Connect devices to a single Wi-Fi network or create an access point on an old phone.
• 📤 On the old phone, select the role of "Sender", on the new one - "Receiver".
• 📋 In the data list, mark "Communications" (SMS/MMS) and start the transfer.

Charge both phones at least 50% | Disable VPN and firewalls | Make sure the new phone has enough memory (messages take ~1-2 GB per 10,000 SMS) | Do not interrupt the connection until the process is complete-->

The speed of the transfer depends on the amount of data: 5,000 SMS are copied in 5-10 minutes, and 50,000 - up to 40 minutes. Importantly, if the process is frozen by 99%, do not interrupt it - wait for the message of success (sometimes it takes up to 15 minutes).

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If Mi Mover doesn’t see the second phone, try connecting via Wi-Fi Direct: Open the notification curtain and activate this feature on both devices.

Method 2: Backup through Mi Cloud

The Mi Cloud service allows you to synchronize messages between Xiaomi devices, but with limitations: only SMS is supported (MMS is partially portable), and history is stored for no more than 6 months, but the method works remotely - you do not need to physically connect phones.

Step-by-step:

1. On your old phone, go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Activate the Messages slider and wait for the synchronization to complete (the cloud icon will turn green).
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Xiaomi account and enable message sync.
4. Open the Messages app and wait for the archive to load (it can take up to 30 minutes).

Note: Mi Cloud does not carry messages from banks or services with two-factor authentication (SMS codes).

Method 3: Exporting messages to a file and importing them to a new phone

If cloud services don't work, you can save messages to a.xml or.txt file and then upload them to a new device, a method that requires manual configuration but guarantees 100% data portability, including MMS.

Instructions for MIUI 12-14:

• 📄 Install the app SMS Backup & Restore (available on Google Play).
• 🔄 Click "Backup", select "Local Storage" and confirm export.
• 📁 The file will be saved in the folder. /SMSBackupRestore Copy it to a new phone (for example, via Bluetooth or other devices). USB-cable).
• 📥 On the new phone in the same app, select Recovery and specify the path to the file.

Mi Mover|Mi Cloud|Manual export/import |Other methods-->

Warning: when you recover from the file, duplicate messages (already existing on the new phone) may disappear. It is recommended to back up the current SMS on the new device before importing.

Method 4: Transfer via Google Drive (with limitations)

Standard Android Backup Function (Settings) → Google → Backup) retains SMS, not MMS Not only that, but not messages from system applications (such as notifications from Mi Home), but also Xiaomi often has a feature that is unstable due to conflict with the system. MIUI Optimization.

To increase the chances of success:

1. Turn off MIUI Optimization in the Developer Settings (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version – press 7 times, then go back to Additional → For Developers).
2. Run manual backup in Settings → Google → Backup → Create a copy now.
3. On the new phone, when you first start, select Restore from Google Drive.

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Google Drive does not carry MMS and messages from banking applications. Use Mi Mover or manual export for full port.

If the messages have not recovered, check:

• 🔍 Both phones have a single Google account.
• 📱 On the old phone, the option “Auto-Restore” is enabled in the backup settings.
• 🕒 No more than 5 days have passed since the backup was created (otherwise the data may be overwritten).

Method 5: Computer Transfer (for power users)

For those who prefer full control of the process, the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) method is suitable, which allows you to copy the database of messages directly from the system folder, but requires unlocking Debugging over USB and installing drivers.

Step-by-step:

1. On the old phone, activate Developer Mode (click 7 times on MIUI Version in the phone settings).
2. Turn on "Debugging by" USB" In Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, install it. ADB Tools and execute the command: adb backup -f sms_backup.ab -app com.android.mms
4. On the phone screen, confirm the creation of a backup copy (do not set a password!).
5. Copy the file. sms_backup.ab Restore your phone with the same command: adb restore sms_backup.ab

This method ensures that all messages are transferred, including service SMS from the operator and MMS with attachments. However, it is difficult for beginners and requires caution: incorrect ADB commands can damage system files.

Method 6: SIM-card messaging (obsolete method)

Previously, messages could be copied to SIM-Map, but modern Xiaomi (starting with the MIUI (10) limit this function: no more than 250 are placed on the map. SMS, MMS However, it still works on older models like Redmi. 4X or Mi A1.

How to move:

• 📶 Open the Messages app on your old phone.
• 🔄 Select the right ones. SMS (or press "Select All").
• 📤 Click on the three dots on the menu → "Copy on SIM".
• 📱 Put it in. SIM-card to a new phone and import messages via the same menu.

Limitations of the method:

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If you only need to transfer the most important messages (for example, SMS with codes from the bank), use this method in conjunction with manual copying via SMS Backup & Restore.

Method 7: Use of third-party applications (with risks)

Google Play has hundreds of messaging apps, but most of them either don't work with MIUI or require root permissions.

• 🔄 Super Backup & Restore – Supports SMS/MMS, but it's a commercial.
• 📱 SMS Backup+ — Syncs messages with Gmail, but does not save attachments MMS.
• 🔐 Titanium Backup is the most powerful solution, but requires root access.

Risks of using third-party applications:

⚠️ Note: Apps like Super Backup may request access to contacts, photos, and call history. Check reviews and ratings on Google Play before installing (must be at least 4.2, SMS Transfer) contain malicious code masquerading as legitimate functions.

If you choose this method, follow the safety rules:

1. Install only applications with more than 1 million downloads.
2. Before transferring, turn off the Internet on your phone (to prevent data leakage).
3. After copying, delete the application and clear the cache.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even with the official methods, users are facing problems, and here are the most common ones:

⚠️ Note: If you are carrying messages over Mi Mover, check if you are syncing with Mi Cloud on your new phone. Turn it off before copying to avoid data conflict.

Other common mistakes:

• 🚫 Memory Lack: The new phone should have at least 3GB of free space (messages take up more space than it seems).
• 🔌 Interrupted Connection: When using Wi-Fi Direct, do not leave the Mi Mover app until the process is complete.
• 🔒 Antivirus blocking: Avast or 360 Security can block data transmission.

If messages are moved but are displayed without contact names, check:

1. Synchronize contacts with Google Account or Mi Cloud.
2. Display settings in the Messages app (Settings → Show contact names).
3. The relevance of the Contacts version (update it to Google Play).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions