How to transfer data from the old Xiaomi to the new: all the ways of 2026

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but transferring data from an old device can become a real headache if you don’t know all the nuances. Even between devices of the same brand, the process has its own peculiarities, from the limitations of MIUI to the specifics of working with a Mi Account. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways of transferring data, from standard Mi Mover tools to hidden ADB functions that work even on locked devices.

It's important to understand that not all methods are equally effective. For example, Bluetooth transmission is only suitable for small files, whereas cloud backup can take hours with a lot of data. We tested each method on models from Redmi Note 12 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra so that you can choose the best option for your situation.

1.The official way: Mi Mover by Xiaomi

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary tool that automatically installs on all devices with MIUI 9 and later. It allows you to transfer contacts, messages, photos, videos, music, apps (without data!), and even some system settings. The main advantage is simplicity: just connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi network and follow the instructions on the screen.

However, this method has serious limitations:

• 📱 Not transferred: application data (e.g. saves in games), Wi-Fi passwords, lock screen settings
• 🔄 Required: Both devices must be on MIUI 9+, enough charge (minimum 20%), free space on the new phone
• ⚡ Speed: ~10-15 MB/sec on Wi-Fi (about) 10 minute 10 GB)

To begin the transfer:

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Data Transfer (Mi Mover) on both devices
2. Select “I am the sender” on the old phone and “I am the receiver” on the new one.
3. Scan it. QR-code from a new phone with an old one
4. Select the data types to transfer and confirm the beginning

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If Mi Mover can't see the device, try connecting them to another Wi-Fi network (e.g., creating an access point on a third phone), sometimes rebooting both devices helps.

2. backup through Mi Account

Cloud backup via your Mi Account is the most reliable way to do this if you plan to transfer data over a period of days instead of just one, and this method allows you to save:

• 📞 Contacts, call log, SMS/MMS
• 📷 Photos and videos (up to 5GB on a free account)
• 🎵 Notes, calendar, browser bookmarks
• ⚙️ System settings (wallpaper, sounds, brightness)

An important caveat: applications and their data are not saved to the Mi Account cloud, and they will require a separate solution (see Section 4) to back up:

1. Go to Settings. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud
2. Enable synchronization for the desired data categories
3. Click "Backup" and select "Create a Backup"
4. On the new phone, log in to the same account and restore the data.

3. Transmission via OTG cable (for large data volumes)

If you have OTG-an adapter (or Type-C cable) that can transfer data directly through a wired connection. 2-3 It's faster than Wi-Fi, and it doesn't depend on the quality of the Internet connection:

• 📁 Large folders with photos / videos (weddings, travels)
• 🎮 Save games (if you know the way to files)
• 📄 Documents and archives

Instructions:

1. Connect. OTG-Adapter to new phone and old phone to adapter
2. On your old phone, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
3. On the new phone, open the Explorer → USB-storage
4. Copy the required files manually

✅ Check the compatibility of the connectors (Micro-USB/Type-C)

✅ Charge both phones at least 50 times%

✅ Free up space on a new device

✅ Prepare. OTG-adaptor

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Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g, POCO F5) They may not recognize other phones as USB-The drives, the app will help. FX File Explorer with Root Access enabled (superuser rights required).

4. Data-saving application portability (advanced method)

The biggest challenge is to migrate applications with all the data (e.g. save in games, set up messengers, cache cards in navigators). Standard methods (Mi Mover, Google Backup) can't cope with this. ADB (Android Debug Bridge).

Procedure:

1. Enable USB Debugging on both phones (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version – Press 7 times, then Additional → Developers → Debugging over USB)
2. Connect both phones to your PC and execute commands: adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f backup.ab adb restore backup.ab
3. On the phones confirm the creation / restoration of a backup copy

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Note: With ADB Backup, some applications (e.g. banking) may block access after recovery for security reasons, in which case they will have to be reinstalled manually.

5. Alternative ways: Google Account and third-party apps

If you don’t want to depend on the Xiaomi ecosystem, you can use universal solutions:

• 🔄 Google Account: Syncs contacts, calendar, Chrome bookmarks, some settings. For photo/video, there is Google Photos (unlimited storage for compressed files)
• 📱 Send Anywhere: Application for transferring files of any size via Wi-Fi Direct (speed up to 50 MB/sec)
• 🔗 SHAREit/Xender: Popular apps for fast transfer, but with aggressive advertising
• 🔐 Titanium Backup: Powerful backup tool (requires root rights)

To use the Google Account:

1. On Old Phone: Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync (enable all options)
2. On a new phone: log in to the same account and wait until sync is complete
3. For photo: install Google Photos and enable autoload

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Google Account is the only way to transfer data that works even when you switch from Xiaomi to another brand’s smartphone (Samsung, iPhone, etc.).

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even when following instructions, users encounter common errors, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

Problem 1: Mi Mover freezes at 99% or is interrupted.

• Check the space available on your new phone (should be at least 10% more than the amount of data transferred)
• Turn off battery saving for Mi Mover app
• Reboot both devices and try again.

Problem 2: No photos in the original quality are being transmitted.

• In Mi Cloud, check the “Load Quality” setting (the “Original” should be).
• Use it. OTG-cable
• For Google Photos, select “High Quality” (not “Saving Place”)

Problem 3: Applications don't work or crash after they're transferred.

• For system applications (Theme, Security) reset via Settings → Applications → Remove Updates
• For games, check compatibility with the new version of Android on the new phone
• Reinstall problematic apps from Google Play

7. Features for different Xiaomi models

Some devices have unique nuances when transferring data:

For flagships (Xiaomi 13/14 series, MIX Fold):

• 🔹 Supports Wi-Fi. 6/6E — The speed of the Mi Mover can be reached 20-25 MB/sec

For budget models (Redmi 12C, POCO M6):

For HyperOS devices (2026):

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On HyperOS models, disable the “Memory Optimization” function in Settings → Battery before perenosom data, this will speed up the process by 15-20%.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions