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

Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting: more performance, fresh design, new features. But with the joy of upgrading comes a headache: how to move all the data from an old device so you don't lose any photo, contact, or saved game? Especially if both devices are from the same brand, it seems that the process should be simple. It is, but only if you know all the nuances.

In this article, we’ll look at all the official and alternative ways to migrate between Xiaomi smartphones, from automatic transfer via Mi Mover to manually copying hidden folders. You’ll learn which data is transmitted without problems and which difficulties can arise (spoiler: this is often saving in games and setting up some Chinese firmware), and we’ll compare the speed of different methods and give a checklist for a seamless move.

If you've tried to migrate data and you've encountered errors, there's a problem-solving section at the end of this article, and for those of you who like to control everything, we've detailed manual transfers over the computer or the cloud.

1. Preparation for the move: what to do before the data transfer

The first rule of successful migration is don’t start the transfer spontaneously. Even if the new Xiaomi is already in the box next to you, take 10 minutes to prepare the old device, which will save you hours to recover lost data later.

Start by cleaning up garbage: delete unnecessary files, app cache and duplicate photos. The less weight you get, the faster the transfer goes, especially if you're using Mi Mover, the app copies all data selectively, including temporary files.

Make sure to check:

• 🔋 The battery charge on both devices is at least 50.
• 📶 Stable Internet connection (for cloud transfer) or Wi-Fi Direct (for Mi Mover).
• 📁 Free space on the new smartphone – it must exceed the amount of data transferred by at least 10%.
• 🔐 Backup of important files on a PC or external drive (in case of failure).

⚠️ Note: If the old Xiaomi has custom firmware installed (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), the official migration tools may not work. ADB or TWRP.

Don’t forget about your linked accounts: if you’ve used Mi Account to sync notes, calendar or Mi Browser, make sure your data is successfully uploaded to the cloud. → Mi Account → Cloud and check synchronization status.

Method 1: Mi Mover - official tool for quick transfer

Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary solution for migrating between the brand’s devices.The app is pre-installed on all modern smartphones (starting with the latest smartphones). MIUI (9) and allows for the transfer of:

• 📱 Contacts, messages (SMS/MMS), call-in
• 📷 Photos, videos, audio files
• 🎮 Applications (including data from certain games)
• 📅 Calendar, notes, system settings
• 🌐 Browser bookmarks, search history

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ High speed – data is transmitted over Wi-Fi Direct (up to 10 MB / s).
• 🔄 Minimum losses – even some settings are supported MIUI (themes, gestures).
• 🛡️ Security – the connection is protected by encryption.

How to use Mi Mover:

1. Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both devices.
2. On the new smartphone, when you first start, select Data Transfer (or find Mi Mover in the app menu).
3. On the old device, open Mi Mover and select the role "Sender".
4. Scan it. QR-code from a new phone or connect manually via Wi-Fi Direct.
5. Select the data to transfer and confirm the start of the process.

⚠️ Note: If the new Xiaomi already has data (for example, you have partially configured it), Mi Mover will offer to reset the device to the factory settings before transfer!

The speed of the transfer depends on the amount of data:

Charge both devices > 50%|

VPN and proxy disabled |

Freely. > 10 GB on the new smartphone|

New phone reset (if already used)|

Connection to Wi-Fi Direct is verified-->

Method 3: Transfer over Mi Account (Xiaomi Cloud)

If you have a Mi Account, you can use Xiaomi’s cloud to transfer data.

• 📱 Devices are located in different places (for example, an old smartphone is left at home).
• 🔄 You need to transfer only part of the data (contacts, notes, photos).
• 🌍 No Wi-Fi Direct (e.g., on corporate devices).

Limitations of the method:

• 🚫 Cloud volume – free available only 5 GB (for Russia) or 10 GB (for global accounts).
• 🚫 Not all data is synchronized, for example, SMS The call log is not transferred through the cloud.
• 🚫 Internet addiction – with a slow connection, the process will be delayed.

Instructions for transfer via Mi Cloud:

1. On an old smartphone, go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Turn on synchronization for the desired categories (contacts, photos, notes, etc.).
3. Wait until the data is uploaded to the cloud (progress is displayed in the same menu).
4. On the new device, log in to the same Mi Account and enable synchronization.
5. Wait for the data to be downloaded (it can take from a few minutes to hours).

For photos and videos, it is better to use a separate cloud Xiaomi Gallery Cloud:

• 📸 Open the gallery on your old phone.
• Go to the Albums. → Cloud and turn on autoboot.
• On the new device, log in to the same account and wait for synchronization.

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If you only need to transfer contacts, export them to a file. VCF: Open your contacts. → Settings → Imports/Exports → Export to the device. Then transfer the file to the new smartphone and import it.

Method 3: Manual transfer via computer (for advanced users)

If you want complete control of the data being transferred or Mi Mover is not working, manual porting over a PC is the most reliable option.

• 🎮 Game saves (Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, etc).
• 📂 Hidden folders with application settings.
• 🔧 Custom firmware or modified files.

You'll need:

• 💻 Computer with Windows, macOS or Linux.
• 🔌 USB Type C cables (or adapters for older models).
• 📂 File management software (e.g. Total Commander, Far Manager or standard Explorer).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the old Xiaomi to the PC in file transfer mode (MTP).
2. Copy the following folders from internal memory: DCIM (Photo/video) Download (downloads) Pictures (images from apps), Movies (video) Music (audio files) Android/data (file) Android/obb (game-file)
3. For transfer SMS and call logs use the app SMS Backup & Restore (Save.xml backup on PC).
4. Connect a new smartphone and paste the copied files into the same folders.
5. For recovery. SMS set up SMS Backup & Restore to a new device and import the file.

⚠️ Attention: Folder Android/data It contains game and app settings, but not all programs support manual recovery. For example, WhatsApp requires a backup in Google Drive, and Telegram is synced through the cloud.

To transfer applications with data (for example, Viber, Signal) use ADB:

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


adb restore backup.ab

This team creates a full backup of all the apps and their data, and recovery is only possible on devices with the same version of Android.

5. Method 4: Transfer through a Google account (for minimalists)

If you use Google services, most of the data is already synced automatically, which is a good way to do this if:

• 📧 You only need contacts, calendar, mail and bookmarks.
• 📱 You don’t store a lot of media on your device.
• 🎮 You don’t care about saving games (most of them are tied to Google Play Games).

What is synced through Google:

• 📇 Contacts (Google Contacts)
• 📅 Calendar (Google Calendar)
• 📧 Mail (Gmail)
• 🌐 Bookmarks and History (Google Chrome)
• 📱 Some system settings (Wi-Fi passwords, wallpaper)

How to turn on synchronization:

1. On an old smartphone, go to Settings → Accounts. → Google.
2. Select your account and enable sync for the right categories.
3. On the new device, add the same Google account when you first start or in settings.
4. Wait until the synchronization is complete (usually takes 5-15 minutes).

To transfer photos and videos, use Google Photos:

• 📸 Install the application on both devices.
• On your old phone, turn on "Backup and Sync".
• On the new device, wait for the download of media files from the cloud.

⚠️ Attention: Free storage of Google Photos from June 2021 is limited to 15 GB per account (together with Gmail and Google Drive).If you have a lot of high-resolution photos, they will take up space quickly. Use compression ("High quality") or clear the cloud after transferring.

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Google sync is the easiest way to transfer basic data, but it is not suitable for full migration.

6.Typical problems during transfer and how to solve them

Even when using official tools, users often encounter errors, and here are the most common problems and solutions:

If after the transfer on the new Xiaomi appeared lags or overheating, follow the following steps:

• 🔄 Reset the device.
• 🗑️ Clear the cache in Settings → Memory. → Cleanup.
• 🛠️ Turn off unnecessary background processes in Settings → Battery → Energy saving regime.

For the Chinese versions MIUI (For example, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ In this case, it may be necessary to unlock the bootloader before transferring the data:

7.What to do after the transfer: Optimizing the new Xiaomi

Data portability is only half the battle, and to make the new device work quickly and consistently, follow a few steps to optimize:

1. Account setting and synchronization

• 🔑 Add all accounts you use (Google, Mi Account, social media).
• 🔄 Enable automatic synchronization for contacts, calendar and mail.
• 📱 Check your Mi Cloud settings – some data (such as notes) are not automatically transferred.

2. Memory optimization

• 🗑️ Remove duplicate photos and videos with Gallery (Albums) → Duplicate).
• 📂 Transfer the rarely used files to SD-map.
• 🎮 Clear the game cache in Settings → Annexes → Application management.

3. Security setting

• 🔒 Set a pattern lock or fingerprint in Settings → Password and security.
• 🛡️ Enable "malware protection" in Security.
• 🔄 Update all apps through Play Market.

4. Personalization

• 🎨 Set your favorite theme in the themes (Settings) → Screen. → Topics).
• 🔊 Set up sound profiles in Settings → Sound and vibration.
• 📱 Activate the control gestures in Settings → Display. → Full screen mode.

If you have transferred data from Xiaomi to POCO Black Shark, please note that some features MIUI They can work differently:

• 🎮 Black Shark does not have Mi Mover – use manual transfer.
• 📱 Nana POCO There may not be Chinese services (e.g. Mi Pay).

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After transferring the data, be sure to check the key functions: calls, mobile Internet, notifications from instant messengers. If something does not work, restart the device or reinstall the problem application.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions